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i 


CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS 

By  JOHN  BOYD  THACHER 


General  Synopsis  of  the  Work 

Part  I.— “The  First  Historians  of  America” — Peter  Martyr  and 
Bartolome  de  las  Casas. 

Part  II. — “Introduction” — A  critical  inquiry  into  the  character 

of  Columbus. 

P.\RT  III. — “The  Man” — Biography  of  Columbus  up  to  the  time  of 
his  going  to  Portugal. 

Part  IV. — “The  Purpose” — Showing  the  influences  and  adoption 
of  the  project. 

Part  V. — -“The  Event” — Describing  the  Discovery  from  the  Ad¬ 

miral’s  Journal. 

Part  VI. — -“The  Announcement” — Including  the  earliest  publica¬ 
tion  of  the  news  and  the  Papal  recognition. 

Part  VH. — “Exploration” — Giving  details  of  the  subsequent  voy¬ 
ages  of  Columbus  with  the  import  of  his  larger 
discoveries. 

Part  VHI. — “Personality” — An  attempt  to  classify  into  types  the 
portraits  of  Columbus,  and  to  reproduce  in  fac¬ 
simile  all  his  known  handwriting. 

Part  IX. — “Los  Restos” — Tracing  the  remains  of  Columbus  and 
fixing  the  present  repository  of  the  precious  relics. 

Part  X. — Arbor  Consanguinitatis  ” — The  Family  Tree  of  Colum¬ 

bus  with  its  blood-lines  allianced  to  Royalty. 

Appendix. — Containing  the  Majorat,  the  Will  of  Columbus,  and  Mis¬ 
cellaneous  Documents. 


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HIS  LIFE,  HIS  WORK 
HIS  REMAINS 


AS  REVEALED  BY 


ORIGINAL  PRINTED  AND  MANUSCRIPT  RECORDS 


TOGETHER  WITH  AN 


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be  lao  (Tasae,  tbe  jfirot  Ibiotoriano  of  Emerlca 


By 

John  Boyd  Thacher 

AUTHOR  OF  “  THE  CONTINENT  OF  AMERICA,”  ‘‘  THE  CABOTIAN 
DISCOVERY,”  ETC. 


Volume  III 


G.  P.  PUTNAM’S  SONS 
NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 
Cbe  liHuclicrboclicr  ipress 

1904 


Copyright,  1904. 

BY 

JOHN  BOYD  THACHER 


Ube  TRnicberbochct  iprees,  IRcw  ]9orfe 


Cj  '?  3  .  ^  ^ 

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CONTENTS 

PART  VIII.  — PERSONALITY 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

CXV. — Personal  Appearance  of  Columbus  ...  3 

CXVI. — The  Jovian  Portrait  ......  q 

CXVH. — The  Jovian  Type  .  18 

CXVIII. — The  De  Bry  and  Bearded  Types  ...  42 

CXVIIII. — Miscellaneous  Portraits . 64 

CXX. — Monuments  and  Statues  ....  80 

CXXI. — The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  ....  84 

CXXII. — Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  .  .  422 

CXXIII. — The  Handwriting — Continued  ....  454 


PART  VIIIL— LOS  RESTOS 


CXXIV. — Right  of  Sepulture  ......  491 

CXXV. — -Thirds,  Eighths,  and  Tenths  ....  493 

CXXVl. — A  Use  for  Gold  .......  498 

CXXVII. — The  Death  of  Columbus  .....  503 

CXXVIII. — Burial  at  Valladolid  ......  507 

CXXVIHI. — Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  .....  514 

CXXX. — The  Capilla  Mayor  ......  522 

CXXXI. — The  Cathedral  Preserved  .....  529 

CXXXII. — The  Discovery  of  1783  ......  534 

CXXXIII. — The  Exhumation  of  1795  .....  538 

CXXXIV. — The  Cathedral’s  Interior  .....  546 

CXXXV. — First  Examination  of  1877  .....  552 

CXXXVI. — The  Dust  at  Genoa  ......  567 

CXXXVIL— The  Castillo  Locket  ......  572 

CXXXVIII. — The  Spanish  Protest  ......  574 

CXXXVIIII. — The  Church  “Regina  Angelorum’’  .  .  .  576 

CXXXX. — Second  Examination  ......  580 

CXXXXI. — Third  Examination  ......  592 

CXXXXII. — Fourth  Exa.mination  ......  597 

CXXXXIII. — The  True  Re.mains  ......  603 

VOL.  III. 

iii 


244976 


IV 


Contents 

PART  X. — ARBOR  CONSANGUINITATIS 


CXXXXIV. — Royal  and  Plebeian  Blood  ,  .  .  .617 

CXXXXV. — Don  Diego,  Second  Admiral  .  .  .  .620 

CXXXXVI. — Don  Luis,  Third  Admiral  .....  627 

CXXXXVIl. — The  House  of  Portugal-Columbus  .  .  .  632 

CXXXXVIII. — The  House  of  Ber\vick-x\lba  .  .  .  .637 

CXXXXVI  III. — The  Fourth  Admiral . 638 

CL. — The  Larreategui  ....'..  639 

Appendix  643 

Index  ^93 


Cvystal  Pyramid  Containing  Small  Portion  of  the  Ashes  of 
Christopher  Columbus ,  Preserved  in  the  Uni¬ 
versity  of  Pavia.  See  HI.,  i95- 


ILLUvSTRATIONS 


Silver  Caravel,  Bearing  in  its  Stern  the  Castillo  Locket, 
Containing  a  Small  Portion  of  the  Ashes  of  Christopher 
Columbus  .......  Frontispiece 

The  Jovian  Portrait  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  ..  1 1 

The  Altissimo  Portrait  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  ■  iQ 

The  Altissimo  Portrait  as  Copied  for  Thomas  Jefferson  .  20 

The  Altissimo  Portrait  as  Copied  for  Gouverneur  Morris  .  21 

The  De  Orchi  Portrait  ........  22 

The  Yanez  Portrait — -Before  Restoration  ....  24 

The  Yanez  Portrait — After  Restoration  .....  25 

The  Capriolo  Engraving  ........  26 

The  Crispin  De  Pass  Portrait  .......  28 

The  Cuccaro  or  Calendi  Portrait  ......  29 

The  Royal  Palace,  (Madrid),  or  R1N50N  Portrait  .  .  .31 

The  Cogoleto  or  Isnardi  Portrait  ......  32 

The  Rouen  Portrait  .........  35 

The  Ferrari  Portrait  .........  36 

The  Ambras  or  Vienna  Portrait  ......  38 

The  Stradano  Portrait  ........  39 

The  Riva  di  Padova  Portrait  .......  39 

The  Herrera  Portrait  of  1601  .......  40 

The  De  Bry  Portrait  .........  43 

The  Versailles  Portrait  ........  46 

The  Talleyrand  Portrait  ........  49 

V 


?.4497tj 


vi  Illustrations 

PAGE 

The  Bradley  Portrait  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  -51 

The  \'exetian  Mosaic  Portrait  .  .  .  ,  .  .  -52 

The  Cevasco  Portrait  .........  53 

The  Thevet  Portrait  .........  54 

The  Montanus  Portrait  ........  56 

The  Herrera  Portrait  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  -57 

The  P.\rmigiano  Portrait  ........  58 

The  Munoz  or  Berwick-Liria  Portrait  .....  60 

The  Berwick-Alba  Portrait  ........  61 

The  Jomard  Portrait  .........  62 

The  Mengs  Portrait  .........  63 

The  Havana  Portrait  .........  63 

The  Lotto  Portrait  .........  65 

The  Moro  Portrait  .........  69 

The  Albany  or  Farmar  Portrait  .......  72 

The  Hull  Portrait  .........  74 

The  Rinck  Portrait  .........  76 

The  Seville  (Capitol)  Portrait  .......  77 

The  De  la  Cosa  Portrait . 79 

The  Spotorno  Bust  .........  82 

The  Library  of  Ferdinand  Columbus  and  the  Monastery  of  Las 

Cuevas  in  Seville  .........  423 

Sapota  Tree.  All  that  was  Left  of  Ferdinand  Columbus’s 

“Huerta”  in  Seville  in  May,  1871  .....  425 

Fac-simile  Toscanelli  Letter  .......  466 

Fac-simile  of  Page  from  Historia  of  Pius  II.  in  Autograph  of 

Christopher  Columbus  ........  476 

House  at  Valladolid  in  which  Christopher  Columbus  Died 

opposite  504 

Doubtful  Military  Will  of  Columbus . 510 

Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  at  Seville  ....  opposite  514 

Chapel  of  Santa  Ana  in  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  at  Seville, 

IN  WHICH  Lay  the  Remains  of  Columbus  for  more  than 
Thirty  Years  ........  opposite  516 


Illustrations  vii 

PAGE 

The  Cathedral  Church  AT  San  Domingo  (Front  View)  .  opposite  522 

The  Cathedral  Church  at  San  Domingo  (West  View)  .  opposite  522 

Interior  of  the  Cathedral  Church  at  San  Domingo  .  opposite  526 

The  Capilla  Mayor,  or  Old  Presbytery.  Above  the  Steps  Lead¬ 
ing  TO  THE  High  Altar  was  Found  the  Lead  Box  Containing 
THE  Ashes  of  Christopher  Columbus  .  .  .  opposite  526 

Original,  Altered  and  Enlarged  Plans  of  the  Presbytery  .  549 

Evangel  Side  of  High  Altar,  Showing  Location  of  Vault  in 
which  were  Found  the  Ashes  of  Christopher  Columbus 

opposite  552 

Capilla  de  Bastides,  in  which  (within  the  Iron  Doors  to  the 
Right)  now  Lie  the  Principal  Part  of  the  Remains  of 
Christopher  Columbus  ......  opposite  552 

Lead  Box  Containing  Ashes  of  Christopher  Columbus  .  .  562 

Large  Initial  Letters  on  Outside  of  Box  Containing  Remains 

OF  Christopher  Columbus  .......  562 

Inscription  Found  on  Exterior  of  the  Cover  ....  564 

Inscription  Found  on  Interior  of  the  Cover  ....  564 

Repository  in  the  Municipal  Hall  at  Genoa,  in  which  is  the 
Crystal  Locket  Containing  a  Small  Portion  of  the  Ashes 
OF  Christopher  Columbus  .....  opposite  568 

Affidavit  of  Senor  Castillo  .......  572 

The  Castillo  Locket,  Containing  Portion  of  the  Remains  of 

Christopher  Colu.mbus  ......  opposite  572 

Slightly  Enlarged  View  of  Castillo  Locket  .  .  opposite  572 

Inscription  on  the  Two  Sides  of  the  Silver  Plate  Found  in  the 

Box  Containing  the  Remains  of  Christopher  Colu.mbus  .  587 

Inscription  on  Silver  Plate  as  Taken  by  the  Agent  of  the 

Spanish  Academy  .........  602 

Inscription  on  the  Silver  Plate  as  Taken  by  Herr  Cronau  .  602 

Inscription  on  Bo.x  Contai.ning  Re.mains  of  Don  Luis  Colu.mbus, 

THE  Third  Ad.miral  .....  .  .  604 

Genealogical  Table  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .616 


PART  VIII 


PERSONALITY 


CHAPTER  CXV 

PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  OF  COLUMBUS 


The  opening  passage  in  the  Libretto  gives  the  earliest  de¬ 
scription  of  the  person  of  Columbus: 

“Cristophoro  Col5bo,  Zenoefe,  homo  de  alta  &  procera  ftatura  roffo 
de  grande  ingegno  &  faza  longa.” 

“Christopher  Columbus,  a  Genoese,  a  man  of  tall  and  lofty  stature,  of 
ruddy  complexion,  of  great  intelligence  and  with  a  long  face.” 

As  this  passage  does  not  appear  in  the  edition  of  1 5 1 1  or  in 
subsequent  editions  of  the  Decades  of  Peter  Martyr,  it  may  be 
assumed  that  it  was  interjected  by  Trivigiano,  who  had  a  per¬ 
sonal  acquaintance  with  the  Admiral,  and  was  therefore  qualified 
to  speak  of  his  distinctive  appearance.  Antonio  Gallo  and  Bar- 
tholomeo  Senarega,  both  cotemporaneous  Genoese  historians, 

■ — although  their  manuscript  works  were  first  reproduced  in 
print  by  Muratori  in  1733, — fail  to  give  any  account  of  the  Ad¬ 
miral’s  personal  appearance.  These  Genoese  writers,  as  we 
have  seen,  were  the  first  to  give  the  story  of  the  family  origin. 
Gallo  says: 

“  Christophorus  &  Bartholomaeus  Columbi  fratres,  natione  Ligures,  ac 
Genuae  plebejis  orti  parentibus,  &  qui  ex  lanificii  [nam  textor  pater,  carmi- 
natores  filii  aliquando  fuerunt]  mercedibus  victitarent.”  ' 

“Christopher  and  Bartholomew  Columbus,  brothers,  Ligurians  and 
Genoese  by  nativity,  sprung  from  common  parentage,  supported  them¬ 
selves  with  the  wages  which  come  from  weaving  [for  the  father  being  a 
weaver,  the  sons  became  carders  or  weavers’  assistants].” 

Oviedo,  who  was  a  youth  at  the  time  and  a  page  in  the  Court, 
may  have  seen  Columbus  in  Barcelona  when  he  returned  from 

*  Muratori,  Rerum  Italiorum,  vol.  xxiii.,  folio  302,  Milan,  1733. 


3 


4 


Christopher  Columbus 

his  first  voyage.  In  his  Historia  General  y  Natural  de  Las 
Lidias,  Oviedo  describes  briefly  the  person  of  the  Admiral,  but 
not  at  all  as  if  from  sight.  He  begins  his  description  of  Colum¬ 
bus  by  the  parenthetical  clause :  ‘  ‘  Segun  yo  he  sabido  de  hombres 
de  su  nasgion  ’  ’ — ‘  ‘  According  to  what  I  have  learned  from  men 
of  his  nation.”  He  then  describes  his  person  as  follows: 

“  De  buena  estatura  e  aspecto,mas  alto  que  mediano,  e  de  rejios  miem- 
bros:  los  ojos  vivos  e  las  otras  partes  del  rostro  de  buena  proporcion:  el 
cabello  muy  bermejo,  6  la  cara  algo  engendido  e  pecoso.”  ^ 

“  He  was  of  good  stature  and  appearance,  of  more  than  medium  height 
and  with  strong  limbs,  his  eyes  bright  and  his  other  features  of  good  pro¬ 
portion:  his  hair  very  red  and  his  face  somewhat  burned  and  freckled.” 

Las  Casas,  the  Historian  of  the  Indies,  and  who  also  as  a 
youth  knew  Coliunbus  after  his  return  from  the  New  World, 
says: 

“Fu4  de  alto  cuerpo,  mas  que  mediano;  el  rostro  luengo  y  autorizado: 
la  nariz  aquileha;  los  ojos  garzos;  la  color  blanca,  que  tiraba  a  rojo  en- 
cendido;  la  barba  y  cabellos,  cuando  era  mozo,  rubios,  puesto  que  muy 
presto  con  los  trabajos  se  le  tornaron  canos.”  ^ 

‘‘His  form  was  tall,  above  the  medium:  his  face  long  and  his  counten¬ 
ance  imposing:  his  nose  aquiline:  his  eyes  clear  blue:  his  complexion  light, 
tending  toward  a  decided  red:  his  beard  and  hair  were  red  when  he  was 
young,  but  which  cares  then  had  early  turned  white.” 

Andres  Bernaldez  is  one  of  the  earliest  writers  to  whom  we 
go  for  our  knowledge,  but  he  does  not  speak  of  the  features  of 
the  Admiral.  He  tells  us  that  Columbus  was  a  bookseller  in 
Andalusia,  that  when  he  died  he  was  seventy  years  of  age,  and 
that  it  was  his  custom  after  his  return  in  1496  from  his  second 
voyage  to  wear  the  ecclesiastical  garb  of  the  Franciscan  order, 
both  the  frock  and  the  girdle. 

‘‘Ovo  un  hombre  de  tierra  de  Genova,  mercader  de  libros  de  estampa, 
que  trataba  en  esta  tierra  Andalucia,  que  llamaban  Christobal  Colon, 
hombre  de  muy  alto  ingenio,  sin  saber  muchas  letras.  .  . 

‘‘There  was  a  man  from  the  country  of  Genoa  called  Christopher  Co¬ 
lumbus,  a  dealer  in  printed  books  who  traded  in  the  country  of  Andalusia; 
a  man  of  very  great  intelligence  without  being  very  learned. 

“Y  vino  en  Castile  en  el  mes  de  Junio  de  1496  ahos,  vestido  de  unas 

^  Historia  General,  Seville,  1535,  liber  ii.,  cap.  ii. 

*  Historia,  lib.  i.,  cap.  ii. 

3  Reyes  Catolicos,  chapter  cxviii. 


5 


Personal  Appearance  of  Columbus 

ropas  de  color  de  habito  de  fraile  de  San  Francisco,  de  la  observancia,  y  en 
la  hechura  poco  menos  que  habito,  e  un  cordon  de  San  Francisco  por  de- 
vocion.”  I 

“  .  .  .  He  came  to  Castile  in  the  month  of  June,  1496,  and  because 

of  his  devotion  he  was  dressed  in  robes  of  the  colour  of  the  ancient  habits 
of  the  brothers  of  St.  Francis,  made  almost  like  a  habit,  and  wearing  a  cord 
of  St.  Francis.” 

‘‘El  cual  dicho  Almirante  D.  Christobal  Colon,  de  maravillosa  y  hon- 
rada  memoria,  natural  de  la  provincia  de  Genova,  estando  en  Valladolid  el 
aho  de  1506,  en  el  mes  de  Mayo,  murid  in  senectute  bona,  inventor  de  las 
Indias,  de  edad  de  70  anos  poco  mas  e  mdnos.”  ^ 

‘‘Which  said  Admiral  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  of  wonderful  and 
honoured  memory,  a  native  of  the  province  of  Genoa,  the  discoverer  of  the 
Indies,  being  in  Valladolid  in  the  month  of  May  of  the  year  1506,  died 
senectute  bona  [in  a  good  old  age]  at  the  age  of  70  years  a  little  more  or  less.” 

Ferdinand  Columbus,  the  son,  wrote  of  his  father: 

‘‘ L’Ammiraglio  fu  huomo  di  ben  formata  &  piu  che  mediocre  ftatura, 
di  volto  lungo,  &  di  guancie  un  poco  alte,  fenza  che  declinafife  a  graflo,  o 
macilento.  Haueua  il  nafo  aquilino,  &  gli  occhi  bianchi,  bianco,  accefo  di 
viuo  colore.  Nella  fua  giouentu  hebbe  i  capelli  biondi,  benche,  giunto  che 
fu  a’  trenta  anni,  tutti  gli  diuennero  bianchi.”  ^ 

‘‘The  Admiral  was  a  man  of  good  form,  of  more  than  medium  stature: 
with  a  long  visage,  the  cheek-bones  a  little  high:  inclining  neither  to  stout¬ 
ness  nor  thinness :  his  nose  was  aquiline  and  his  eyes  light :  he  was  a  blond 
inclining  to  high  colouring:  in  his  youth  his  hair  was  fair,  but  when  he  was 
thirty,  it  had  all  turned  white.” 

The  first  part  of  the  Historia  written  by  Oviedo  was  printed 
at  Seville  in  1535,  long  after  the  events  happened,  certainly 
more  than  forty  years  after  Oviedo  had  seen  Columbus  and  his 
triumphal  reception  in  Barcelona. 

Bartolome  de  las  Casas,  the  fullest  of  the  first  historians,  and 
in  whose  hand  was  the  original  manuscript  Journal  of  Columbus, 
wrote  his  work  when  in  advanced  years.  It  is  evident  that  he 
contemplated  writing  of  the  events  that  happened  not  merely 
in  the  early  years  after  the  discovery,  but  bringing  the  history 
of  the  Indies  down  to  his  own  last  days,  even  to  the  year  1566, 
in  which  year  he  died  at  the  grand  old  age  of  ninety-two.  But 
he  reached  in  his  historical  writing  no  farther  than  to  describe 
the  expedition  of  Jacome  de  Castellon  against  the  Indians, 

I  Reyes  Catolicos,  chapter  cxxxi. 

®  Historie,  Venice,  1571,  recto  folio  7. 


6 


Christopher  Columbus 

undertaken  in  1521.  We  know  that  in  1559  he  was  engaged  in 
writing  this  history,  and  he  complains  that  his  voyages  and  his 
occupations  have  interrupted  a  work  long  before  begun.  No 
matter  when  it  was  begun,  it  must  have  been  long  after  the 
events  directly  connected  with  Columbus,  and  he  is  doubtless 
making  a  draft  on  his  memory  when  he  recalls  the  personal  ap¬ 
pearance  of  the  great  Admiral.  His  history,  while  often  con¬ 
sulted  in  manuscript  by  scholars  and  writers,  did  not  reach  the 
public  in  printed  form  until  the  year  1875. 

Andres  Bemaldez  was  Curate  of  Los  Palacios,  a  village  near 
Seville,  between  the  years  1488  and  1513.  He  knew  Christopher 
Columbus  personally,  and  left  behind  him  a  manuscript  work 
in  which  he  related  the  events  of  the  four  voyages  accomplished 
by  the  Admiral.  This  manuscript  was  printed  at  Granada,  by 
Don  Jose  Maria  Zamora,  1856,  in  two  small  quarto  volumes, 
and  bears  for  its  general  title :  Historia  de  los  Reyes  Catdlicos  D. 
Fernando  y  Dona  Isabel,  Cronica  Inedita  del  Siglo  XV,  Escrita 
por  el  Bachiller  Andres  Bernaldez.  Irving  and  other  historians 
had  access  to  the  manuscript,  and  quoted  from  it  in  their  works. 
The  reference  to  the  ecclesiastical  dress  worn  by  the  Admiral 
is  often  cited  in  confirmation  of  the  correctness  of  detail  in  the 
Jovian  portrait  of  Columbus. 

There  has  been  controversy  over  the  authenticity  of  the 
work  alleged  to  have  been  composed  by  Ferdinand  Columbus 
and  known  bibliographically  as  the  Historic,  from  the  first  word 
of  the  title.  The  work  was  originally  written  in  the  Spanish 
tongue,  and  it  remained  in  its  manuscript  form  for  years. 
Finally  it  found  its  way  to  Venice,  where  it  was  done  into  Italian 
by  Alfonso  Ulloa,  and  printed  in  1571.  It  was  translated  into 
French  and  published  in  Paris  in  1681,  but,  as  we  have  else¬ 
where  said,  no  student  should  follow  the  very  imperfect  French 
translation.  Ferdinand,  in  describing  the  actual  discovery, 
quotes  at  length  from  the  Admiral’s  Journal,  which  he  very 
naturally  had  in  his  possession.  This  Journal  was  also  at  the 
hand  of  Bartolome  de  las  Casas  when  he  was  writing  his  His¬ 
toria.  Because  the  Historie  contains  certain  matter  not  in  Las 
Casas,  doubt  has  been  cast  upon  it.  But  so  far  as  the  two  ac¬ 
counts  relate  to  the  discovery,  there  is  no  essential  difference. 
One  of  the  objections  raised  against  the  genuineness  of  the  His¬ 
torie  is  the  assertion  of  Ferdinand  that  his  father  came  from  dis- 


7 


Personal  Appearance  of  Columbus 

tingnished  ancestry;  but  this,  to  our  mind,  is  the  best  evidenee 
in  its  favour.  Its  introduction  into  his  Life  of  his  father  is 
natural,  especially  in  view  of  what  had  been  said  by  Antonio 
Gallo,  Bartholomeo  Senarega,  and  Agostino  Giustiniano  as  to 
his  plebeian  parentage.  He  had  Sabellicus  to  quote  as  a  possi¬ 
ble  authority  on  his  side. 

However,  the  point  to  which  we  desire  the  reader’s  atten¬ 
tion  is  that  none  of  the  aceounts  describing  the  personal  appear¬ 
ance  of  Christopher  Columbus  was  published  until  many  years 
after  his  death,  except  alone  that  given  in  the  Libretto  and  in 
those  subsequent  works  which  literally  copied  that  authority. 
And  as  this  account  does  not  appear  anywhere  in  Peter  Martyr, 
the  credit  must  be  given  to  Angelo  Trivigiano. 

The  anatomist  from  a  few  bones  construets  the  entire  animal 
stmetufe.  The  artist  with  these  few  features  has  painted  his 
own  Columbus.  More  than  eighty  of  these  portraits  exist, 
none  executed  directly  from  its  subject  or  painted  in  the  life¬ 
time  of  the  Admiral.  Portrait -painting  was  not  much  practised 
in  Spain  in  the  fifteenth  century.  Indeed,  there  are  no  satis- 
faetory  or  authentic  portraits  of  King  Ferdinand  or  Isabella,' 
his  wife,  or  of  Cardinal  Ximenes,  or  of  the  Great  Captain,  Gonzalvo 
de  Cordova.  Some  of  these  portraits  of  Columbus  may  be 
classified  into  types,  some  are  purely  imaginative,  and  some  are 
palpably  impossible.  For  instance,  the  Capriolo  and  Ringon 
portraits  are  of  the  Jovian  type,  while  the  Talleyrand  and  Costa 
are  of  the  De  Bry  school;  the  Parmigiano  and  Moptanus  por¬ 
traits  must  have  been  evolved  out  of  the  fancy  of  the  artist; 


I  In  the  General  History  of  Spain,  by  the  R.  F.  F.  Juan  de  Mariana  (see  lib.  xxv.) 
is  the  following  description  of  the  personal  appearance  of  the  Catholic  Sovereigns: 

“Both  the  King  and  Queen  were  of  a  middle  stature,  their  limbs  well  propor¬ 
tioned,  their  countenances  graceful,  pleasing  and  yet  grave;  their  mien  majestic,  but 
their  complexion  somewhat  swarthy;  e.specially  the  King’s,  tanned  with  being  always 
in  the  field,  his  hair  chestnut  colour  and  long,  his  beard  trimmed  after  the  'manner  of 
that  age,  his  eye-brows  large,  his  head  bald,  his  mouth  small,  his  lips  red,  nis  teeth 
little  and  thin,  his  back  broad,  his  neck  straight,  his  voice  sharp,  quick  of  speech,  of 
a  sharp  wit,  of  a  sound  judgment,  of  a  courteous  disposition  and  ease  of  access.  In 
material  affairs  he  was  expert:  in  matters  of  government  not  to  be  paralleled;  so 
great  a  lover  of  business  that  it  seemed  to  be  his  delight  and  diversion.  His  body 
was  not  pampered  with  pleasures,  but  inured  to  labour.  His  diet  was  temperate 
and  his  garb  modest.  He  was  an  excellent  horseman.  When  young  he  was  addicted 
to  cards  and  dice,  grown  more  staid  his  chief  sport  was  hawking. 

“The  Queen  had  a  good  face,  fair  hair,  dark  eyes;  she  used  no  paints  or  washes 
and  had  a  singular  modesty  and  gravity  in  her  looks.  She  was  very  devout  and  a 
lover  of  learning:  she  bore  her  husband  affection,  but  mixed  with  jealousy.  She 
had  some  knowledge  of  the  Latin  tongue,  which  her  husband  wanted,  having  no 
learning  given  him  in  his  youth;  yet  he  loved  to  read  history  and  converse  with 
learned  men.’’ 


8 


Christopher  Columbus 

the  Rinck  and  one  or  two  others  belong  to  the  impossible  class. 
As  the  Apostles  sometimes  appear  in  mediaeval  painting  wearing 
the  dress  of  that  period,  so  Columbus  is  sometimes  made  to 
dress  in  the  costume  and  to  assume  the  oddities  of  a  period  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years  after  his  time.  Indeed,  the  Rinck  por¬ 
trait  is  that  of  a  Canadian  fur  trapper  of  the  present  day. 

There  were  artists  in  Spain  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  but  none  who  displayed  the  ability  of  the  Italian  painters. 
Among  those  Spanish  artists  whose  names  have  been  recorded 
we  find  Francisco  de  Amberes,  Garcia  del  Barcia,  Juan  de  Bor- 
gona,  Juan  Sanchez  de  Castro,  Gonzola  Diaz,  Juan  Flamenco, 
Juan  de  Flandes,  Frutos  Flores,  Jorge  Ingles,  Juan  Nunez, 
Nicolas  Francisco  Pisano,  Antonio  del  Ringon,  Juan  Rodriguez, 
Pedro  Sanchez,  and  Perez  Velloldos. 


CHAPTER  CXVI 


No  I.  THE  JOVIAN  PORTRAIT 


Whoever  mounts  to  the  Lauren tian  Library  in  Florence 
must  enter  by  the  cloisters  adjoining  the  Church  of  St.  Lorenzo, 
and  as  he  turns  into  the  entrance  to  the  library  stairway  he 
finds  himself  opposite  the  statue  of  Paulus  Jovius.  This  statue 
is  a  striking  figure  executed  in  marble  by  Francesco  da  San- 
gallo.  A  legend  upon  the  tablet  declares  that  Jovius,  who  died 
at  Florence  December  ii,  1552,  was  the  glory  of  the  Latin 
tongue,  and  that  as  a  historian  he  was  superior  to  Sallust  or 
Livy.  Paulus  Jovius  was  known  to  Moreri  and  Bayle  as  the 
writer  of  a  history  of  the  world,  beginning  with  the  events  of  the 
year  1494;  to-day  he  is  remembered  by  the  world  as  the  rich 
owner  of  a  villa  on  the  Lake  of  Como  and  the  founder  of  a 
museum  in  which  he  gathered  the  portraits  of  men  famous  in 
his  own  and  other  times.  As  a  writer  of  history,  posterity  as 
well  as  his  own  time,  while  crediting  him  with  learning,  charges 
him  with  insincerity  and  corruption,  asserting  that  money  and 
favour  purchased  the  colouring  of  character  and  the  suppression 
of  defects.’  Paulus  Jovius,  or  Paolo  Giovio,  as  he  was  called  in 

'  Voscius  says  Jovius  in  a  sense  set  up  a  biographical  bank  and  promised  an 
ancient  genealogy  and  a,n  immortal  glory  to  all  the  scoundrels  who  recompensed  him 
well  for  his  pains,  and  he  traduced  all  others  who  would  not  pay  him  for  his  lies. 

Bodin  affirms  that  when  Jovius  was  asked  why  he  told  so  many  lies  and  sup¬ 
pressed  the  notice  of  events  which  were  true,  he  answered  that  he  did  it  in  favour 
of  his  friends, — “a  hundred  years  hence  there  will  remain  no  proof  to  convict  me  of 
falsehood.”  Some  say  he  bragged  that  he  had  a  pen  of  gold  and  another  of  iron,  one 
for  the  Princes  who  were  bountiful  to  him  and  the  other  to  use  against  those  Princes 
from  whom  he  received  nothing.  Scaliger  speaks  of  him  thus  :  “Paulus  Jovius,  a 
flagrant  liar — mcnJffe^ssimus.” 

Jovius  certainly  expected,  or  his  friends  expected,  that  higher  ecclesiastical  pre¬ 
ferment  would  come  to  him.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  he  hoped  to  receive 
the  appointment  to  the  Bishopric  of  Como.  In  the  Preface  to  his  history  is  a  letter 
from  Andrew  Alciatus  dated  from  Pavia,  October  7,  1549 — in  answer  to  a  letter 

Q 


lo  Christopher  Columbus 

Italian,  was  born  in  Como  in  1480,  and  thus  when  Columbus 
died  in  1506  he  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-six,  already  practis¬ 
ing  the  profession  of  medicine  in  Rome.  He  might  have  seen 
Columbus,  so  far  as  time  contributed  to  his  opportunities,  but 
there  is  no  evidence  that  he  ever  visited  Spain  or  ever  set  his 
eyes  upon  the  face  of  the  great  Discoverer.  Nevertheless,  to 
him  we  owe  the  earliest  presentation  of  an  alleged  likeness  of 
Columbus.  Jovius  early  abandoned  his  calling  as  a  physician, 
and  sought  preferment  through  the  Church  and  in  a  literarv 
career.  Pope  Adrian  VI.  made  him  a  canon  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Como.  In  1527,  he  was  made  Bishop  of  Nocera  de  Pagoni,  near 
Naples,  by  Pope  Clement  VII.,  with  whom  he  seems  to  have 
been  a  favourite  courtier.  A  genuine  collector  is  bom,  not 
made.  Jovius  must  have  set  himself  to  the  task  of  gathering 
portraits  of  distinguished  personages  at  a  very  early  period,  for 
we  find  him  in  1521  already  in  the  possession  of  a  pretentious 
collection.  All  time  served  him  for  a  field.  His  heroes  came 
from  all  ages,  all  nations,  all  callings.  For  the  most  part  they 
were  grouped  in  two  general  classes:  those  famous  for  a  war¬ 
like  spirit  comprising  the  one,  and  others  going  into  the 
larger  list  of  “  the  learned  ” — Elogia  Virorum  Literis  Illustrium. 
Neither  Rome  nor  Italy  confined  his  search.  We  find  quite  a 

written  him  by  Jovius  in  which  the  latter  acquaints  Alciatus  with  his  discontent, 
declaring  his  intention  of  forsaking  Rome  and  betaking  himself  to  Florence  :  “You 
write  to  me,”  says  Alciatus,  “that,  moved  by  a  heavy  injury  done  you,  you  have 
thought  of  leaving  Rome  (a  thing  I  thought  would  never  come  to  pass)  that  you 
may  not  remain  an  uneasy  witness  of  the  wrong  done  you  in  that  court  where  you 
have  for  many  years  enjoyed  the  blessing  of  a  golden  mediocrity,  as  well  as  a  just 
respect  flowing  from  the  importance  of  your  studies.  I  am  therefore,  I  confess, 
surprised  that  to  a  person  who,  like  you,  has  both  learning  and  years  to  plead  in  his 
favour.  Pope  Paul  should  prefer  another  to  be  Bishop  in  your  country.”  And  then 
Alciatus  indulges  in  a  low  reference  to  the  Pontiff. 

The  elder  brother  of  Paulus  Jovius,  Benedictus  by  name,  was  a  sort  of  father 
to  him  and  gave  him  his  education.  Benedictus  was  himself  a  most  learned  man 
but  preferred  a  retired  life,  remaining  at  Como,  with  the  exception  now  and  then  of 
a  visit  to  Milan  to  hear  lectures  from  a  Professor  of  Greek,  in  which  language  he 
himself  was  a  proficient.  He  left  behind  him  letters  which  his  sons  were  to  publish, 
but  we  believe  nothing  much  was  ever  printed. 

The  first  work  published  by  Jovius  was  a  little  treatise,  De  Piscibus  Romanis,  in 
1524.  His  great  work  was  the  history  of  his  own  time  in  some  forty-five  books,  that 
is  from  1494  until  the  year  1544,  beyond  which  period  we  believe  his  writing  did  not 
extend.  During  the  sacking  of  Rome,  in  1527,  he  lost  that  part,  some  six  books, 
which  treated  of  the  period  from  the  death  of  Leo  X.  to  that  dreadful  event,  and  this 
gap  in  his  work  it  is  said  he  never  brought  himself  to  re-write,  although  it  was  the 
occasion  of  many  solemn  resolutions  to  repair  the  loss  by  another  strong  literary 
effort. 


The  Jovian  Portrait  u 


spirited  portrait  of  Henry  VIII.  of  England,  painted  before 
Holbein  fixed  for  ever  his  massive  features. 


No.  I.  The  Jovian  Portrait. 


In  a  letter  written  to  Mario  Equicola  on  August  28,  T521, 
Jovius  begs  him  to  ]Drocure  for  him  a  ]:)ortrait  of  Brother  Battista 
Spagnoli,  called  the  Carmelite,  and  alluding  to  some  of  the  nota- 


12  Christopher  Columbus 

ble  pictures  then  in  his  gallery.  However,  it  is  doubtful  if  he 
then  possessed  a  repository  worthy  the  name  of  gallery.  This 
was  to  eome  later  when,  discouraged  by  the  failure  of  Pope  Paul 
III.  to  appreeiate  him  and  his  elaims  by  promoting  him  to  be 
Bishop  of  Como  when  a  vaeancy  occurred  in  that  See,  he  retired 
to  his  villa  and  devoted  himself  to  the  increase  of  his  museum. 
Here  he  confined  himself  to  no  mere  gallery  of  portraits,  but 
antiquities  as  well,  and  objects  of  rarity  and  beauty  invited  their 
acquisition."  He  seems  to  have  fancied  that  his  villa  occupied 
the  identical  site  of  that  once  belonging  to  Pliny  the  Younger, 
and  thus  he  named  one  of  his  seven  magnificent  galleries  the 
Hall  of  Pliny.  Other  galleries  were  the  Vestibule  of  Homer, 
the  Hall  of  Minerva,  the  Salon  of  the  Sirens,  the  Hall  of  the 
Graees,  the  whole  being  called  a  museum,  or  the  Abode  of  the 
Muses.  Giorgio  Vasari,^  who  must  have  seen  this  collection, 
speaks  of  it  in  his  Vite  de'  Piu  Eccellenti  Pittori,  Scultori  e  Archi- 
tetti,  assigning  it  the  highest  place  among  picture,  or  rather  por¬ 
trait,  galleries.  Giulio  Romano  gave  to  it  his  own  collection 
of  Raphael’s  works,  and  Cosimo  I.,  Duke  of  Tuscany,  sent 
from  Florence  the  celebrated  artist  Cristofano  dell’  Altissimo  to 
copy  some  of  the  portraits  not  in  Florentine  galleries.  Vasari 
enumerates  no  less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty-three  different 
portraits  so  copied,  and  which  to-day  are  in  the  Uffizi  Gallery. 
It  is  in  allusion  to  this  work  of  copying  that  we  have  the  earliest 
mention  of  a  portrait  of  Columbus. 

Cristofano  dell’  Altissimo  began  in  1552  his  labour  of  copying 
the  portraits  in  the  Jovian  gallery,  and  between  that  date  and 
the  year  1556  he  forwarded  to  Florence  seventy-four  finished 
portraits.  Under  date  of  October  23,  1556,  he  wrote  from 
Como  that  he  was  about  to  send  two  more  boxes  of  pictures, 
and  among  these  is  indicated  a  portrait  of  Columbus.  Thus  we 
know  that  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  there  was  pre¬ 
served  at  Como  a  portrait  of  Columbus.  It  is  not  pretended  by 

'  It  is  probable  that  the  villa,  with  at  least  some  of  its  galleries, had  been  occupied 
as  early  as  1537.  The  military  operations  in  that  region  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
sixteenth  century  caused  a  partial  destruction  of  the  villa  and  the  rising  of  the  waters 
of  the  lake  still  further  contributed  to  its  useless  condition.  Boldoni,  who  visited  it 
in  the  year  1617,  pronounced  it  then  a  ruin.  The  collection  of  portraits  is  believed 
to  have  been  kept  together  until  1587,  when  it  was  divided  between  two  branches  of 
the  family,  one  branch  taking  the  portraits  of  the  warriors  and  the  other  branch 
taking  the  portraits  of  the  literary  or  learned  men. 

2  Vasari,  Vite  del  Piu  Celebri  Pittori  &c.,  Florence,  1848,  xiii.,  173. 


13 


The  Jovian  Portrait 

any  one  that  the  portrait  was  painted  from  life,  or  that  the  artist, 
whoever  he  may  have  been,  ever  saw  Columbus.  It  is  simply 
the  first  mention  of  an  attempt  to  preserve  his  features. 

What,  then,  has  become  of  this  picture?  The  portrait  of 
Columbus  preserved  in  the  Uffizi  Gallery  in  Florence  may  be 
the  copy  made  by  Altissimo,  but  the  original  from  which  it  was 
made  is  not  positively  identified.  Must  the  original  be  recog¬ 
nised  by  its  close  resemblance  to  the  copy  made  for  Duke  Cosimo  ? 
Not  necessarily.  An  eminent  writer  on  painting  in  Italy  '  de¬ 
clares  that  Altissimo  “  copied  the  features  of  celebrated  men, 
but  paid  little  attention  to  other  circumstances.”  The  Floren¬ 
tine  portrait,  then,  may  resemble  the  features  found  in  the  ori¬ 
ginal  Como  or  Jovian  portrait,  while  the  accompanying  details 
of  dress,  position,  and  accessories  may  have  been  omitted  or 
much  altered. 

It  is  probable  that  the  portrait  of  Columbus  was  among  the 
last  gathered  personally  by  Jovius,  for  in  his  edition  of  Elogia 
Virorum  Bellica  Virtutc  Illustrium,  published  at  Bale  in  1551, 
the  year  before  Jovius  died,  there  is  a  short  biography,  but  no 
engraving  of  Columbus.  In  the  year  1575  there  issued  from 
the  press  of  Petrus  Pema  in  Bale  a  folio  edition  of  the  Elogia  in 
which  for  the  first  time  appeared  a  woodcut  engraving  of  the 
likeness  of  Columbus.^  In  the  Florence  edition  of  the  Elogia, 
printed  by  Laurentius  Torrentinus  in  1551,  appeared  the  bio¬ 
graphical  sketch  of  the  great  Admiral,  but  the  portrait  was  not 
yet  engraved.  There  are  several  instances  showing  that  Jovius 
had  prepared  his  eulogies  before  he  possessed  portraits  to  illus¬ 
trate  his  heroes.  In  May,  1551,  Jovius  wrote  to  the  Cardinal 

'  Lanzi,  History  of  Painting  in  Italy. 

®  It  is  worthy  of  passing  notice  that  the  first  pictorial  representation  of  the  dis¬ 
covery  was  in  a  series  of  woodcuts  published  at  Bale,  in  the  German  edition  of  the 
Columbus  Letter,  and  that  it  was  in  the  same  town  that  there  was  published  to  the 
world  the  first  engraved  likeness  of  the  great  Discoverer. 

There  is  nothing  more  mysterious  in  the  study  of  history  than  the  unexpected 
association  of  events.  Sometimes,  however,  the  imagination  furnishes  one  of  its  con¬ 
necting  threads.  A  distinguished  American  historian  has  called  attention  to  the  strange 
birth  of  the  two  great  impulses  in  the  same  little  town  of  St.  Die,  in  the  lonely  Vosgian 
mountains,  the  one  being  the  composition  there  of  the  Imago  Mnndi,  by  Petrus 
Abacus,  in  the  year  1410,  which  the  historian  thinks  led  Columbus,  when  in  after 
years  it  fell  into  his  hands,  to  develop  and  put  to  successful  test  its  suggestion  of 
traversing  the  Ocean-sea  from  the  east  to  the  west;  the  other  being  the  suggestion 
issued  also  in  St.  Did,  nearly  a  century  later,  when  Martinus  Waldseemuller  proposed 
that  the  New  World  should  be  called  America.  The  Author  has  diligently  sought  to 
verify  this  interesting  connection  of  two  events,  and  while  he  has  found  the  source 


14 


Christopher  Columbus 

Ercole  Gonzaga  urging  him  to  furnish  a  portrait  of  Francesco 
Gonzaga.  whose  eulogy  he  had  composed,  but  whose  likeness 
he  lacked.  August  5,  1551,  he  again  wrote,  “I  pray  your  Ex¬ 
cellency  not  to  make  me  a  liar,  since  I  have  already  written  that 
I  have  his  picture  in  the  Museum.”  In  his  dedication  to  his 
seventh  book,  the  reader  will  find  the  illustrious  collector  apolo¬ 
gising  for  some  missing  portraits,  notwithstanding  the  eulogies 
which  there  appear."  Among  the  desiderata  are  the  portraits 
of  Peter  Martyr,  of  Anghera,  and  of  Johannes  Muller,  the  friend 
of  Toscanelli,  eulogies  of  these  two  distinguished  characters 
appearing  on  pages  206  and  218. 

Tobias  Stimmer,  a  Swiss  engraver,  practised  his  art  in  Bale 
between  the  years  1570  and  1590,  and  is  generally  regarded  as 
responsible  for  the  illustrations  found  in  the  Elogia.  He  not 
only  engraved  from  work  already  executed,  but  he  was  an  ori¬ 
ginal  designer  as  well.  Papillon  ^  declares  that  he  had  taste  and 
a  marvellous  fidelity  in  composition,  the  latter  quality  suggest¬ 
ing  embellishment  and  alteration  rather  than  servile  following 
of  copy,  and  thus  diminishing  our  faith  in  the  correctness  of  his 
production.  On  the  other  hand,  the  frequent  repetition  of 
design  in  the  frames  which  surround  his  woodcuts  do  not  indi- 

of  the  historian’s  assertion,  he  has  failed  in  confirming  the  earlier  authority,  so  far  as 
it  relates  to  the  composition  of  the  Imago  Mundi  in  St.  Die. 

In  the  dedication  to  the  seventh  book,  Paulus  Jovius  thus  excuses  the  omission 
of  some  effigies: 

“Non  miraberis,  candidifsime  Princeps,  si  complures  qui  fuis  feculis  infigni 
bellicae  laudis  preconio  floruerunt,  hoc  volumine  pretermifsi  videbuntur.  Nam  ex 
profeffo  eos  tantum,  quorum  veras  imagnies  nancifci  potuimus,  appofitis  Elogijs 
exoman dos  arbitrabamur.” 

As  we  turn  the  pages  of  the  1575  Jovius — and  the  discerning  reader  will  have 
no  other — we  observe  that  there  are  wanting  in  the  Eulogies  of  Warlike  Characters 
no  less  than  ten  portraits  which  Jovius  had  been  unable  to  obtain: 

Julianus  Caesarinus,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  98. 

Nicolaus  Piccinnius,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  128. 

Franciscus  Gonzaga,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  234. 

Antonius  Columna,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  247. 

Odettus  Fusius  Lotrechius,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  287. 

Ugo  Moncata,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  289. 

Philibertus  Aurantius,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  297. 

Franciscus  Borbonius,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  332. 

Ferdinandus  Gonzaga,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  385. 

Johannes  Tarnouius,  portrait  intended  to  go  in  the  frame  on  page  387,  wrongly 
printed  378. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Jovius  probably  never  did  obtain  the  portrait  of  Fran¬ 
cisco  Gonzaga  for  which  he  appealed  with  so  much  feeling  to  the  Cardinal  on  August 

5.  1551- 

*  Traile  de  la  Gravure  en  Bois,  vol.  i.,  p.  258. 


15 


The  Jovian  Portrait 

cate  great  richness  or  variety  of  composition.  The  work  of 
Stimmer,  at  least  as  regards  his  fidelity  as  a  copyist,  has  been 
severely  criticised,'  but  it  -may  be  because  the  critic  has  ob¬ 
served  his  attempt  to  draw  the  likeness  of  such  a  mythical  hero 
as  Romulus,  or  to  vouch  for  the  counterfeit  presentment  of  his 
Numa  Pompilius.^ 

Here,  then,  is  the  earliest  known  portrait  of  Christopher 
Columbus,  and  to  it  as  to  a  type  may  be  referred  a  large  and 
important  portion  of  the  many  alleged  Columbian  effigies. 
Some  writers  have  thought  that  since  Ferdinand  Columbus  was 
several  times  in  Rome  during  the  time  that  Jovius  is  known  to 
have  lived  in  the  Imperial  City,  he  might  have  furnished  the 
collector  with  a  true  likeness  of  his  father.  But  nowhere  does 
his  son  speak  of  a  portrait  of  his  father.  It  is  true  he  might  have 
so  described  the  features  and  appearance  of  the  Admiral  as  to 
enable  a  skilful  artist  to  make  a  tolerable  portrayal  of  them 
upon  canvas,  but  he  certainly  would  have  mentioned  the  ex¬ 
istence  of  such  a  portrait  if  he  had  known  of  its  composition. 

Another  patron  of  art  besides  the  Duke  Cosimos  desired  a 
copy  of  the  Columbus  portrait,  and  in  the  same  year,  1552,  the 
Princess  Hippolyti  Gonzaga  sent  Bernardino  Campi,  a  young 
Italian  painter,  to  the  Jovian  villa  on  Lake  Como  to  copy  that 
and  other  portraits.  It  is  said  that  Ferdinand  I.  of  Germany 
also  caused  a  copy  of  the  Jovian  portrait  to  be  made,  although  it 
was  probably  after  the  death  of  Jovius.  If,  then,  so  many  copies 
were  made,  resembling  somewhat  each  other,  but  differing  in 
treatment  and  in  details,  how  shall  we  determine  which  is  most 
like  the  original  ?  May  not  the  fact  that  several  copies  were  re- 
])roduced  at  Como  at  about  the  same  period  account  for  the  per¬ 
tinacity  with  which  the  advocates  of  each,  having  knowledge  of 
their  antiquity,  insist  upon  the  originality  of  their  favourite  por¬ 
traits?  All  we  can  positively  state  is  that  in  the  middle  of  the 

^  Ginguen^,  a  French  writer  in  the  Biographic  U niverselle ,  in  i8i6,  says  that  the 
woodcuts  found  in  the  Elogia  were  not  faithfully  copied  from  the  portraits  in  the 
Jovian  gallery. 

Nicdron,  in  his  Memoires  Pour  Scrvir  ii  I’Histoire  des  Homines  Illustres  dans  la 
Republique  des  Letlres,  Paris,  1724-1741,  remarks  that  the  portraits  in  the  Elogia  of 
Jovius  are  for  the  most  part  fanciful. 

2  There  seems  to  be  more  certainty  that  the  effigies  in  the  Jovian  gallery  repre¬ 
senting  the  Learned  Men  were  engraved  by  Stimmer  than  those  of  the  War-like  class. 
There  is  a  life  of  the  printer  Petrus  Perna,  written  by  Manni  and  printed  at  Lucca, 
in  1763. 


1 6  Christopher  Columbus 

sixteenth  century  Paulus  Jovius  owned  in  his  collection  of  por¬ 
traits  of  celebrated  men  an  alleged  likeness  of  Columbus,  and 
that  in  the  year  1575  this  portrait  was  engraved  by  Tobias 
Stimmer  and  published  by  Petrus  Perna  in  Bale,  with  the  claim 
on  the  part  of  the  publisher  that  the  woodcut  engravings  were 
faithfully  reproduced  from  the  originals  in  the  Jovian  Museum. 
This  somewhat  rude  woodcut,  then,  which  the  reader  will  find  on 
page  191  of  the  1575  edition  of  the  Elogia,  and  which  we  here  re¬ 
produce,  must  represent  the  original  earliest  portrait  of  the  Dis¬ 
coverer,  and  to  it  must  be  referred  all  those  resembling  it  in  type, 
and  after  it,  in  credibility  and  authenticity,  must  come  all  Co- 
liunbian  portraits  which  do  not  resemble  it  in  features  and  in 
characteristics.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  right  brow  is  very 
much  arched,  while  the  left  is  almost  straight.  The  upper  lip 
is  drawn  in  somewhat,  while  the  under  is  rich  and  full.  There 
is  certainly  an  attempt  to  make  the  nose  aquiline  and  the  nos¬ 
trils  wide.  As  the  reader  observes  the  carving  on  the  frame, 
he  is  inclined  to  congratulate  the  engraver  on  so  appropriate  a 
design,  the  Indian  with  his  arrows  suggesting  the  natives  first 
seen  by  Columbus.  This  feeling  of  harmony  passes  when  it  is 
discovered  that  the  same  frame  is  used  for  Alexander  the  Great 
and  Scipio  and  a  score  more  of  illustrious  men  whose  portraits 
adorned  the  Jovian  Gallery. " 

In  March,  1577,  there  issued  from  the  same  press  of  Petrus 
Perna  at  Bale  a  little  quarto  volume  of  71  leaves,  entitled  Musm 
Joviani  Imagines.  It  contains  130  woodcut  portraits  taken 
from  the  collection  in  the  gallery  of  Paulus  Jovius.  It  is  edited 
by  Theobald  Muller  of  Marburg,  who  wrote  brief  poetic  eulogies 

'  The  curious  reader  will  be  interested  in  examining  the  1575  edition  of  the 
Elogia.  The  frame  used  for  the  portrait  of  Columbus  was  made  to  do  duty  for 
twenty-two  other  illustrious  names,  with  slight  variations  in  its  inner  compartment. 
Thus  we  have: 

Alexander  Magnus.  Page  7. 

Scipio  Major.  Page  12. 

Farinata  Ubertus.  Page  36. 

Robertus,  Neap.  Rex.  Page  68. 

Tamerlanes.  Page  103. 

Braccius.  Page  12 1.  In  this  portrait  a  small  but  shapely  vase  occupies  each 
upper  comer  of  the  inner  frame. 

Franciscus  Sforza;  Page  139.  A  form  of  shield  replaces  the  vase. 

Amurathes  II.  Page  14 1.  A  dolphin  appears  in  each  upper  corner. 

Bartholomeus  Coleonus.  Page  148.  Two  crossed  cornucopias  in  upper  corners. 

Julianus  Medices.  Page  159.  Chembs  in  upper  comers  and  round  shield  in 
lower. 


17 


The  Jovian  Portrait 

of  the  subjects  of  the  portraits.  On  the  verso  of  folio  34,  hh 
is  the  |)ortrait  of  Christopher  Columbus,  printed  from  the  same 
block  as  in  the  Elogia  of  1575,  except  that  an  entirely  different 
border  is  used.  This  confirms  our  opinion  that  the  portraits 
in  the  Jovian  Gallery  were  not  elaborately  framed  as  in  the 
woodcuts,  but  that  these  accessories  of  frames  were  introduced 
by  the  engraver  for  purposes  of  ornamentation.  As  this  little 
book  is  much  more  rare  than  the  Elogia  of  1575,  we  give  the 
six  lines  composed  by  Theobald  Midler: 

“  Ignotos  populos  atque  abdita  regna  Columbus 
Et  claffe  extremes  repperit  Antipodas, 

Olios  facra  inftituit  mox  relligione  remotis 
Quos  venerabantur  numina  vana,  Dijs. 

Scilicet  hoc  meruit  plus  illo  tempore  laudis 
Belligeri  quam  per  Martia  gefta  duces.” 

Vitellocius  Vitclliiis.  Page  185,  New  scroll-work  in  corners. 

Christophorus  Colunilnis.  Page  iqi.  Sec  our  fac-similc.  The  scroll-work  in 
the  inner  corners  again  differs. 

Gasto  Foisseius.  Page  412  {sic  for  214.)  Goat’s  head  in  upper  corners  and  bats 
with  e.xtcnded  wings  in  lower. 

Campfo  Gaurus.  Page  222. 

Horatius  Baleonus.  Page  242.  Scroll  in  upper  and  deer’s  head  in  lower  corners. 

Antonins  Grimanus  Venetus.  Page  257. 

Corolus  Aurelianus.  Page  334.  Lamb’s  head  in  corners. 

flariadenus  Barbarussa.  Page  342.  Scroll-work. 

Pyrrhus  Stipicianus.  Page  362. 

Tammasus  Sophi,  Persarum  Rex.  Page  376. 

Flavius  Blondus,  in  the  division  Elogia  Doctorum  Virorum.  Page  27. 

Argyropylus.  Page  50.  Scroll-work  extending  along  the  top  and  bottom. 

Demetrius  Chalcondyles.  Page  55. 

It  is  also  to  be  noticed  that  in  the  edition  of  1578  the  fi'amc  for  the  portrait  of 
Columbus  is  the  one  which  in  the  edition  of  1575  contains  the  portrait  of  Vitellius 
Vitcllius  on  page  1S3. 

VOL.  III.— Z. 


CHAPTER  CXVII 


THE  JOVIAN  TYPE 

No.  2.  THE  ALTISSIMO  OR  FLORENTINE  PORTRAIT 

The  history  of  this  portrait  has  already  been  related.  It 
is  by  Cristofano  dell’  Altissimo,  and  was  made  by  him  at  the 
order  of  Duke  Cosimo  of  Tuscany  from  an  original  in  the  Jovian 
Gallery  at  Lake  Como,  between  the  years  1552  and  1556.  The 
portrait  here  given  is  painted  on  a  panel  of  wood  and  preserved 
to-day  in  the  Uffizi  Gallery  at  Florence.  It  is  confidently  de¬ 
clared  to  be  this  identical  Altissimo  copy.  There  is  one  promi¬ 
nent  feature  common  to  the  portraits  of  this  type, — the  dimple 
in  the  chin.  Neither  Ferdinand  nor  Las  Casas  mentions  this 
feature.  Its  presence  never  fails  to  give  to  a  human  counte¬ 
nance  an  expression  of  great  good  nature  and  gentleness  not 
particularly  associated  with  a  forceful  and  dominating  spirit. 
While  the  dimple  is  still  preserved  in  this  portrait,  the  artist  has 
inverted  the  lines  on  the  face,  converting  the  rounded,  pleasant 
curves  found  in  the  Jovian  engraving  into  hard  and  severe  linea¬ 
ments,  entirely  overeoming  the  weakness  of  the  little  depression 
of  the  chin.  The  face  is  elongated.  The  arched  eyebrows  are 
still  there  and  the  pupil  is  the  same,  but  the  eye  is  less  opened. 
The  nose  is  perhaps  more  aquiline.  The  hair  is  shorter  and  less 
grizzled.  An  alteration  is  observed  in  dress,  the  garment  being 
a  richer  robe  than  that  worn  in  the  Jovian  engraving.  The 
words  Cristo'’"  Colombo  are  on  the  upper  margin  of  the  panel. 

No.  3.  THE  ALTISSIMO  PORTRAIT  AS  COPIED  BY  ORDER  OF  THOMAS 

JEFFERSON 

In  1784,  when  Thomas  Jefferson  was  Minister  Plenipoten¬ 
tiary  at  the  Court  of  France,  he  caused  a  copy  to  be  made  of  the 


No.  2.  The  Altissiuio  Portrait. 


19 


20 


Christopher  Columbus 

Altissimo  picture,  and  this  copy  he  took  with  him  to  Ameriea. 
It  hung  in  his  librain^  at  Montieello  until  the  settlement  of  the 
estate  conve3^ed  it  to  other  hands.  It  passed  into  the  posses- 


No.  j.  The  Altissimo  Portrait  as  Copied  for  Thomas  Jefferson. 

sion  of  Mr.  Israel  Thorndike,  who,  on  November  26,  1835,  pre¬ 
sented  it  to  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society  in  Boston.  It 
still  hangs  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  Society.  Mr.  Jefferson 
wrote  of  this  portrait: 

“The  Columbus  was  taken  for  me  from  the  original  which  is  in  the  gal¬ 
lery  of  Florence.  I  say  from  the  original,  because  it  is  well  known  that  in 
collections  of  any  note  no  copy  is  ever  admitted,  and  an  original  existing 
in  Genoa  would  be  readily  obtained  for  a  Royal  collection  in  Florence. 
Vasari  names  this  portrait,  but  does  not  say  by  whom  it  is  made.” 

Genoa  was  the  last  place  to  look  for  an  “ original,”  by  which 
we  presume  Jefferson  meant  a  eontemporaneous  example  por¬ 
trait  of  Columbus.  But  the  American  statesman  certainly  ex¬ 
hibited  perspicacity  in  having  a  copy  made  from  a  painting 


The  Jovian  Type 


21 


vouched  for  by  Vasari.  He  could  not  be  expected  in  the  midst 
of  the  arduous  arrangement  of  his  Notes  on  Virginia  and  amid 
the  gathering  clouds  of  French  disturbances  to  investigate  the 
ruins  of  the  Jovian  Gallery  at  Como  or  to  search  through  the 
world  for  earlier  or  better  authenticated  examples  of  the  por¬ 
trait  of  Columbus. 

No.  4.  THE  ALTISSIMO  PORTRAIT  AS  COPIED  FOR  GOUVERNEUR 

MORRIS 

Some  years  after  Jefferson’s  copy  was  made,  Gouverneur 
Morris,  himself  Minister  to  France,  caused  another  copy  to  be 


No.  4.  The  Altissimo  Portrait  as  Copied  for  Coiiverneur  Morris. 

made  in  Florence  of  the  Altissimo  portrait.  U]')on  his  death, 
his  widow  presented  it  to  the  New  York  Historical  wSociety,  in 
whose  possession  it  still  reposes.  It  may  be  said  of  each  that  it 
resembles  with  fidelity  neither  the  other  nor  its  Florentine  pro¬ 
totype. 

No.  5.  THE  DE  ORCHI  PORTR.VIT 
When  some  years  ago  the  approaching  celebration  of  the 


--  Christopher  Columbus 

four  hundredth  anniversaiy  of  the  Columbian  discovery  in¬ 
vited  the  attention  of  the  world,  it  was  asserted  that  Dr.  Ales¬ 
sandro  de  Orchi  of  Como,  Italy,  possessed  the  original  portrait 
of  Columbus,  once  in  the  Jovian  Gallery.  His  possession  of  the 


No.  5.  The  De  Orchi  Portrait. 


picture  was  accounted  for  in  this  way:  at  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century  the  villa  and  museum  formerly  owned  by 
Paulus  Jovius  became  the  property  of  his  nephew,  Francisco 
Giovio,  and  thirteen  years  afterward,  or  about  the  year  1613, 


23 


The  Jovian  Type 

the  art  collection  was  divided  among  the  latter’s  sons.  The 
greater  part  of  the  pictures  remained  in  the  possession  of  the 
eldest  of  these  sons,  and  for  many  generations  was  passed  down 
from  father  to  son  until  in  the  year  1848  the  last  of  the  male 
line,  one  Paolo  Giovio,  dying  without  heirs,  his  sister,  Antonia, 
daughter  of  Alessandro  Giovio,  inherited  his  estate.  i\ntonia 
married  Flaminio  de  Orchi.  She  died  in  1870,  and  the  portrait, 
together  with  other  property,  came  into  the  hands  of  Dr.  Ales¬ 
sandro  de  Orchi.  The  pedigree  of  the  picture  has  been  dis¬ 
puted.  There  seems  to  be  a  disposition,  however,  to  accept  its 
history  as  probable.  It  presents  a  strong,  forceful  personality; 
the  forehead  broad,  the  face  long,  the  nose  aquiline,  the  eye¬ 
brows  arched,  the  hair  white  and  curly,  the  dress  similar  to  that 
in  the  Altissimo  portrait,  which  this  much  resembles.  Over  the 
head,  the  extreme  top  of  which  divides  the  words,  is  the  legend 

C 

OLOMBVS  LYGVR— NOVI 

ORBIS  REPTOR. 

It  has  been  thought  that  these  words  in  the  legend  rather 
confirmed  the  Jovian  origin,  as  we  read  in  the  Elogia:  Hie  enim 
illc  ejt  Chrijtophoriis  Columbus,  jtupendi  altcrius  et  nullis  ante 
jeculis  cogniti  terrarum  orbis  repertor. 

Some  have  thought  that  this  picture  was  painted  by  Ra¬ 
phael  and  was  among  his  works  when  Giulio  Romano,  after  the 
death  of  his  master,  presented  the  collection  to  Paulus  Jovius. 
Others  have  said  that  Giulio  Romano  em]3loyed  his  most  promis¬ 
ing  pupils,  fulfilling  orders  given  him  for  pictures  by  Pope  Julius 
IP,  in  copying  portraits — “some  heads  from  nature” — reported 
to  be  of  great  interest.  Among  these  pupils  was  Bartholomeus 
Suardi,  called  “  Bramantino,”  and  his  hand  is  supposed  by  some 
to  have  painted  the  present  portrait.  It  may  have  been  the 
original  from  which  the  Jovian  engraving  was  made,  but  one 
cannot  assert  it  with  certainty.  The  treatment  of  the  dress 
and  the  introduction  of  strong  hands,  together  with  the  general 
re]3resentation  of  a  much  younger  face,  seem  to  indicate  that 
the  Jovian  engraving  was  made  from  another  portrait  than 
the  De  Orchi. 


24 


Christopher  Columbus 

No.  6.  THE  YANEZ  PORTRAIT 

Pictures  like  persons  may  have  their  romances.  In  the 
year  1763,  Sehor  N.  Yahez  of  Granada  sold  to  the  Spanish  Gov¬ 
ernment  eertain  portraits,  claimed  to  be  contemporaneous  and 
originals,  of  four  illustrious  persons,  Columbus,  Lope,  Cortez,  and 
Quevedo.  These  portraits  were  painted  on  panels  of  poplar 
wood,  a  wood  common  in  Italy,  but  not  in  Spain.  The  portrait 
of  Columbus  was  placed  in  the  National  Librar}^  at  Madrid.  As 
accepted  by  the  government,  the  portrait  resembled  somewhat 


No.  6.  The  Yahez  Portrait — before  Restoration. 


the  Jovian  engraving,  but  over  the  figure  was  a  flowing  robe 
with  a  heavy  fur  collar,  “more  suitable  for  a  Muscovite  than  a 
sailor,”  as  was  afterward  reported  by  the  investigators.  Over 
the  head  was  the  legend,  Cristoj.  Columbus  Novi  Orbis  Inuentor. 
In  the  year  1847,  Valentine  Carderera  examined  the  picture 
carefully  and  discovered  that  it  was  not  an  original,  but  had 
been  painted  over  an  earlier  portrait.  Not  then,  but  at  some 
time  later,  when  Don  Angel  de  los  Rios  was  preparing  an  ar- 
tiele  for  publication,  somewhere  about  the  year  1875,  Carderera 
proposed  that  a  complete  restoration  should  be  attempted. 
This  delicate  work  was  committed  to  Martinez  Cubells,  restorer 


No.  6.  The  Yahcz  Portrait — after  Restoration. 


25 


26 


Christopher  Columbus 

of  paintings  for  the  Royal  iMuseum  of  the  Prado.  The  applica¬ 
tion  of  truth-restoring  cheniicals  revealed  another  and  vastly 
different  pictiire.  A  much  stronger  and  nobler  face  appeared  on 
the  panel,  the  furred  robe  vanished,  and  in  its  place  was  the 
usual  garment  such  as  is  found  in  the  Altissimo  or  Florentine 
portrait.  In  place  of  the  above  legend  were  the  words: 

Colombvs  Lygvr  Novi  Orhis  Reptor. 

No.  7.  THE  CAPRIOLO  ENGRAVING 

This  is  an  engi'aving  presumably  from  an  accepted  Colum¬ 
bian  portrait,  and  is  only  spoken  of  here  because  writers  com- 


No.  7.  The  Capriolo  Engraving. 


monly  refer  to  it  as  an  original  picture.  It  is  found  for  the 
first  time  in  the  work  edited  by  Filippo  Tomasini  and  Giovan 


27 


The  Jovian  Type 

Turpino,  and  printed  at  Rome  in  1596  by  Domenico  Gigliotti, 
entitled  : 

Ritratti  di  Cento  Capitani  Illnstri  Con  li  Lor  Fatti  in  Guerra 
Brevemente  Scritti. 

The  portraits  were  engraved  by  Aliprando  Capriolo,  and  this 
of  Columbus,  or  its  reproduction  in  oil  known  as  the  Royal 
Palace  portrait,  seems  to  have  been  adopted  as  worthy  of  re¬ 
production  by  the  French  editors  of  Martin  Fernandez  Navar- 
rete,  in  their  translation  of  his  famous  Colcccion  dc  los  Viages  y 
Descubrimientos . 

The  distinguished  Spanish  writer  should  not  be  held  re¬ 
sponsible  for  the  adoption  of  this  picture  or  for  the  support 
given  its  authenticity  loy  its  association  with  his  work.  In  the 
original  Spanish  edition,  published  at  Madrid  in  1825,  the  au¬ 
thor  or  compiler  did  not  venture  to  select  one  of  the  many  ]:)or- 
traits  of  Columbus  and  pronounce  it  a  true  representation  of 
his  features.  When  portions  of  this  work  were  translated  into 
French,  and  published  at  Paris  in  1828,  there  was  placed  in  the 
first  volume  a  portrait  of  Christopher  Columl)us  inscrifjed 
Dessine  stir  Pierre  d' A  pres  un  Tableau  Original  Content porain 
Appartenant  a  S.  71/.  C.  par  Don  Pedro  Colonib,  Due  de  Veragua, 
Arriere  Petit  Fils  de  rillustre  Navigateiir.^ 

’  In  the  advertisement  of  this  French  translation,  the  editors  say: 

“We  have  ornamented  the  first  volume  of  our  translation  with  a  portrait  of 
Christopher  Columlms,  drawn  upon  stone,  from  the  beautiful  portrait  of  the  great 
Navigator  in  the  Library'  of  His  Christian  Majesty',  by'  Don  Pedro  Columljus,  Duke  of 
Veragua,  great-grandson  of  the  illustrious  Genoese,  and  Spanish  grandee  of  the  first 
Order.  This  nobleman,  who  possesses  many  cojnes  in  oil  of  this  portrait  made  at 
various  times,  and  who  has  also  many'  original  portraits  and  copies  of  all  the  known 
portraits  of  the  most  celebrated,  not  to  say  the  very  first  of  his  ancestors  [.ric],  regards 
this  portrait  as  the  most  authentic  in  resemblance.  He  has  also  drawn  upon  stone 
another  portrait  of  Christopher  Columbus,  hung  in  the  Arsenal  at  Carthagena,  and  he 
believes,  as  do  the  first  ])ainters  of  our  day'  in  Spain,  and  in  particular  the  famous 
Aparicio,  author  of  Rachat  des  Esclavcs  and  of  L' Entrcviic  de  la  Famille  Royallc  Es- 
pagnoLe  avec  S.  .-1.  R.  Ic  Due  D’Augoulcine  d  Son  Debarqucnicnt  an  Port  Saini-M arie, 
Ic  Icr  Octobre  cS2j,  that  both  arc  contemporaneous  with  the  great  Columbus,  whom 
tradition  reports  as  sitting  for  his  portrait  to  many'  artists.  This  oinnion  is  shared 
by'  the  learned  Don  Francisco  .Antonio  Gonzalez,  Chief  of  the  Royal  Library',  and 
by'  Don  Martin  Fernandez  de  Navarrctc  himself,  who,  in  the  character  of  Counsellor 
and  perpetual  Secretary'  of  the  Roy'al  .Academy'  of  Fine  Arts,  has  had  every'  means  of 
engaging  in  researches  the  most  minute,  throughout  the  entire  realm  of  S])ain  to  dis¬ 
cover  which  of  all  the  portraits  of  the  Genoese  hero  has  best  transmitted  his  features 
and  characteristics  to  posterity.  It  may'  be  said  that  the  portrait  of  Columbus  which 
according  to  De  Bry,  after  having  decorated  the  Chamber  of  the  Council  of  the  Indies, 
had  been  stolen  and  transported  into  the  Low  Countries  and  of  which  he  has  given 
a  drawing  at  the  beginning  of  his  America  (1595),  the  one  at  Carthagena,  and  this 
which  we  give,  present  beymnd  question  the  features  of  the  same  person,  but  as  the 
surroundings  and  accessories  differ  in  all  three,  we  have  selected  that  which  the  heir 
of  the  name  of  Columbus  as  well  as  the  learned  men  and  skilful  artists  of  whom  we 
have  spoken  agree  in  regarding  as  the  most  authentic. 

“Moreover,  it  is  this  last  also  which  the  Minister  of  the  Marine  of  Spain  has 
selected  from  which  a  coi)y  should  be  made,  together  with  the  portrait  of  another 


-S  Christopher  Columbus 

We  shall  see  several  other  pictures  greatly  resembling  this 
engraving,  and  which,  as  we  have  been  unable  to  discover  proof 
of  the  present  existence  of  its  original,  we  incline  to  believe  were 
copied  at  one  time  or  another  from  the  Capriolo  engraving  itself. 


No.  8.  The  Crispin  De  Pass  Portrait. 


celebrated  navigator  and  of  two  of  the  general  officers  of  the  Royal  Spanish  Fleet, 
distinguished  for  their  writings  on  the  navy,  to  ornament  the  salon  of  the  Royal  and 
Supreme  Council  of  the  Indies. 

“This  portrait  is  also  the  only  one  which  resembles  perfectly  the  bust  portrait 
of  Christopher  Columbus  in  one  of  the  salons  of  the  same  ministry. 

“We  regret  not  being  able  to  declare  positively  to  our  readers  just  who  was  the 
artist  of  this  original  portrait  of  the  brave  and  wise  navigator  to  whose  courage  and 
to  whose  studies  the  Old  World  owes  the  New:  but  it  is  generally  regarded  as  having 
been  painted  at  Seville  after  the  return  of  Christopher  Columbus  from  his  second 
voyage,  and  it  is  exactly  at  this  time  that  there  flourished  in  Spain  the  famous  An¬ 
tonio  del  Rinfon,  who  had  studied  in  Rome  and  who  was  the  first  to  break  away  from 
the  grotesque  forms  of  the  Spanish  painters  of  the  Middle  Ages,  an  enforced  slavery 
for  all  the  artists  who  had  preceded  him.  This  portrait  may  be  attributed  with  more 
probability  to  Antonio  del  Rinpon,  as  Ferdinand  the  Catholic  King  had  attracted  to 
himself  this  artist  so  celebrated  especially  as  a  painter  of  portraits,  and  whom  he 
appointed  a  gentleman  of  his  Chamber.” — (French  translation  of  Navarrete,  Paris, 
1828.) 


The  Jovian  Type 


29 


No.  8.  THE  CRISPIN  DE  PASS  PORTRAIT 

There  was  published  at  Cologne,  about  the  year  1598,  a  work 
entitled  Effigies  Regum  ct  F  rind  plan,"  in  which  is  a  ortrait 
of  Columbus  engraved  by  Crispin  de  Pass.  This  talented 
artist  copied  the  Jovian  engraving,  but  gave  to  his  burin  a 
flight  of  fancy,  permitting  it  to  place  in  the  left  hand  of  the 
figure  an  octant,  and  to  throw  about  the  neck  two  or  more  folds 
of  a  massive  gold  chain,  in  memory  of  the  doul^tful  legend  that 
the  Admiral  constantly  wore  over  his  Franciscan  dress  the 
chain  of  gold  given  him  by  Guacanagari,  the  Indian  Cacique. 
There  is  introduced  an  exjiression  of  cunning  and  craftiness 
which  we  cannot  find  in  the  Admiral’s  character. 

No.  9.  THE  CUCCARO  OR  CALENDI  PORTRAIT 

Count  Napione,  in  his  work  Della  Patria  di  Cristoforo  Co¬ 
lombo,  published  at  Florence  in  1808,  presented  a  j^ortrait  of 
the  Admiral,  which 
was  engraved  by  Gui- 
se])pc  Calendi  from  an 
“ancient  portrait  be¬ 
longing  to  Signor 
Fedele  Guglielmo  Co¬ 
lombo  of  Cuccaro.’’ 

Tradition  has  re])orted 
two  portraits  as  hung 
in  the  gallery  of  the 
castle  belonging  to  the 
Columbus  family  m 
Cuccaro.  The  one  was 
said  to  have  been 
brought  to  Italy  from 
S]3ain  when  Baldas- 
sare  Colombo  return¬ 
ed  from  his  famous 
law-suit,  and  which 
long  remained  in  pos¬ 
session  of  the  primo- 
genital  branch.  This 

•  Effigies  Regitm  ac  Principiim,  Eorum  Scilicet  Quorum  ITT  ac  Potentia  in  re  Xau- 
tica  Sen  Marina  Pra  Ccutcris  Spectabilis  est,  without  typojjraphical  notes,  but  of  the 
end  of  the  sixteenth  century. 


No.  g.  The  Cuccaro  or  Calendi  Portrait. 


30 


Christopher  Columbus 

was  finally  donated  to  the  King,  Carlo  Alberto,  by  the  Cavalier 
Filiberto  and  of  it  now  no  trace  whatever  can  be  found,  though 
careful  search  has  been  made  in  the  Palatine  collection  at  Turin 
and  elsewhere  d 

This  engraving  is  sometimes  called  the  Cancelliera  portrait, 
because  of  its  appearance  in  Notizie  di  Cristojoro  Colombo  (Rome, 
1809),  by  Francisco  Cancelliera. 

No.  10.  THE  ROSELLY  DE  LORGUES  PORTRAIT 
[See  otir  No.  n] 

Count  Roselly  introduced  into  his  Life  of  Columbus  a  pic¬ 
ture  of  the  Admiral,  taken  from  a  portrait  which  he  claimed  had 
come  from  the  Colombo  family  of  Cuccaro.  If  it  is  true,  it  must 
be  the  second  of  the  two  portraits  to  which  we  have  already 
alluded  as  once  reported  to  be  in  the  old  castle  there.  It  cannot 
have  been  the  one  from  which  the  Calendi  engraving  was  made, 
since  that  was  given  King  Carlo  Alberto  as  early  as  the  year 
1835.  The  painting  is  on  wood,  and  its  worm-eaten  condition 
suggests  some  degree  of  antiquity.  It  greatly  resembles  the 
Capriolo  portrait  as  well  as  the  one  in  the  Royal  Palace  at  Mad¬ 
rid,  except  that  the  hair  is  parted  much  more  noticeably  than 
in  either.  Count  Roselly  thinks  it  an  example  from  the  hand  of 
Antonio  del  Ringon.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  presence  of 
neither  of  these  original  Cuccaro  portraits  was  to  be  seen  when 
Carlo  Vidua,  in  his  exhaustive  search  for  Columbian  documents 
and  relics,  visited  the  castle  of  Cuccaro  in  the  year  1807.  He 
found  “  neither  portraits,  inscriptions,  nor  other  antiquities.  ”  It 
is  also  strange,  if  his  ancestral  halls  held  one  or  both  of  these 
ancient  portraits,  that  Monsignor  Luigi,  last  of  the  noble  Co¬ 
lombo  family  of  Cuccaro,  should  have  selected  to  illustrate  his 
memorial  work  an  engraving  of  the  De  Bry  portrait. 

No.  II.  ROYAL  PALACE  (MADRID)  OR  RINCON  PORTRAIT 

In  the  Royal  Palace  at  Madrid,  in  the  library,  hangs  a  por¬ 
trait  of  Columbus  which  is  attributed  to  the  celebrated  artist 

'  “The  picture  reproduced  by  Calendi  is  affirmed  to  have  been  brought  to  Asti 
by  Fedele  Guglielmo  Colombo  when  at  the  beginning  of  the  century  he  went  there  as 
commandant.  It  was  then  donated  to  Carlo  Alberto  by  the  Cavalier  Filiberto  in 
1835,  that  he  might  favour  Luigi  Colombo,  then  a  clerk,  who  by  the  Royal  recom¬ 
mendation  was  able  to  enter  into  ecclesiastical  preferment  at  Rome.  I  owe  this  in¬ 
formation  to  the  courtesy  of  M.  Luigi  Torre  di  Casale  Monferrato.” — (I  Ritratti  di 
Cristoforo  Colombo  per  Achille  Neri.) 


The  Jovian  Type 


31 

Antonio  del  Ringon,  and  which  is  said  to  have  been  painted 
from  life  when  the  Admiral  returned  from  his  second  voyage. 
Antonio  del  Rmgon  might  have  painted  Columbus,  but  there  is 
no  j)roof  that  he  ever  did.  On  the  contrary,  there  exists  a  long 
list  of  his  completed  works  in  which  the  distinguished  name  of 
Christopher  Columbus  does  not  appear.  This  artist  was  em¬ 
ployed  by  the  King  and  Queen,  and  later  by  Cardinal  Ximenes 


AO.  II.  The  Royal  Palace  {Madrid),  or  Ringon  Portrait. 


in  decorating  the  halls  of  the  great  University  of  learning  he  was 
establishing  at  Alcala.  The  present  portrait  may  have  been 
painted  from  the  Ca])riolo  engraving  or  from  its  original.  It  is 
]^robably  the  same  |)icture  from  which  the  Duke  of  \Tragua, 
Don  Pedro  Colombo,  made  his  design,  and  which  was  reproduced 
in  the  French  version  of  Navarrete’s  work.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  hair  in  this  portrait  more  nearly  resembles  the  Capriolo 
than  the  Roselly  de  Lorgues  example. 

This  Ringon  portrait  was  acce]3ted  by  Count  Roselly  de 
Lorgue  as  a  veritable  portrait  of  the  Discoverer  and  is  inserted 


32  Christopher  Columbus 

as  such  in  his  Life  of  Columbus.  The  Count  has  declared  that 
he  had  in  his  possession  the  original  portrait  in  oil,  painted  by 
Ringon.  Critics,  however,  for  the  most  part  regard  the  picture 
as  a  reproduction  of  our  No.  ii. 

No.  12.  THE  COGOLETO  OR  ISNARDI  PORTRAIT 

Cogoleto,  a  little  town  some  fifteen  miles  from  Genoa,  and  a 
claimant  for  the  honour  of  having  given  birth  to  our  Columbus, 


No.  12.  The  Cogoleto  or  Isnardi  Portrait. 

preserves  behind  a  green  curtain  in  its  town  hall  a  portrait  of 
the  Discoverer,  which  tradition  says  has  hung  there  for  more 


The  Jovian  Type 


33 


than  three  hundred  years.’  (urolama  Serra  and  his  colleagues 
of  the  Academy  of  Genoa  in  the  Mcmoric  Dell'  Accadcniia  Delle 
Scienze,  Lcttcre  cd  Arti  Di  Genova  (Genoa,  1814),  write:  “In 
the  Municipal  Building  [of  Cogoleto]  there  is  still  to-day  an 
ancient  ])icture  always  sought  by  learned  travellers,  having  the 
Roman  ejjigraph  Christo phorvs  Colvmbvs  Novi  Orbis  Repertor." 
Giovanni  Batista  Spotorno  repeats  this  in  his  Della  Originc  e 
Della  Patria  di  C.  Columbus  (Genoa,  Frugoni,  1819).  Felice 
Isnardi,  whose  authority  is  largely  accepted  by  Italian  writers, 
says : 

“There  v/as  ])reserved  in  the  Communal  Hall  [in  Cogoleto]  for  more  than 
three  hundred  years,  an  ancient  picture  representing  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus,  with  the  following  ejdgraph  in  chalk:  Christo  phorvs  Coliimhvs  Novi 
Orbis  Repertor;  and  that  this  drawing  represented  the  true  image  of  the 
great  navigator  was  never  doubted  by  anv  one, — not  by  the  learned,  cer¬ 
tainly,  since  they  find  it  to  conform  to  the  physical  descri])tion  which  has 
been  transmitted  us  of  his  appearance  by  his  son  Ferdinand, — nor  by  tlie 
native  inhabitants  and  by  the  common  people,  since  ])Opular  tradition 
reached  them  from  mouth  to  mouth,  generation  after  generation,  that  this 
portrait  is  indeed  the  veritable  image  of  the  Great  Man  who  brought  so 
much  honour  to  his  country.”  ^ 

The  reader  will  recall  that  Isnardi  is  the  insistent  advocate 
for  Cogoleto  as  the  birthplace  of  Columbus.  He  is  wrong  as 
to  the  legend  being  in  chalk.  Giambattista  Belloro  denies  the 
authenticity  of  the  ]:)ainting,  and  declares  it  “an  awkward 
thing  depicted  on  canvas  which  it  would  not  l^e  difficult  for  the 
least  expert  judge  to  recognise  as  a  co])y.”  He  then  remarks 
that  one  might  aceept  the  theory  advanced  by  others  that  this 
portrait  is  not  intended  for  Columbus  at  all,  but  for  the  ])riest 
Antonio  Colombo.  Later,  Isnardi  deducted  a  century  from  the 
alleged  municipal  possession  of  the  portrait,  and  declared  it  was 
certain 

“that  the  commonalty  of  Cogoleto  has  preserved  for  more  than  two  cen¬ 
turies  that  precious  likeness.” 

'  The  late  Judge  Charles  P.  Daly  of  New  York  saw  this  portrait  when  he  visited 
Cogoleto  in  the  year  i88i,  and  afterwards,  at  his  retjuest,  Admiral  Baldwin,  then  in 
command  of  the  United  States  squadron,  caused  to  be  taken  a  full-sized  photograph 
of  the  portrait.  This  jihotograph  is  now  u])on  the  walls  of  the  American  Geographical 
Society  in  New  A^ork. 

2  Disscriazione  ond't  chiarito  it  tiiogo  precise  della  Liguria  mariitima  occideniale 
ovc  nacqitc  C .  C .  Pincrolo,  Ghigliotte,  1838. 

VOL.  m.— 3. 


34 


Christopher  Columbus 

Spotorno  wrote  afterward: 

“The  pretended  picture  of  Columbus  which  one  has  wished  us  to  be¬ 
lieve  contemporaneous  with  the  Discoverer  and  to  which  later  and  with 
more  modesty  one  wished  to  assign  an  antiquity  of  two  and  more  centuries, 
is  now  considered  by  all  to  be  a  picture  of  the  priest  Antonio  Colombo  and 
is  recognised  by  its  style  to  be  a  painting  of  Croce. ^  After  I  had  indicated 
two  other  canvasses  by  Croce  in  Savona  the  learned  were  given  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  examine  the  characteristics  of  this  picture  and  thus,  comparing 
it  with  those  found  in  the  said  Savonese  picture,  the  enchantment  is  broken 
and  the  awkward  image  is  found  to  be  a  canvas  useless  alike  as  a  repre¬ 
sentation  of  Columbus  and  as  a  work  of  art.” 

The  strong  utterance  of  Spotorno  seems  to  have  overcome 
the  advocates  for  the  genuineness  of  the  portrait,  and  Isnardi 
himself  returns  the  somewhat  weak  fire  that  the  sailor’s  robe 
shows  that  the  portrait  is  not  that  of  a  priest.  And  yet  there  is 
little  doubt  that  Isnardi  was  correct  in  regarding  the  portrait 
as  intended  to  represent  Christopher  Columbus,  for,  poor  as  it  is 
as  a  work  of  art,  it  clearly  belongs  to  the  Jovian  type  and  the 
later  reproductions  of  that  engraving. 

No.  13.  THE  NEGRI  PORTRAIT. 

This  portrait,  the  property  of  the  brothers  Antonio  and 
Giovanni  de  Negri  of  Genoa,  is  reproduced  in  the  Raccolta,  Plate 
IIII.,  Volume  III.  of  Part  II.  It  resembles  the  Cuccaro  por¬ 
trait,  but  it  will  not  well  bear  photographing.  It  is  said  to 
have  come  from  the  Moriconi  family,  which  had  dwelt  in  Spain 
for  a  long  period. 

No.  14-  the  ROUEN  PORTRAIT 

There  were  formerly  in  the  Museum  at  Rouen,  in  France, 
two  portraits  of  Columbus,  one  of  which  was  executed  in  the  year 
1835  by  the  painter  Paolo  Carpentiez,  who  is  said  to  have  copied 
it  from  the  Royal  Palace  portrait  at  Madrid,  and  which  it  cer¬ 
tainly  resembles.  Inasmuch  as  it  is  a  modern  reproduction,  it 
need  not  interest  us  now.  There  is  said,  however,  to  be  a  note  at 
the  back  of  the  picture  to  the  effect  that  it  is  a  copy  from  the 
original  of  Sebastiano  del  Piombo,  formerly  in  the  Gallery  of 
Paintings  of  the  Escurial,  and  which  afterwards  passed  into 

'  Giovan  Battista  Croce,  a  mediocre  painter,  pupil  of  Giovan  Andrea  de  Ferrari, 
lived  at  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century, 


The  Jovian  Type 


35 


the  hands  of  Vallet,  an  editor  at  Paris.  There  is  no  account 
of  any  such  portrait  ever  having  been  in  the  Gallery  of  the 
Escurial,  and  the  only  painting  of  Columbus  ever  elsewhere 


Mo.  74.  The  Rouen  Portrait. 


alleged  to  be  by  Sebastiano  Vcnetis  del  Piombo  is  the  so- 
called  Talleyrand  i)ortrait,  and  differs  essentially  from  this  as 
well  as  from  its  type. 


36  Christopher  Columbus 

No.  15.  THE  FERRARI  PORTRAIT 

This  unusual  reiiresentation  of  Columbus  is  here  introduced 
because  it  seems  to  us  in  its  features  to  be  of  the  Jovian  type. 
It  belonged  a  short  time  ago  to  the  Cavalier  Tomaso  de  Ferrari 


No.  75.  The  Ferrari  Portrait. 


of  Genoa.  Many  experts  assign  its  date  of  execution  to  the  end 
of  the  sixteenth  century.  It  presents  the  Discoverer  clothed 
as  a  warrior,  with  a  baton  in  his  right  hand,  while  his  left  rests 


The  Jovian  Type 


37 


upon  his  hip.  In  the  u|)per  dexter  corner  is  the  mysterious  sig¬ 
nature  of  the  Admiral,  over  which  has  been  painted  the  name 
Cf.  Colvnib.  Beneath  this  is  the  shield  containing  his  coat-of- 
arms.  In  the  lower  dexter  corner  is  the  top  of  an  immense  globe, 
on  the  watery  portions  of  which  are  descried  numerous  caravels, 
while  the  lands  are  evidently  intended  to  denote  the  newly  dis¬ 
covered  countries.  The  u])per  sinister  corner  discloses  a  par¬ 
tially  drawn  portiere.  The  physiognomy,  while  that  of  a 
middle-aged  person,  is  distinctly  like  the  Jovian  characteristics. 

No.  i6.  THE  AMBRAS  PORTRAIT  AT  VIENNA 

This  very  remarkalile  ]3ortrait  is  re])roduced  for  the  first 
time  in  the  Raccolta  issued  under  the  auspices  of  the  Italian 
Ministry  of  Public  Instruction.  It  would  seem  that  Ludwig 
August  Frankl  co|)ied  its  head  only  when  he  published  his  poem 
on  Cristoforo  Colombo  at  Stuttgart  in  the  year  1836,  and 
writers  have  gone  on  reproducing  this  engraving  as  if  it  were  the 
real  Vienna  portrait.  This  picture  is  believed  to  lie  the  one  made 
for  Ferdinand  I.  of  Germany  when,  in  1579,  in  imitation  of  Duke 
Cosimo,  he  directed  a  copy  to  lie  made  for  him  of  the  original 
Columbus  ]iortrait  in  the  Como  Gallery.  If  this  is  true,  the  reader 
will  observe  how  different  in  its  liody  and  accessories  it  is 
from  the  Jovian  type,  which  in  face  it  certainly  resembles.  In 
the  year  t6io,  the  ]iicture  is  said  to  have  passed  into  the  posses¬ 
sion  of  Ferdinand’s  son,  the  Archduke  Ferdinand,  Count  of 
Tyrol.  It  remained  for  many  years  in  the  castle  of  Ambras  in 
the  Tyrol,  near  Innsbruck,  from  which  it  gets  its  ordinary  title, 
but  in  the  year  1805  it  was  returned  to  Vienna,  where  it  graces 
one  of  the  galleries.  In  one  lower  corner  by  the  figure ’s  left  foot 
is  a  shield  with  a  caravel  floating  ipion  a  sea.  About  the  shield 
is  the  famous  but  doubtfully  authorised  legend, — A  Castilla  I  a 
Leon  Nvevo  Mvndo  Dodi  Colo.  Certain!}'  neither  Columlius 
himself  nor  the  S]ianish  Sovereigns  ever  inscribed  this  motto  on 
his  coat-of-arms.  In  the  picture  its  .sejiaration  from  the  Span¬ 
ish  coat-of-arms  is  noticeable.  In  the  o]i]iosite  lower  corner  is 
a  globe  from  which  reaches  a  standard  with  the  doulile  coat-of- 
anns  of  Castile  and  Leon. 

No.  17  THE  STRADANO  PORTRAIT 

Giovanni  Stradano  was  a  Florentine  ]iainter  living  in  the 
second  half  of  the  golden  age  of  art  called  the  Cinqiicccnto. 


No.  i6.  The  Ambras  or  Vienna  Portrait. 
38 


The  J  ovian  Type 


39 


This  medallion  portrait  was  engraved  by  Adriano  Collaert  and 
afterwards  reproduced  in  De  Bry’s  Collection  of  Voyages  in  1594. 
It  seems  to  us  in  its  general  characteris¬ 
tics,  particularly  in  the  figure’s  garb,  to 
belong  to  the  Jovian  type.  One  must  be 
careful  not  to  confound  this  De  Bry  por¬ 
trait  with  the  portrait  appearing  in  the 
volume  of  De  Bry  dated  1595,  which  is 
known  under  that  name  and  which  is 
totally  different,  forming  a  distinct  type 
of  itself.  This  engraving  by  Collaert  has 
no  mean  place  as  an  object  of  interest 
in  the  Columbus  portraits,  for  it  is  almost 
certain  it  preceded  the  one  made  by  Capriolo.  We  do  not 
know  in  what  year  Collaert  died,  but  his  latest  engravings 
bear  the  date  of  1586.' 

No.  18.  THE  DI  PADOVA  PORTRAIT 

In  the  Munici]oal  Palace  at  Genoa  there  is  preserved  a  small 
rectangular  frame  containing  two  oil  portraits,  one  of  Chris¬ 
to]  iher  Columbus  and 
the  other  of  Americus 
Vespucius.  These 
were  given  to  the  city 
of  Genoa  by  Count 
Giuseppe  Riva  di 
Padova,  who  accom¬ 
panied  his  gift  with 
the  following  state¬ 
ment  : 

“The  picture  is  an 
excellent  work  which  it 
would  appear  to  me 
should  be  attributed  to 
Giulio  Romano  or  to 
some  other  artist  of  that 
time  and  of  that  school. 
The  faces  in  the  two 
medallions  are  very  much  like  those  of  the  two  medals  as  seen  in  the 
famous  engraving  of  Collaert,  taking  note  that  in  the  picture  Columbus  is 

*  De  Angelis’s  Notizie  Degli  Intagliatori,  Siena.  i8io. 


No.  18.  The  Riva  di  Padova  Portrait. 


40 


Christopher  Columbus 

at  the  left  and  the  contrary  in  the  engraving.  But  the  engraving  does  not 
give  these  pictures  in  more  than  simple  outlines,  where  in  the  pictures  the 
faces  are  perfectly  detailed,  especially  in  the  case  of  Columbus  in  shining 
cuirass  and  red  mantle,  the  dress,  I  imagine,  of  his  Admiralship.  If  the 
painter  cannot  be  identified,  the  period  at  least  may  be  fixed  as  belonging 
to  the  middle  of  the  beautiful  Cinqueccuto.” 

Writing  again  shortl}^  after,  the  Count  Riva  di  Padova  re- 
affinns  the  identity  between  the  medallion  and  the  original 
engraved  by  Collaert,  and  thus  concludes: 

“So  that  either  the  engraver  took  it  specially  from  this  painting — the 
Count’s  medallion — by  a  most  excellent  hand  or  it  was  the  painter  who 
made  use  of  the  same  model  as  the  other  artist.’’ 

The  picture  examined  by  the  Count  Riva  di  Padova  from 
which  Collaert  made  his  engraving  has  distinctly  written  in 
chalk  the  words  lohannes  Stradan.  Inven.  Therefore,  if  the  two 
are  by  the  same  hand,  Stradano  must  be  the  artist.  Italian 
critics,  among  them  Achille  Neri,  see  in  the  Padova  portrait  a 
different  and  somewhat  later  hand  which  retouched  the  Stradano 
design,  giving  different  disposition  and  colour  to  the  hair,  alter¬ 
ing  the  expression  and  rejuvenating  the  face  to  correspond  with 
the  subject’s  prime.  The  Padova  portrait  seems  to  be  a  develop¬ 
ment  or  an  artistic  enlargement  of  the  Stradano,  the  robe  and 
raised  collarette  of  the  one  being  metamorphosed  into  the  more 

war-like  attire  of  the  other.  However 
this  may  be,  both  seem  to  have  had  a 
common  prototype,  and  this  we  can  be¬ 
lieve  is  none  other  than  the  Jovian  en¬ 
graving  or  from  its  lost  original. 

No.  19.  THE  HERRERA  PORTRAIT 

This  rude  engraving  with  its  distorted 
features  may  also  be  assigned  to  the 
Jovian  type,  and  doubtless  followed  the 
medallion  above  described.  It  is  found 
in  the  Historia  General  de  los  Hechos  de 
los  Castellanos,  Madrid,  1601. 

No.  20.  THE  NAVAL  MUSEUM  PORTRAIT 
Frontispiece  to  Vol.  1 

This  portrait  we  have  selected  to  form  the  frontispiece  of 
our  present  Work.  Already  the  reader  knows  there  exists  no 


No.  ig.  The  Herrera 
Portrait  of  i6oi. 


The  Jovian  Type 


41 


authentic  portrait  made  contemporaneously  from  the  lix’ing 
figure  of  Columbus.  The  earliest  representations  of  him  are 
admittedly  made  long  after  his  death,  made  possibly  from  some 
contemporaneous  original,  l)ut  which  original  is  no  longer 
known.  Therefore,  given  a  type  like  the  Jovian,  given  the 
features  hastily  sketched  for  us  l)y  Ferdinand  Columbus,  by 
Las  Casas,  by  the  compiler  of  the  Libretto,  we  may  consistently 
intrust  their  development  into  a  satisfactory  |)icture  to  some 
capal)le  and  honest  artist.  When  the  eminent  scholars  and 
artists  of  Spain  assembled  in  solemn  conclave  have  settled  upon 
the  ])ortrait  now  preserved  in  the  Naval  Museum  as  the  l)est 
artistic  re])roduction  of  the  features  of  Columl)us,  realising  as 
we  must  from  the  examination  thus  far  made  of  the  examjdes 
which  we  can  classify  under  the  Jovian  type  that  it  has  not 
essentially  departed  therefrom,  a])]3reciating  the  intelligence, 
the  nobility,  the  strength  of  its  every  line,  of  its  every  curve, 
recognising  the  firm  pur])ose,  the  high  courage,  the  lawful  pride 
over  the  accom])lishment  of  his  plans,  and  the  ]3athetic  l)ut  l)rave 
anxiety  over  delayed  rewards, — rewards  to  be  employed  in 
other  designs  ])erha])S  even  greater  and  more  lofty  in  conception, 
— when  we  find  all  this  in  one  and  the  same  portrait,  and  parting 
with  all  hope  that  an  absolutely  authentic  likeness  made  from 
life  will  ever  be  found,  we  feel  justified  in  placing  it  on  the  wall 
of  the  humble  historical  Work  we  have  constructed  and  in¬ 
scribing  it  the  “  Portrait  of  Christopher  Columbus,  the  Dis¬ 
coverer  of  the  New  World.” 


CHAPTER  CXVIII 
THE  DE  BRY  AND  BEARDED  TYPES 
No.  21.  THE  DE  BRY  PORTRAIT 

The  second  type  of  Columbian  portraits  has  been  called  the 
De  Bry  type  from  its  having  first  appeared  in  the  fifth  part  of  the 
famous  De  Bry  Collection  of  Voyages  printed  in  1595.  As  with 
the  Jovian  engraving,  while  we  fix  the  type,  its  original  is  not 
identified,  nor  is  it  likely  to  be.  The  reader  will  find  on  the  first 
page  of  Part  V.,  vol.  i.  of  Theodore  De  Bry’s  Collectiones 
Peregrinationum  in  Indiam  Occidentalem  the  following  interest¬ 
ing  but  doubtful  account  of  the  portrait: 

“Quoniam  autem  ille  Columbus  vir  erat  cordatus,  magnique  ingenij 
&  animi,  Rex  &  Regina  CastilijE  antequam  ab  illis  discederit,  eius  effigiem 
ab  eximio  aliquo  pictore  ad  viuum  exprimit  iusserunt,  vt  si  ab  ilia  expe- 
ditione  non  rediret  aliquod  eius  monumentum  apud  se  haberent.  Huius 
autem  effigiej  exemplar  nuper  post  absolutem  quartum  librum  superiorera, 
a  quodam  amico  meo  qui  illud  ab  ipso  pictore  acceperat  magno  cum  gaudio 
nactus  sum,  cuius  te  quoque  participem  facere  volui,  atque  in  liunc  finem 
earn  effigiem  a  filio  meo  exigua  forma  quam  fieri  potuit  perfectissimb  in 
aes  incidi  curaui,  quam  &  tibi  hoc  libro  offero  atque  obuerdetur.” 

“Since  then  this  Columbus  was  a  sagacious  man,  of  great  mind  and 
soul,  the  King  and  Queen  of  Castile  before  that  he  should  depart  from  them, 
commanded  that  his  portrait  should  be  painted  from  life  by  some  renowned 
artist,  in  order  that  if  he  never  came  back  from  his  expedition  they  might 
possess  of  him  some  memorial.  And  so  to  my  great  joy,  lately,  after  the 
completion  of  the  fourth  book  I  have  had  a  copy  of  this  portrait  from  a 
certain  friend  of  mine  who  had  received  it  from  the  artist  himself :  I  wished 
to  have  thee  also,  O  reader,  participate  in  this  joy  and  therefore  for  this 
purpose  I  have  caused  this  picture  to  be  cut  in  metal  by  my  son  in  as  small 
a  form  and  as  perfectly  as  was  possible  and  which  I  now  offer  thee  in  this 
present  book.’’ 


42 


The  De  Bry  Type 


43 


Certainly  De  Bry  intends  the  reader  to  understand  that  his 
friend  received  from  the  hand  of  the  same  artist  whom  the  King 
and  Queen  employed  to  paint  the  portrait  of  Columbus  a  re¬ 
plica  or  copy  of  the  said  portrait.  If  the  friend  had  received 
the  original,  De  Bry  would  not  have  used  the  words  Hu  jus 


RATK  VKI.IVOLA  OCl‘ll>Vf).S  l>KS'KTnAVITA’’(nosl 
I  I  I’KI.VIV.S  Kl'AMKHIC  AVI  VJOHI 1.  IIAV  IT  HVMVM 


U..STKOKV"M  CONSV7.t’ET  IPSO  N-pBIlI.S  .WSV 
CHRISTOPHOK’  TATI  KROXTE  COIV'-MB’ERAT 


No.  21.  The  De  Bry  Portrait. 


effigici  exemplar,  but  it  would  have  been  lure  efjigies  which 
the  friend  received.  Gio.  Batista  Spotorno,  in  his  Memoir  of 
Columbus,  says: 

“We  have  no  wish  to  conceal  that  Theodore  de  Bry  pretended  that  he 
possessed  a  portrait  of  the  hero,  the  same  that  was  to  be  seen  in  an  apart¬ 
ment  of  the  Council  of  the  Indies:  from  which  place  having  been  stolen  and 


44 


Christopher  Columbus 

carried  to  the  Netherlands  for  sale,  it  came  finally  into  the  hands  of  De  Bry, 
who  gave  an  engraving  of  it  in  his  America.” 

We  have  just  seen  what  De  Bry  did  say,  and  his  statement  is 
inconsistent  with  that  given  by  Spotorno.  If  the  original  had 
been  stolen,  a  ciy  would  have  gone  forth  from  Spain  and  its  loss 
recorded.  If  a  mere  duplicate  had  been  stolen,  it  could  not 
have  been  this  one,  for  his  friend  received  his  directly  from  the 
artist's  own  hand.  But  is  there  not  something  extraordinary  in 
De  Bry’s  statement  on  this  point?  He  did  not  have  the  picture 
in  1594  when  the  fourth  part  of  his  work  was  completed,  but 
between  then  and  1595,  when  the  fifth  part  went  to  press,  he 
did  have  it.  It  came  to  his  friend,  who  had  it  from  the  artist, 
who  in  turn  had  painted  it  in  the  year  1492,  between  April  and 
the  beginning  of  August.  One  hundred  and  three  years  sepa¬ 
rated  the  execution  of  the  original  and  the  passage  of  its  creat¬ 
or’s  duplicate  into  the  hands  of  De  Bry’s  friend.  The  painting 
of  the  features  of  Columbus  was  intrusted  to  a  renowned  or  dis¬ 
tinguished  artist,  and  it  is  not  likely  an  artist  would  have  at¬ 
tained  distinguished  honour  in  Spain  in  those  days  much  before 
he  was  forty  years  of  age.  But  assume  that  because  of  pre¬ 
cocity  the  artist  was  distinguished  enough  at  the  age  of  thirty 
years  to  be  employed  for  this  purpose,  he  would  have  been  one 
hundred  and  thirty- three  years  old  in  1595,  when  the  friend  re¬ 
ceived  it  and  handed  it  to  De  Bry.  If  the  friend  had  long  been 
in  possession  of  the  picture  and  had  received  it  when  he  was 
thirty  and  the  artist  was  eighty,  the  transaction  would  have 
taken  place  in  the  year  1542,  the  artist  having  been  born  in 
1462  (assuming  he  was  thirty  when  he  made  the  portrait  in 
1492),  and  De  Bry’s  friend  being  then  thirty  years  of  age,  hav¬ 
ing  been  born  in  1512.  This  friend  then  would  have  been 
eighty-three  years  old  in  1595,  and  must  have  kept  concealed 
from  the  knowledge  of  De  Bry  for  fifty-three  years  the  pos¬ 
session  by  him  of  this  interesting  portrait. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  there  ever  was  a  portrait  in  the 
Council  Chamber  of  the  Indies,  and  indeed  a  careful  search  in 
the  Spanish  Archives  and  the  private  papers  of  the  Indian  De¬ 
partment,  from  the  time  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  to  that  of 
Philip  IT,  has  failed  to  disclose  that  either  the  government, 
the  Indian  Council,  or  the  Sovereign  ever  possessed  a  portrait 


The  De  Bry  Type 


45 


of  Columbus.  Certainly  Ferdinand  Columbus,  Las  Casas, 
Oviedo,  Peter  Martyr,  or  some  person  would  have  made  men¬ 
tion  of  a  contem])oraneous  portrait  if  it  had  ever  been  executed, 
for  each  of  these  writers  was  given  to  treating  of  details  and  of 
insignificant  as  well  as  of  im];)ortant  affairs.  As  engraved  by 
De  Bry’s  son,  Jean  De  Bry,  it  is  distinctly  of  another  type  from 
the  Jovian.  The  face  is  heavy  and  stolid.  Thick  curls  push 
their  way  under  a  peaked  cap.  The  sombrero  and  not  this 
Italian  cap  was  the  usual  head-covering  in  Spain  at  the  end  of 
the  fifteenth  century.  A  dimple  marks  the  chin,  but  three 
prominent  warts  are  introduced  on  the  cheek.  Ordinarily  we 
would  be  disposed  to  acce])t  as  an  authentic  likeness  the  por¬ 
trait  which  presents  defects.  Fancy  concerns  itself  with  em¬ 
bellishment  and  adornment  and  not  with  imperfections.  But 
here  again,  in  their  careful  descriptions  of  his  ])erson,  Ferdi¬ 
nand,  Las  Casas,  the  Curate  of  Los  Palacios,  or  some  one  who 
knew  him,  would  have  mentioned  such  noticealde  marks.  Of 
course  the  failure  to  mention  them  would  not  stand  against 
the  slightest  contemporary  mention  of  the  existence  of  any  such 
pictorial  rejjresentation  of  them  or  of  the  distinguished  face  on 
which  they  built  their  homes.  No  one  looking  at  this  face 
would  pronounce  it  a  long  visage,  and  if  we  know  anything  of 
his  personal  ap]:)earance  it  is  that  his  face  was  long.  If  we  know 
a  second  feature  of  his  face,  it  is  that  his  eyes  were  bright  and 
piercing,  not  heavy  and  dull  as  in  this  type.  His  locks  were 
white  from  about  his  thirtieth  year,  and  this  portrait  speaks  not 
of  gray  hairs. 

Probablv  no  other  picture  of  the  Admiral  has  been  so  often 
reproduced,  with  certain  modifications,  in  histories  and  stories 
of  Columbus  and  his  times. 

No.  22.  THE  VERSAILLES  PORTRAIT  » 

In  the  year  1833  there  was  brought  from  Brussels  and 

'  It  was  said  to  have  been  presented  the  Museum  by  the  Count  de  Montesquieu. 

The  Historical  Museum  of  Versailles  was  founded  by  Louis  Philippe  at  an  initial 
cost  of  fifteen  million  francs,  and  in  1S32  its  galleries  were  adorned  with  historical 
pictures  brought  from  the  Louvre  and  other  places.  Thomas  Jefferson  thought  the 
presence  in  the  Uffizi  Gallery  of  the  Altissimo  portrait  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  its 
genuineness.  This  rule  is  not  safe  to  follow  in  any  public  gallery.  There  is  much 
rubbish  in  the  Versailles  gallery  as  elsewhere,  and  increased  knowledge  is  daily  chang¬ 
ing  titles  to  pictures  and  ascribing  new  names  to  their  artists.  This  is  particularly 


46 


Christopher  Columbus 

deposited  in  the  Mnseimi  at  Versailles  a  portrait  of  Columbus 
which  was  evidently  executed  by  some  Flemish  artist,  and 
which  presents  the  features  of  some  plump  and  contented  Hol¬ 
lander.  A  celebrated  French  critic,  Feuillet  de  Conches,  has 
sought  to  show  that  this  is  the  work  of  some  student  or  follower 
of  Jan  Van  E^xk  of  Bruges,  asserting  that  it  discloses  certain 


No.  22.  The  Versailles  Portrait. 


characteristics  of  his  school.  Several  of  his  students  are  believed 
to  have  gone  into  Spain  and  Portugal,  and  it  is  argued  that  the 
picture  was  made  of  Columbus  while  he  was  yet  in  Portugal. 
Van  Eyck  himself  died  in  1441,  and  any  student  of  his  must 
have  been  much  older  than  Columbus  himself.  It  is  painted  on 
wood  and  is  of  ancient  appearance.  If  there  was  a  Flemish- 

trae  of  the  labours  of  the  modern  school  of  art  critics  with  headquarters  in  Florence, 
where  the  analytical  process  is  taught  which  enables  the  expert  to  discover  by  tech¬ 
nicalities  the  handiwork  of  ancient  artists.  Corrections  are  making  in  every  great 
gallery  and  pictures  are  dissected  and  assigned  to  their  creators  and  to  their  schools. 


The  De  Bry  Type 


47 


taught  artist  in  Portugal  during  the  time  Columbus  lived  there, 
he  would  have  had  no  more  improbable  a  sitter  for  a  portrait 
than  the  future  Admiral  of  the  Indies,  then  unknown,  poor,  and 
friendless.  Did  this  Van  Eyck  student  discover  what  neither 
Alfonso  the  King  nor  John,  his  son,  could  discover, — the  divine 
purpose,  the  piercing  eye,  the  unbendable  ambition,  the  incurable 
hope  ?  If  the  student  saw  these  things,  why  did  he  not  put  it  on 
his  panel  instead  of  painting  a  sleek  and  comfortal)le  burgher? 

Feuillet  de  Conches  declares  that  this  identical  portrait  is 
the  original  from  which  Jean  De  Bry  made  his  engraving. 

It  will  be  observed  that  this  ])ortrait  does  not  disclose  the 
warts  found  in  the  De  Bry  engraving,  and  that  instead  of  curly, 
wig-like  locks,  we  have  under  the  same  hat,  smooth  hair,  dark 
and  thick.  The  inference  is  that  the  Versailles  portrait  was 
])ainted  from  the  De  Bry  engraving,  and  not  that  the  De  Bry 
])icture  was  engraved  from  the  Versailles  portrait.  Therefore, 
De  Bry  declares  that  he  caused  his  son  to  co]3y  the  portrait  re¬ 
ceived  by  his  friend  from  the  artist  “as  perfectly  as  possible.” 
It  is  not  likely  that  under  these  circumstances  an  engraver 
would  purposely  introduce  facial  marks  or  would  introduce  a 
mass  of  curls  where  the  portrait  copied  showed  hair  smooth  and 
plain.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  very  probable  that  an  artist  in 
copying  from  such  an  engraving  would  wish  to  improve  his 
subject,  and  would  omit  the  defects  and  give  to  the  hair  a  more 
natural  appearance.  But  the  reader  will  observe  that  in  both 
the  Versailles  portrait  and  in  the  undiscovered  De  Bry  picture 
there  is  no  attempt  to  present  that  peculiar  ])ersonal  feature 
spoken  of  by  Ferdinand,  the  ]:)OSsession  of  white  hair  at  the  early 
age  of  thirtv,  a  period  after  which  and  not  before  the  ]iortrait  or 
any  portrait  must  have  been  ]:)ainted  if  taken  from  life.  De 
Bry  distinctly  says  that  the  portrait  from  which  he  had  his  en¬ 
graving  was  executed  ad  vivuni. 

The  De  Bry  engraving  has  been  re].)roduced,  as  we  have  said, 
many  times,  but  ]3robably  never  better  than  in  the  engraving 
made  by  Paolo  Mcrcuri,  the  famous  Roman  artist.  There  was 
said  to  have  been  another  ancient  portrait  unmistakaldy  Flem¬ 
ish,  of  Columbus,  in  the  Versailles  Museum,  acquired  at  the 
Magnan  sale  in  the  year  1841,'  but  it  disappeared  after  the 

'  Jomard  saw  arc!  described  this  portrait,  Bulletin  de  laSocietc  de  Geographic, 

third  series,  vol.  iii.,  p.  369.) 


48 


Christopher  Columbus 

Prussian  occupation  of  1870.  It  was  on  a  small  panel  of  wood, 
12  X  14  centimetres  in  size.  An  anchor  was  on  the  frame,  and 
on  the  right  side  of  the  figure  one  read  this  inscription  of  eight 
lines ; 

“Cristoff.  de  Colomb,  Groots  xA.dmiral  Vost  Zee  onder  Fer¬ 
nand:  Christopher  Columbus,  Grand  Admiral  of  the  Sea  under 
Ferdinand.” 

The  head  was  completely  bald,  and  the  costume  was  a  great 
coat,  or  vitchoura,  worn  by  sailors  in  the  beginning  of  the  six¬ 
teenth  century. 

No.  23.  THE  TALLEYRAND  PORTRAIT 

For  more  than  a  century  a  portrait  of  Columbus  hung  in  the 
chateau  of  Valengay  in  the  Department  of  Indre,  France,  the 
property  of  the  Duke  de  Valen^ay  de  Talleyrand  de  Segan.  It 
belonged  to  Prince  Talleyrand  and  is  a  work  of  artistic  interest. 
The  portrait,  according  to  M.  Achille  Neri,'  bears  the  inscription 
in  six  words: 

Hcec  est  Effigies  Leguris  Miranda  Columbi. 

Count  Luigi  di  Turenna,  in  a  report  to  the  Geographical 
Society  of  France,  in  speaking  of  this  picture,  says: 

“It  has  been  attributed  to  Sebastiano  del  Piombo:  if  it  were  thus,  it 
would  appear  very  improbable  that  the  portrait  was  painted  from  nature. 
Luciano  Sebastiano,  called  Brother  Sebastiano  of  Piombo,  born  in  1485, 
would  have  been  only  twenty-one  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  death  of 
Columbus,  and  history  relates  that  Sebastiano  gave  himself  to  painting  at 
a  relatively  late  age,  being  at  first  almost  entirely  consecrated  to  music. 
But  I  am  tempted  to  believe  that  the  attribution  is  apocryphal  and  that 
the  portrait  was  done  from  nature.  Everything  in  the  execution  permits 
the  supposition,  and  it  is  quite  a  probable  thing  that  an  identical  portrait 
must  exist  elsewhere,  the  Duke  of  Talleyrand  possessing  in  the  Gallery  of 
the  Chateau  a  modern  engraving  which  is  manifestly  a  copy  of  the  above 
picture,  a  picture  which  in  the  memory  of  man  has  never  gone  away  from 
Valengay.”  ^ 

M.  Achille  Neri  then  continues: 

“And  since  the  engraving  mentioned  is  none  other  than  that  of  Mercuri, 
one  must  obviously  recognise  in  the  picture  of  the  Duke  of  Talleyrand  the 
portrait  existing  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles:  this  however  bears  no  writ¬ 
ing  which  might  even  be  added  afterwards  in  the  former  by  another  hand. 
We  do  not  pause  to  discuss  the  estimate  of  the  Count  of  Turin  in  regard  to 

^  vSee  Raccolta — Commissione  Colombiana,  Part  II.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  267. 

^  See  Societe  de  Geographie.  Compte  Rendu  des  Seances  de  la  Commission  Centrale, 
1891,  p.  470. 


No.  2j.  The  Talleyrand  Portrait. 


49 


50 


Christopher  Columbus 

the  antiquity  of  the  likeness  and  of  its  construction,  it  appearing  to  us 
sufficiently  clear  from  the  matter  discussed  above,  that  it  treats  of  a  type 
too  different  from  the  former — the  Jovian — which  from  historical  reasons 
we  consider  the  most  credible  and  ancient.” 

This  Talleyrand  portrait  of  Columbus  is  to-day  believed  to 
be  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  in  New  York  City.  It  bears  the 
following  legend : 

Hcbc  cst  Effigies  Ligiiri  Miranda  Colmnbi  Antipodum  Primus 
Rate  qui  Peneiravit  in  Orbcni.  Sebastianus  Venctus  Facit. 

Competent  art  critics  pronounce  it  a  genuine  work  of  Sebas- 
tiano  called  II  Piombo.  Sebastianus  lived  between  the  years 
1485  and  1547,  and  pictures  of  his  are  known  bearing  similar 
signatures,  although,  like  most  artists  of  the  time,  it  was  an 
exceptional  and  not  a  usual  thing  to  sign  a  picture.  Certainly  it 
was  a  most  unusual  occurrence  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth 
century  to  place  a  legend  on  a  portrait.  Even  if  the  Talleyrand 
portrait  or  the  portrait  now  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  be  by 
Sebastianus,  it  was  executed  long  after  the  death  of  Columbus. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  it  be  by  Sebastiano,  it  may  have  been  the 
original  of  the  De  Bry  or  a  copy  from  a  common  source. 

No.  24.  THE  BRADLEY  PORTRAIT 

In  the  winter  of  the  year  1891,  when  all  the  world  was 
searching  for  portraits  of  Columbus,  William  Harrison  Bradley 
of  Chicago,  United  States  Consul  at  Nice,  France,  purchased 
an  alleged  portrait  from  two  elderly  ladies  living  in  that  city, 
who  had  it  from  the  family  of  Imbert  de  Lonnes,  in  which  they 
had  once  been  instructors,  the.  fortunes  of  which  family  had 
become  decayed  with  time  and  v/ith  the  political  changes  of  the 
country.  The  last  surviving  member  of  this  family  was  a 
Madame  Degreaux,  living  in  Marseilles.  She  declared  this  por¬ 
trait  came  to  her  through  her  mother  from  her  grandfather, 
Imbert  de  Lonnes ;  that  it  had  always  been  considered  a  picture 
of  great  value,  that  her  grandfather  during  the  French  Revolu¬ 
tion  had  bought  it  at  one  of  the  sales  in  1793  of  the  Royal  effects, 
and  that  it  had  come  from  the  private  cabinet  of  Marie  An¬ 
toinette,  the  unhappy  Queen  of  France.  It  is  further  reported 
that  at  the  same  sale  he  purchased  two  Titians  now  in  the 
Louvre.  Imbert  de  Lonnes  was  chief  surgeon  to  the  King’s 
brother,  and  went  into  retirement  during  the  stirring  days  of 


The  De  Bry  Type 


5T 

the  Revolution,  re-emerging  to  attach  himself  to  the  fortunes  of 
Napoleon,  and  to  become  Chief  Surgeon  in  the  Branch  Home  of 
the  Invalids  at  Avignon. 


A'o.  24.  The  Bradley  Portrait. 


The  portrait  is  of  the  Dc  Bry  ty])e.  The  Admiral  is  re])re- 
sented  in  this  ]:)ortrait  in  a  black  coat;  with  the  usual  l)e  Bry 
head-dress.  The  hands,  which  do  not  ap]:)car  in  tlie  De  Bry 


52 


Christopher  Columbus 

engraving,  are  identical  in  position  with  the  hands  of  the  Talley¬ 
rand  picture.  Across  the  top  of  the  canvas  is  the  legend: 

Christoph.  Colombo,  Ligiir. 
Orbcm  Altcrum  Excogitavit 
et  Primus  Visit.  An.  I4g2. 
At  the  side  is  a  line  which, 
applying  in  his  lifetime, 
was  certainly  not  particu¬ 
larly  felicitous;  from 
Virgil: 

Et  Mihi  Facti  Fama  Sat 
Est. 

No.  25.  THE  VENETIAN 
MOSAIC 

To  the  De  Bry  type  be¬ 
longs  the  beautiful  mosaic 
portrait  of  Columbus  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  city  of  Genoa 
by  the  sister  city  Venice 
when  the  former  entered  the  cluster  of  principalities  now 
included  in  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  and  to-day  it  hangs  in  the 
Municipal  Hall  in  Genoa.  A  magnificent  frame  of  ebony,  in¬ 
laid  with  ivory,  incloses  the  remarkable  picture.  It  follows  the 
De  Bry  type,  but  the  hands  hold  a  map  of  the  world  partially 
unrolled. 

No.  26.  THE  CEVASCO  PORTRAIT 

To  this  type  may  be  assigned  a  portrait  of  merit  belonging 
to  the  Municipality  of  Genoa,  the  gift  of  the  eminent  sculptor 
Giambattista  Cevasco.  This  artist  is  convinced  that  it  is  a 
“  work  of  the  Cinquecento ,  most  precious  in  expression  and 
truth.”  Comparing  it  with  the  portrait  possessed  by  the  Duke 
of  Veragua,  Cevasco  was  “surprised  by  its  perfect  similarity 
with  the  latter  painting.”  To  further  convince  himself  that 
this  is  a  portrait  of  Columbus,  he  has  fortified  himself  with 
“the  opinion  of  competent  men  and  by  the  two  letters  ‘VS,’ 
the  final  letters  of  his  name,  sufficiently  clear,  which  are  legible 
at  the  top  on  the  left  side  of  the  canvas.”  ' 

^  See  Processi  V erbali  del  Consiglio  Comunale  di  Genova,  1862,  Genoa.  Ferrando, 
p.  118. 


No.  25.  The  Venetian  Mosaic  Portrait. 


The  Bearded  Type 


53 


No.  26.  The  Cevasco  Portrait. 


THE  BEARDED  TYPE 

We  have  ado])te(l  this  general  title  for  the  sake  of  con¬ 
venience,  and  not  because  there  is  any  one  ty])e  to  which  all 
the  bearded  faces  bear  reseml)lance  Following  the  same  plan 
ado])ted  in  our  examination  of  the  Jovian  and  De  Bry  types, 
we  will  consider  them  in  the  order  in  which  notices  of  them 
first  reached  the  world. 

It  is  probable  that  while  on  shipl^oard  or  u])on  his  e::pedi- 
tions  Columbus  let  his  beard  grow.  Both  as  a  matter  of  con¬ 
venience  and  precaution  against  ex])osure,  the  wearing  of  a 


54 


Christopher  Columbus 


beard  b^'  an  ocean  navigator  was  natural.  The  early  colonists 
were  much  given  to  going  with  their  beards  grown.  The  na¬ 
tives,  themselves  beardless,  had  a  great  respect  and  fear  for  men 
with  hair  on  their  faces.  Peter  Martyr  relates  that  ^Tigidius 
Gonzalns  when  he  was  on  the  coast  of  Nicaragua,  that  he 
might  intimidate  the  Indians,  took  twenty-hve  of  his  youths 
and  made  bold  nien  of  them  by  adding  false  and  abundant  hair 
to  head  and  face. 


No.  27.  The  Thevet  Portrait. 


The  Bearded  Type 


55 


No.  27.  THE  THEVET  PORTRAIT 

Although  this  portrait  was  published  the  year  before  the  De 
Bry  engraving,  the  extreme  improbability  of  the  type  has  indueed 
us  to  place  it  in  a  subsequent  series.  Andre  Thevet  went  to 
South  America  in  1555  with  the  Marquis  de  Villegagnon  when 
the  latter  attempted  to  establish  a  French  colony  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Becoming  ill  while  there,  he  resolved  to 
return  to  France,  and  embarked  January  31,  1556,  with  Bois- 
le-Comte.  He  gave  an  account  of  the  new  countries  he  had 
visited  in  his  Lcs  Singnlarites  de  la  France  A  ntartique,  published  in 
1558.  He  did  not  pretend  in  this  work  that  he  had  ever  coasted 
the  country  now  included  in  the  United  States  of  America,  but 
in  the  year  1575  he  gave  to  the  world  his  Cosmographia,  in  which 
he  descrilied  a  voyage  along  the  eastern  coast  as  far  as  Canada. 
His  account  has  never  met  with  the  acceptance  of  scholars,  and 
his  false  narrative  comes  back  to  ])lague  him  when  he  asks  us  to 
believe  in  the  authenticity  of  the  likeness  of  Columbus  pre¬ 
sented  in  his  Les  Vrais  Pouriraits  et  Vies  des  Hommcs  Illustres, 
])ublished  at  Paris  in  1584.'  This  portrait  has  coarse  linea¬ 
ments,  unkempt  hair,  full  beard,  rather  square  face;  the  right 
hand  is  pointed  to  a  group  of  stars,  while  his  left  holds  an  as¬ 
trolabe. 

The  French  engraver  Nicolas  de  Larmessin  made  a  re¬ 
production  of  this  for  Acadeinie  dcs  Sciences  et  dcs  Arts,  by  Isaac 
Bullaert,  Brussels,  1682. 

No.  28.  THE  MONTANUS  PORTRAIT 

This  portrait  appeared  first  in  De  Nienwc  en  Onbekcnde  Wee- 
reld,  by  Arnoldus  Montanus,  published  at  Amsterdam  in  the 
year  1671.  It  was  reproduced  the  same  year  in  Ogilby’s  Amer¬ 
ica.  The  engraver  followed  the  d'hevet  ty])e,  greatly  improving 
and  embellishing  it.  The  Montanus  has  been  a  ])opular  book 
on  account  of  its  maps,^  and  this  may  account  for  the  frequent 
reproduction  of  the  Columliian  ])ortrait.  It  has  been  said  that 
this  portrait  was  painted  in  Nuremberg  about  the  year  1661. 

'■  See  Lcs  I  rais  Pouriraits  et  Vies  des  Ilommes  Illustres,  Grecz,  Latins,  et  Payens 
Kecueillez  de  Lcur  Tableaux,  Livres,  Medalles  Antiques  et  Modcrncs,  bv  -Vndre  Thevet, 
Angoiimoysin,  First  Cosmographer  of  the  King,  Paris,  Kervert,  1584,  vol.  ii.,  p.  :;22. 

^  1  he  collector  of  .Vniericana  will  always  prize  this  work  because  of  its  early  (but 
not  earliest)  map  of  New  Amsterdam,  found  on  page  124. 


No.  28.  The  Montanus  Portrait. 


56 


The  Bearded  Type 


57 


No.  2g.  THE  HERRERA  PORTRAIT 

In  the  edition  of  Herrera  published  in  1728  this  type  of  por¬ 
trait  is  used  in  a  modified  and  much  more  refined  form.'  The 
dates  at  which  all  these 
Montanus  portraits  are  in¬ 
troduced  show  of  how  little 
im])ortance  they  are  in  fur¬ 
nishing  us  with  a  reliable 
and  trustworthy  likeness  of 
the  great  Discoverer. 

No.  30.  THE  PARMIGIANO 
PORTRAPr 

In  the  Musco-Borhonico 
at  Naples  is  a  portrait  of 
Columbus  by  Girolamo 
Francesco  Maria  Mazzola 
Parmigiano,  a  Lombard 
artist,  who  died  in  1 540, 
aged  thirty-seven  years.  It 
came  from  the  Farnese  Gallery,  and  is  acknowledged  as  a  fine 
])icture  even  by  those  who  refuse  to  accept  it  as  a  portrait  of 
the  Admiral.  As  Parmigiano  was  only  born  at  Parma  in  the 
year  1503,  it  will  not  be  claimed  that  the  portrait,  even  if  inten¬ 
ded  for  Columbus,  was  painted  from  life.  This  ])ortrait,  as  well 
as  one  of  Americus  Ves])ucius,  is  said  to  have  been  ]jainted  about 
the  year  1527  for  Cardinal  Alexander  Farnese.  It  is  now  said 
to  be  a  portrait  of  Gilberto  di  Sassuolo,  an  Italian  statesman 
and  scholar.  The  portrait  is  given  im|)ortance,  since  it  was 
offered  the  world  as  an  authentic  portrait  by  Prescott  in  his 
History  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

Carderera,  in  his  Memorias  de  la  Real  Academia  dc  la  His- 
toria,  Madrid,  1852,  says  of  this  portrait: 

“  Having  carefully  examined  the  portrait  in  Naples  we  have  come  to 
doubt  whether  the  Parmesian  is  intended  to  represent  Columbus  at  all. 

'  The  Herrera  portrait  was  accepted  by  William  Cullen  Bryant  anil  Sidney 
Howard  Gay  to  illustrate  their  History  of  .America. 

Of  course  Antonio  de  Herrera  was  not  responsible  for  this  portrait.  The  wretched 
picture,  which  appeared  in  his  Ilisloria  General  dc  los  H echos  dc  los  Castellanos,  Madrid, 
1601,  is  too  rude  a  thing  to  notice  except  as  concerns  the  completion  of  the  record. 


No.  2Q.  The  Herrera  Portrait. 


5S  Christopher  Columbus 

There  is  scarcely  a  point  of  resemblance  between  the  authentic  portraits 
of  the  Admiral  which  so  clearly  reveal  the  frank  character  of  a  sailor,  and  the 
painting  of  IMazzola  which  portrays  the  subject  with  the  delicacy  and  re- 


No.  JO.  The  Parmigiano  Portrait. 

serve  of  a  courtier.  Still  more  noticeable  is  the  contrast  between  the  garb 
and  austere  aspect  of  our  hero,  and  the  exquisite  and  effeminate  decora¬ 
tions  of  this  person  whose  physiognomy,  very  long  and  lean,  differs  very 


The  Bearded  Type 


59 


much  from  the  oval  and  strongly  marked  face  of  the  Admiral,  whose  noble 
brow  is  lighted  up  with  the  vivacity  of  genius.  Neither  the  hair  which 
adorns  the  temples  of  the  Neapolitan  figure  with  symmetrical  and  elegant 
locks,  nor  the  whiskers  and  long  beard,  nor  the  curls  smoothly  arranged 
were  seen,  save  in  the  rarest  exceptions,  in  the  time  of  Ferdinand  and  Isa¬ 
bella  either  in  Spain  or  Italy  or  in  any  other  civilised  country  of  Europe: 
much  less  up  to  the  first  year  of  Charles  V.  could  one  meet  with  a  slashed 
German  red  cap  with  plume  and  gold  buttons.  The  same  may  be  said  con¬ 
cerning  other  parts  of  the  attire,  as  the  silk  sleeves  made  at  the  wrists  in 
annular  puffs  and  slashed,  lace  about  the  hands,  gloves,  a  finger  ring  and 
other  refinements  that  characterise  a  fine  gallant  of  the  i6th  century.” 

A  copy  of  the  Parmigiano  in  oil,  by  Antonio  Scardino,  an 
Italian  artist,  is  in  the  possession  of  the  American  Antiquarian 
Society  at  Worcester,  Mass.’ 

No.  31.  THE  MUNOZ  OR  BERWICK-LI RIA  PORTR^VIT 

Juan  Bautista  Munoz,  a  distinguished  Spanish  historian,  re¬ 
ceived  a  command,  on  July  17,  1779,  from  Charles  III.,  King  of 
Spain,  to  write  the  history  of  America.  His  work  was  never 
completed,  but  the  first  volume  of  his  Historia  del  Ntievo  Altindo 
was  published  at  Madrid  in  the  year  1793.  This  contained 
a  portrait,  which  is  best  described  by  the  historian  himself : 

‘‘1  have  prefixed  the  head  of  Columbus,  the  Discoverer,  to  this  volume, 
faithfully  engraved  with  much  accuracy.  Amongst  many  paintings  and 
engravings,  said  to  be  so  many  likenesses,  I  could  onlv  discover  one  which 
deserves  the  name,  viz.,  that  which  is  preserved  in  the  collection  of  the 
Duke  of  Berwick  and  Liria,  a  descendant  of  our  hero.  A  whole  length 
figure  probably  drawn  in  the  last  century,  by  an  indifferent  copyist,  but  in 
which  the  masterly  touches  of  Antonio  del  Rincon,  a  celebrated  painter  of 
the  Court,  may  be  traced.  The  characteristic  features  of  the  Admiral,  as 
drawn  by  his  son,  f  erdinand  Columbus,  have  enabled  us  to  select  the  most 
striking  portrait  and  to  amend  the  faults,  perceptible  in  some  lines,  which 
were  either  mistaken  by  the  artist  or  obliterated  bv  time.” 

In  the  time  of  Muiioz,  the  head  of  the  Portuguese  branch  of 
the  descendants  of  Columbus  was  Jacobo-Fclipe  Carlos  Stuart 
of  Stolberg,  born  at  Paris,  February  25,  in  the  vear  1773.  He 
was  the  last  Duke  of  Veragua  of  the  Berwick  line,  and  the  one 
who,  in  1790,  was  defeated  in  his  law-suit  against  the  Larreategui- 
Ortigan  branch,  the  titles  and  honours  of  Columbus  going  to 
these  last,  represented  to-day  in  the  person  of  the  ]:)resent  Duke 

’  See  Proceedings  American  Antiquarian  Society,  October  24,  1853,  j).  15. 


6o 


Christopher  Columbus 

of  \  eragiia.  His  son,  Carlos  Miguel,  became  Duke  of  Berwick 
y  Liria  and  Alba,  and  on  the  death  of  his  aunt,  Maria  del  Pilar 
Alvarez  de  Toledo,  thirteenth  Duchess  of  Alba,  he  inherited  all 
the  titles  of  ^Vlba.  This  digression  seems  necessary  to  understand 
that  the  Berwick  y  Liria  and  Berwick  y  Alba  families  are  one 
and  the  same,  and  that  the  portrait  called  by  Achille  Neri  the 
“  Berwick- Liria  Portrait”  and  the  Berwick- Alba  Portrait  must 


No.  ji.  The  Munoz  or  Berwick-Liria  Portrait. 


have  been  in  the  same  gallery.  The  Munoz  Portrait  was  recon¬ 
structed  from  a  full-length  portrait  belonging  to  the  Duke  of 
Berwick  y  Liria,  and  the  full-length  portrait  was  executed  in  the 
seventeenth  century  from  another  portrait  supposed  to  have 
been  painted  by  Antonio  del  Ringon.  If  the  artist  who  painted 
the  seventeenth-century  copy  altered  it  from  the  portrait  gener¬ 
ally  attributed  to  Antonio  del  Ringon,  it  suggests  a  complete 
change  of  features  and  surroundings. 

The  portrait  as  given  in  Munoz  is  a  close  copy  by  Marian 


The  Bearded  Type 


6i 

Manella  of  the  face  in  the  portrait  given  in  the  Raccolta  as  the 
Berwick  y  Liria  copy,  but  with  a  different  treatment  of  the 
collar  and  insignia  about  the  neck. 

The  picture  in  Munoz  and  the  one  used  by  Cristoforo  Cladera 
in  his  work  on  Spanish  discoveries  in  the  Ocean-sea  are  from  the 
same  source.  The  Cladera  has  the  same  treatment  of  the  collar. 
There  it  is  asserted  to  be  designed  from  an  original  picture  of  the 
entire  figure  formerly  possessed  by  Ferdinand,  son  of  Columbus. 

No.  32.  THE  BERWICK-ALBA  PORTRAIT 

This  portrait  appears  to  be  an  engraving  said  to  l)e  by  D.  Ra¬ 
fael  Esteve  from  a  drawing  hy  Galiano,  and  to  bear  this  inscrip¬ 
tion:  El  Qiiadro  Original  Fue  Pintado  cn  America  por  Van  Loo; 
“  the  original  was  painted  in  America  by  Van  Loo.”  As  is  well 
known,  no  record  apjiears  in 
this  country  of  an  American 
artist  by  the  name  of  Van 
Loo.  And  there  is  no  record 
that  Jean  Bajitiste  Van  Loo 
ever  was  in  America.  The 
story,  however,  serves  to  ac¬ 
count  for  the  absence  of  any 
original.  If  this  head  served 
for  the  Munoz  portrait,  it 
was  much  altered.  The  figure 
in  this  full-length  ]  portrait  is 
well  ]iosed  and  attractive,  l)ut 
certainly  is  not  our  concep¬ 
tion  of  Columbus.  The  face 
is  young,  while  the  surround¬ 
ings  indicate  wealth  and 
honours,  both  of  which  re¬ 
wards  were  unknown  to  Co¬ 
lumbus.  The  hair  is  dark, 
the  face  not  ]iarticularlylong. 

Upon  the  table  are  two  yy  Benvick-Alba  Portrait. 

globes  of  unequal  diameter, 

and  the  table  is  sup]iorted  by  a  shield  on  which  one  sees  the 
coat-of-anns  of  the  Admiral. 

There  is  said  to  be  somewhere  a  painting  of  Columlius  repre- 


62 


Christopher  Columbus 

senting  him  seated  in  a  chair,  arrayed  in  richly  embroidered 
robes, — a  costume  somewhat  different  from  the  Franciscan 
gannent  which  history  records  him  as  wearing,  and  differing 
likewise  from  the  Hull  Portrait. 

No.  33.  THE  JOMARD  PORTRAIT 

Edmond  Frangois  Jomard,  an  eminent  French  engraver  and 
geographer,  was  long  librarian  of  the  National  Library  at  Paris, 


No.  jj.  The  Jomard  Portrait. 

In  1844  he  discovered  in  a  gallery  in  Vicenza  a  portrait  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  which  he  pronounced  the  best  and  most  life-like  image 
of  the  great  Genoese,  and  an  original  work  by  Titian,  or  perhaps 
by  Domenico  Campagnola,  painted  between  1530  and  1540. 
This  portrait,  with  its  endorsement  by  Jomard,  was  brought 
before  a  Congress  of  Scientists  at  Genoa,  and  received  the  judg¬ 
ment,  “an  ideal  picture,  rather  than  a  positive  reproduction  of 
the  features  of  the  immortal  Navigator.’’  The  portrait  is  in 
the  National  Library  at  Paris. 

No,  34.  THE  MENGS  PORTRAIT 

In  the  Public  Library  at  Concord,  Mass.,  is  an  alleged  por¬ 
trait  of  Columbus,  by  Raphael  Mengs,  and  which  is  declared  to 
have  been  copied  from  a  Spanish  portrait.  This  Mengs  Portrait 


63 


The  Bearded  Type 


is  said  to  have  formerly  been  in  the 
]30ssession  of  Madame  Letitia  Bonaparte 
at  Rome,  and  was  purchased  by  Mr.  A. 
P.  Chamberlaine  after  her  death,  and 
by  him  presented  to  the  Library  in  Con¬ 
cord.  The  artist  Mengs  is  said  to  have 
left  a  record  somewhere  to  the  effect 
that  the  original  from  which  he  took  his 
copy  was  a  veritable  Titian.  If  it  was 
a  close  copy,  the  original  may  have  re¬ 
sembled  the  The  vet  type.  It  is  a  por¬ 
trait  of  a  full-bearded  and  dark-haired 
man;  his  right  hand  resting  on  a  globe, 
and  the  head  turned  to  the  left. 


No.  '^4.  The  Mengs 
Portrait. 


No.  35.  THE  HAVANA  PORTRAIT 

In  the  Council  Chamber  of  the  Captain-General’s  Palace  at 
Havana  hangs  the  portrait  of  Columbus  said  to  have  been  pre- 


No.  75.  The  Havana  Portrait. 


sented  to  the  municipality  by  one  of  the  Dukes  of  Veragua, 
some  two  hundred  years  ago.  It  has  a  slight  resemlilance  to 
the  head  in  the  Berwick- All^a  engraving,  but  the  head  has  a 
forehead  very  high,  while  in  the  latter  it  is  extremely  low. 


CHAPTER  CXVIIII 

MISCELLANEOUS  PORTRAITS 

Under  this  head  are  several  pictures  of  Columbus  which  have 
attracted  attention  and  whose  individual  claims  have  been  ad¬ 
vocated  with  much  persistency  by  voices  more  or  less  authori¬ 
tative. 

No.  36.  THE  LOTTO  PORTRAIT 

Surely  no  voice  can  be  more  authoritative  than  that  of  a  na¬ 
tion,  and  no  nation  can  have  a  more  positive  tone  in  its  voice 
than  the  young  and  eager  people  living  and  moving  over  the 
country  indirectly  opened  to  them  by  the  great  Discoverer.  The 
United  States  has  officially  pronounced  this  particular  portrait 
to  be  the  likeness  of  Christopher  Columbus  by  placing  it  upon 
five  million  of  silver  coined  money  pieces  minted  as  souvenirs  of 
the  four  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  discovery. 

The  Italia  Marinara  for  April  5,  1891,  thus  describes  the 
discovery  in  Venice,  by  the  archaeologist  Antonio  della  Rovere, 
of  a  portrait  of  Columbus  painted  by  Lorenzo  Lotto ; 

“Should  it  be  asked  who  since  the  Nazarene  might  be  considered  the 
greatest  man  born  to  the  world,  the  unanimous  voice  of  all  nations  would 
respond,  Christopher  Columbus.  There  has  been  no  other  man  since  the 
Martyr  of  Golgotha  who,  more  than  Columbus,  has  excited  the  enthusiasm 
of  poets,  historians  and  scientists  throughout  the  world.  But  few  have 
directed  their  studies  to  the  venerated  person  of  this  great  man,  since  they 
were  so  full  of  admiration  for  his  deeds  that  the  man  himself  was  over¬ 
shadowed.  We  shall  publish  frequently  accounts  of  his  deeds  the  best 
that  have  been  written,  beginning  with  his  life  composed  by  his  son  Fer¬ 
dinand  Columbus.  The  authentic  portrait  which  we  reproduced  in  the 
last  number  was  from  Venice  and  was  by  Lorenzo  Lotto.  It  was  discov¬ 
ered  by  the  learned  archaeologist  Antonio  della  Rovere  and  was  annotated 
by  Captain  Salvator  Ranieri.  The  whole  details  of  the  discovery  may  be 

64 


Miscellaneous  Portraits 


65 


read  in  two  publications,  Guide  to  the  Royal  Gallery  of  Venice,  by  Della 
Rovere,  and  Discourse  Delivered  at  the  Venetian  Athencenm,  March  28, 
i8qo,  by  Salvator  Ranieri.  The  letters  or  characters  reproduced  at  the 
foot  of  the  portrait  are  the  signature  of  Columbus.  The  last  line,  having 


No.  j(5.  The  Lotto  Portrait. 


a  mixture  of  Greek  and  Latin  letters,  makes  the  name  or  word  Christo- 
forem;  the  next  to  the  last  line  contains  the  letters  X,  M,  Y,  standing  for 
Christus  Maria  Joseph,  the  upper  letters  combined  in  all  ways  with  those 
of  the  next  to  the  last  line  express  a  kind  of  ejaculatory  prayer  like  Salva 
me  Cristus  Maria  Joseph. 

“Ranieri  is  making  a  critical  study  of  all  the  pretended  jjortraits  of 

VOL.  in.— 5. 


66 


Christopher  Columbus 

Columbus  and  of  this  true  one  of  Lotto:  and  from  him  comes  the  following 
resume  which  we  gladly  reproduce  in  its  entirety.  After  eliminating  many 
well-known  portraits,  he  says: 

‘“But  the  indisputable  fact  that  the  portrait  of  Lotto  is  the  most 
ancient  gives  this  a  pre-eminence  over  all  the  others  mentioned.  If  repro¬ 
ductions  of  this  are  not  found,  it  is  perhaps  on  account  of  the  churlishness 
of  the  possessors  until  it  came  to  the  Dukes  of  Parma  and  was  examined  by 
their  agent,  the  Chevalier  Rossi  and  the  noble  Antonio  della  Rovere,  who 
made  important  investigations  to  see  if  there  were  in  it  any  traces  of  the 
features  of  the  Cuccaro  or  of  the  Capriolo  portraits,  or  of  that  in  the  Naval 
Museum  at  Madrid.  In  all  these  are  to  be  found  the  details  of  the  hair 
gracefully  flowing  over  the  ear.  Nor,  after  such  an  analytical  classifica¬ 
tion,  can  we  violently  antagonise  the  conclusions  to  which  came  the  Baron 
Vernazza  and  the  learned  Spotorno,  that  all  the  portraits  examined  by  them 
are  false,  for  if  there  are  any  real  resemblances  we  ought  to  preserve  them, 
small  or  great,  as  appears  in  this  case  of  Dante.’ 

“Thus  having  availed  ourselves  of  this  preliminary  examination,  we 
have  succeeded  by  means  of  elimination  in  arriving  at  the  discovery  of  the 
archetype.  Now,  the  portrait  of  Lotto  not  only  is  remarkable  for  having 
the  costume  of  the  period,  but  impresses  the  beholder  with  its  marvellous 
expression  as  a  whole,  which  enables  even  an  uncultured  mind  to  divine  the 
real  person  it  claims  to  represent,  while  the  other  portraits,  having  been 
made  not  before  the  second  half  of  the  i6th  century  and  many  even  still 
later,  betray  a  striking  mannerism  and  become  exaggerated  in  many  par¬ 
ticulars.  Therefore,  if  we  do  not  still  care  to  take  into  account  the  ex¬ 
pression,  but  to  have  in  consideration  the  difference  of  the  epoch  and  still 
more  the  characteristic  features,  it  still  remains  that  the  portrait  of  Lotto 
has  the  right  to  be  proclaimed  as  the  only  and  veritable  existing  archetype .  ’  ’ 

(Salvator  Ranieri.) 

The  Lotto  portrait  takes  its  name  from  the  celebrated  Vene¬ 
tian  artist,  Lorenzo  Lotto. 

It  is  said  for  this  portrait  by  those  who  called  the  attention 
of  its  generous  purchaser  to  its  existence  that  it  was  painted  at 
the  instance  of  Angelo  Trivigiano,  Secretary  to  the  Venetian 
Embassy  in  Spain,  who  sent  it  to  the  Venetian  Senator  Domen¬ 
ico  Malipiero;  the  possessions  of  Malipiero  passed  to  Francisco 
Lon  go;  the  heirs  of  Lon  go  were  the  Gradenigos,  from  whom 
Luigi  Rossi,  steward  of  the  Duchess  of  Parma,  purchased  it; 
Rossi  sold  it  to  a  Signor  Gandolfi,  who  had  it  restored  and  re¬ 
paired,  the  badly  damaged  head  and  cap  of  the  Indian  at  the 
right  being  cut  out,  and  the  canvas  made  square  instead  of 
oblong;  Gandolfi  sold  it  to  Signor  Antonio  della  Rovere,  from 
whom  it  was  purchased,  in  1892,  by  the  United  States  Consul  at 


Miscellaneous  Portraits 


67 


Frankfort,  Frank  H.  Mason,  for  Mr.  James  W.  Ellsworth,  then 
of  Chicago,  but  now  a  citizen  of  New  York.  The  signature  and 
date  read  Lavren"  Lotvs  /...."  It  represents  the  Admiral 
holding  in  one  hand  a  conically  projected  map  of  Brazil,  while 
the  other,  resting  on  a  book,  touches  an  hour-glass.  A  table 
holds  several  books,  and  upon  the  back  of  one  we  read  Aris- 
totclc,  a  strange  form  of  the  name,  to  say  the  least,  as  it  should 
either  be  Aristoteles  or  (Liber,  Libri,  Rhetorica,  or  some  such 
word  being  understood)  Aristotelis.  As  this  picture  was  first 
described  upon  its  coming  to  America,  the  date  of  its  execution 
was  read  1502.  It  was  pointed  out  that  the  territory  pictured 
upon  the  map  held  in  the  hand  could  have  had  no  significance 
whatsoever  in  connection  with  Columbus,  and  that  the  map 
from  which  it  evidently  was  taken  was  a  ]Dortion  of  the  famous 
Ruysch  map  appearing  for  the  first  time  in  the  Ptolemy,  printed 
at  Rome  in  1508.  It  was  then  asserted  that  the  date  was  really 
1512,  and  we  all  know  it  is  easy  to  make  a  mistake  in  reading 
Arabic  numerals.  The  name  is  properly  written  Lavrens  Lotvs 
/.,  except,  we  think,  he  would  have  used  the  contraction  p.  in¬ 
stead  of  /.  In  the  Louvre  at  Paris  is  the  artist’s  pictvire,  Saint 
Jerome  in  the  Desert,  which  is  signed  simply  Lotvs  1500.  Giovanni 
Morelli,  Count  Clement  de  Ris,  and  Dr.  Gustavo  Frizzoni  of 
Bergamo,  among  the  first  experts  in  Italian  art,  pronounce  the 
signature  on  this  Saint  Jerome  picture  genuine.  In  Bergamo 
there  is  an  allegorical  painting  by  Lotto  also  signed  Lotvs  P.  cal. 
JtiL  M.  D.  V.,  the  numerals  being  consistently  Roman.  There 
is  a  graceful  altar-piece  in  the  church  at  Santa  Christina,  near 
Treviso,  which  is  signed  Lavrent  Lotvs  P.,  the  nt.  forming  a  sort 
of  monogram.  In  the  church  of  Asola  is  an  altar-]3iece  in  which 
the  name  is  signed  Lavrent  Lotvs  Ivnior  M.D.VI.  In  Munich  is 
his  picture  re])resenting  the  marriage  of  St.  Catherine,  signed 

'  1  he  signature  is  fairly  legible  so  far  as  the  name  is  concerned,  but  the  date 
generally  said  to  be  read  following  the  name,  is  so  dim  and  faded  that  it  is  impossible 
to  decide  just  what  figures  were  originally  used.  The  name  as  spelled  has  not  here¬ 
tofore  been  correctly  given.  When  exhibited  at  Chicago,  it  sadly  mixed  the  Latin 
and  Italian  forms.  The  legend,  Lavrens  Lotto  f.,  was  calculated  to  arouse  some 
doubt  as  to  its  being  a  holograph  signature,  as  no  man  would  be  likely  to  use  the 
mixed  form.  Again,  in  some  reports  the  name  was  written  Lawrens,  which  is  also 
an  impossible  form  for  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  letter  “w”  not 
then  being  in  use  in  Italy.  In  the  signatures  of  Lotto  we  have  seen  he  makes  his  ‘‘  L” 
with  the  two  lines  straight  and  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  not  as  in  this  por¬ 
trait.  Moreover,  he  seems  to  have  written  his  name  on  his  portraits  in  capital  letters, 
and  not  in  small  letters  as  here. 


68 


Christopher  Columbus 

Lavrcn  Lotus.  F.  It  is  said  in  later  years,  toward  1530,  some 
of  liis  pictures  were  signed  in  the  Italianised  form  of  his  name. 
The  Latin  and  Italian  forms  are  not  found  mixed. 

We  have  letters  from  Trivigiano,  written  to  Malipiero,  in 
which  the  former  speaks  of  sending  him  the  historical  matter  of 
the  Libretto  as  well  as  a  map  to  l)e  made  at  Palos,  but  he  says 
nothing  of  sending  him  a  portrait  of  the  great  Discoverer.  Of 
course,  if  it  was  made  in  1512  instead  of  1502,  Trivigiano  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it.  Moreover,  if  it  was  made  in  1512,  it  was 
not  made  from  nature,  as  Columbus  had  then  been  dead  six 
years.  Columbus  arrived  in  Spain  from  his  third  voyage  in 
October,  1500.  He  came  in  degradation  and  with  chains  upon 
his  limbs.  The  chains  were  taken  off  his  body,  but  they  must 
have  marked  his  face  with  the  signs  of  grief.  He  left  Spain  in 
May,  1502,  on  his  fourth  voyage.  There  was  an  opportunity 
here  for  some  Spanish  artist  or  some  foreign  artist  then  in  Spain 
to  have  painted  him.  It  was  the  last  opportunity,  for  when  he 
came  back  from  his  last  voyage  in  1504,  he  was  broken  in  mind 
and  body,  and  the  last  chapter  of  his  life  was  closing.  We  have 
no  proof  that  Lorenzo  Lotto  was  ever  in  Spain.  There  is  every 
reason  to  believe  he  was  in  Italy  the  whole  of  the  period  between 
October,  1500,  and  May,  1502. 

If  there  be  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  who  painted  this  pic¬ 
ture  or  as  to  the  person  it  represents,  it  is  manifestly  a  great 
work  of  art.  As  to  the  spelling  of  the  name,  it  is  quite  possible 
that  some  later  hand  has  attempted  to  improve  the  portrait  or 
add  to  its  value  by  writing  in  the  name  of  the  artist.  It  cer¬ 
tainly  will  have  the  place  of  honour  among  alleged  portraits  of 
Columbus  owned  in  America  from  its  arbitrary  association  with 
the  World’s  Columbian  Exposition. 

No.  37.  THE  MORO  PORTRAIT 

This  portrait  derives  its  position  of  importance  from  the  fact 
that  Washington  Irving  selected  it  from  all  those  seen  by  him 
to  illustrate  his  Life  of  Columbus.  In  the  preface  to  the  edition 
of  this  work  published  in  London  in  1850,  the  author  says: 

“The  portrait  of  Columbus  prefaced  to  the  present  volume  is  from  a 
beautiful  picture  painted  by  Sir  Anthony  Moro  for  Margaret,  Governess  of 
the  Netherlands.  It  was  brought  to  this  country  [England]  about  the 


Miscellaneous  Portraits 


69 


year  1590,  and  has  been  in  the  possession  of  one  family  until  very  recently, 
when  it  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Cribb  of  King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  Lon¬ 
don.  The  characteristics  of  the  mind  and  features  of  Columbus  are  so 


No.  jy.  The  Moro  Portrait. 


forcibly  depicted  in  this  picture  that  no  doubt  can  remain  but  that  it  is 
a  true  and  perfect  resemblance  of  the  great  Navigator.” 

The  portrait  is  by  others  reported  to  have  hun"  in  the  cabin 
of  one  of  the  ships  in  the  Spanish  Armada  during  the  fight  in 


70 


Christopher  Columbus 

1588,  and  when  the  vessel  which  bore  it  went  to  pieces  on  the 
Cornish  coast  of  England,  the  owner  of  an  estate  near  the  place 
of  disaster  appropriated  it  as  his  share  of  the  wreckage,  and  it 
was  retained  in  his  family  until  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  when,  as  Irving  says,  it  was  bought  by  William  Cribb, 
and  upon  his  death  it  was  sold  to  Mr.  Raymond  Groom  of  Pall 
Mall,  London.  It  was  purchased  of  Mr.  Groom  by  Mr.  Charles  F. 
Gunther  of  Chicago,  the  possessor  of  many  valuable  and  inter¬ 
esting  relics,  by  whom  it  is  still  owned.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  Washington  Irving  has  given  us  none  of  the  reasons  which 
induced  him  to  accept  its  pedigree.  We  do  not  know  by  whom 
it  was  brought  into  England.  It  is  in  a  magnificent  frame 
worthy  of  holding  the  features  of  royalty,  but  there  is  no  mark 
or  symbol  upon  this  frame  to  associate  it  with  Columbus.  It 
has  been  said  that  the  frame  has  carved  upon  its  upper  side  the 
coat-of-arms  of  the  first  Admiral  of  the  Indies,  but  this  is  an 
error.  While  certain  features  of  the  coat-of-arms  indicate  a 
connection  with  the  sea,  there  is  nothing  to  associate  it  with 
Columbus.  In  the  upper  left-hand  corner  one  reads  Ch.  Co¬ 
lombo,  but  the  picture  is  not  signed  by  the  artist  who  painted  it. 
Antonio  Moro  was  born  in  1519  and  died  in  1581.  He  could 
not  have  painted  Columbus  from  life.  It  is  said  he  painted  this 
portrait  for  Margaret  of  Parma,  the  natural  daughter  of  Charles 
V.,  from  a  miniature  of  Columbus  in  possession  of  the  royal 
family  at  Madrid.  It  is  further  asserted  that  when  the  Span¬ 
iards  retired  from  the  Netherlands,  the  portrait  was  taken  back 
to  Spain.  The  figure  is  that  of  a  Flemish  nobleman,  not  over 
forty  years  of  age,  his  hair  dark,  with  whiskers  such  as  were  not 
worn  in  Spain  in  the  fifteenth  century.  The  left  hand  has  sev¬ 
eral  rings,'  five  on  the  first  finger  and  one  on  the  little  finger.^ 
One  of  these  rings,  when  we  saw  the  picture  in  1893,  had  in- 

^  There  are  five  rings  on  the  first  finger  of  the  left  hand.  One  of  these  is  a  star 
sapphire  and  one  is  a  ring  with  a  crest  consisting  of  two  chickens,  one  about  to  strike, 
the  other  in  a  position  of  defence:  underneath  the  crest  is  a  scroll,  and  under  this 
again  is  a  rose  or  flower  of  some  kind.  The  figures  1590  are  graved  on  the  drum  in 
the  frame  of  the  picture. 

2  At  Newstead  Abbey,  in  Nottinghamshire,  once  the  seat  of  Lord  Byron,  is  a 
portrait  of  a  man  attributed  to  Sir  Anthony  Moro,  in  which  the  artist  has  painted  a 
coat-of-arms  upon  the  ring  which  adorns  one  of  the  hands. — {Anecdotes  of  Painting, 
Walpole,  vol  i.,  p.  214.) 

There  are  other  portraits  of  Moro’s  known  in  which  the  subject  holds  a  globe. 
This  accessory  may  have  been  suggested  by  the  Italian  Titian. 


Miscellaneous  Portraits 


71 


scribed  upon  it  the  figure  of  a  rooster  or  a  bird,  having  the  sig¬ 
nificance  of  a  family  erest.  No  more  delightful  writing  is  known 
than  Irving’s  Life  of  Columbus,  but  history  has  not  hesitated  to 
correct  more  than  one  of  his  conclusions.  The  picture  is  a 
beautiful  example  of  Moro’s  art. 

No.  38.  THE  ALBANY  OR  FARMAR  PORTRAIT 

The  Albany  portrait,  sometimes  called  the  Farmar  portrait, 
hangs  in  the  State  Library  in  the  Capitol  at  Albany,  N.  Y.  It 
was  presented  to  the  State  in  1784  by  Mrs.  Maria  Farmar,  a 
great-granddaughter  of  that  famous  Captain  Jacob  Lcisler  who 
usurped  the  offiee  of  Lieutenant-Governor  and  consequently 
the  governorshi])  of  the  province  of  New  York,  and  who  was 
executed  for  treason  in  the  city  of  New  York,  May  16,  1691.  It 
enjoys  the  distinetion  of  having  been  in  America  longer  than  any 
other  of  the  numerous  family  of  Columbus  ]Dortraits.  It  is  on 
wood,  622  mm.  in  height  by  508  mm.  in  width.  The  head  is 
turned  to  the  left ;  the  face  is  that  of  a  young  man ;  the  hair  is 
brown  or  red;  the  dress  is  a  doublet  with  slashed  sleeves,  while 
the  collar  is  a  large  ruff;  in  his  right  hand  is  a  deep,  bowl-like 
compass.  Back  of  the  picture  is  a  curtain  partly  drawn  at  the 
right  of  the  figure,  disclosing  a  caravel,  and  beyond  the  water  a 
city  with  a  tower,  which  we  take  to  l^e  San  Domingo.  A  strange 
thing  about  this  picture,  not  easily  seen  by  looking  at  the  ori¬ 
ginal,  but  plainly  revealed  by  the  power  of  photography,  is  that 
another  and  a  much  larger  figure  had  been  previously  painted 
upon  the  panel.  The  face  of  this  older  picture  is  turned  almost 
full-face,  and  upon  the  head  is  discerned  what  we  take  to  be  a 
hat  similar  to  that  in  the  De  Bry  engraving.  Inscribed  on  the 
panel  of  the  later  picture  one  reads  above  An°  i^g2,  while  below 
one  sees  Ala.  2j.  It  is  possible  that  some  artist  finding  at  his 
hand,  one  hundred  years  after  the  discovery,  a  portrait  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  ]:)erhaps  a  copy  of  the  De  Bry,  conceived  the — to  him — 
hap])y  idea  of  representing  Columbus  as  he  himself  imagined 
him, — young,  ardent,  full  of  purpose,—  and  then  painted  over  the 
first  picture  a  second  and  purely  imaginative  portrait  of  our 
hero.  The  reader’s  attention  is  invited  to  the  artistic  strength 
displayed  in  the  modelling  of  the  chin,  the  foreshortened  fingers, 
the  l)end  of  the  elbow,  and,  in  the  original,  the  rich  tones  of  the 
dress  and  flesh. 


1-  Christopher  Columbus 

The  following  histor}'  of  the  portrait  is  recorded  in  the 
Senate  Jonrnal  for  1850;  in  a  report  handed  in  by  the  Clerk  of 
the  Senate.  William  H.  Bogart,  April  9  of  that  year: 


No.  j8.  The  Albany  or  Farmar  Portrait. 

“On  March  2,  1850,  the  Hon.  George  R.  Babcock  of  Buffalo  offered  the 
following  resolution;  Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  of  the  Senate,  under  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  President,  cause  the  portrait  of  Columbus,  now  in  the  ante¬ 
room,  to  be  removed  from  its  present  unsafe  position  and  properly  cleaned 
and  hung  in  the  Senate  Chamber.” 


Miscellaneous  Portraits 


73 


Under  this  resolution  the  portrait  was  taken  to  New  York, 
cleaned  and  repaired,  and  reframed  by  Messrs.  Williams  &  Ste¬ 
vens  of  New  York,  and  an  inscription  added  as  follows; 

“The  gift  of  Mrs.  Maria  Farmar  to  the  Senate  of  New  York, 
1784.” 

The  official  record  found  in  the  Journal  of  the  Senate  for 
1784  says: 

“A  letter  [was  read]  from  Mrs.  Maria  Farmar  directed  to  his  Honour, 
the  President,  offering  for  the  acceptance  of  the  Senate  an  ancient  portrait 
of  the  celebrated  discoverer  of  America,  Christopher  Columbus,  taken  from 
an  original  painting  in  1592,  and  which  had  been  in  her  family  upwards  of 
150  years:  Resolved,  That  the  Senate  do  accept,  with  grateful  acknowledg¬ 
ments,  the  ancient  and  valuable  portrait  offered  by  Mrs.  Maria  Farmar. 
When  the  Capital  was  removed  from  New  York  in  1797  this  jucture  was 
left  behind  and  seems  to  have  been  forgotten,  in  the  transfer  of  the  seat  of 
the  government:  and  it  continued  neglected  or  abstracted  for  many  years. 
In  March,  1847,  the  following  entry  appears  upon  the  Journal: 

“March  26,  1847,  on  motion  of  the  lion.  John  L.  Viele,  Resolved,  That 
the  Clerk  of  the  Senate  cause  the  portrait  of  Christopher  Columbus  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  Senate  by  Mrs.  Maria  Farmar  in  1784,  to  be  removed  from 
the  city  of  New  York  and  put  up  in  some  suitable  jjlace  in  the  Senate 
Chamber. 

“Mr.  John  F.  Bacon,  then  Clerk  of  the  vSenate,  in  com])liance  with  the 
orders  of  this  resolution,  visited  New  York  and  after  considerable  search, 
and  through  the  assistance  of  the  veneralde  Mr.  Skaats,  the  Keeper  of  the 
City  Hall,  found  it  in  the  garret  of  that  building.  He  proved  it  to  be  the 
property  of  the  State  and  brought  it  to  Albany,  where  it  was  ])laced  in 
the  old  Senate  Chamber,  afterwards  known  as  the  cloak  and  document  room 
of  the  Assemljly.  When  the  Senate  Chamber  was  changed,  it  hung  over 
the  hre-place,  when  by  the  resolution  of  the  Hon.  Senator  from  the  31st 
District  [Mr.  Babcock]  it  was  ordered  rescued.” 

We  find  a  memorandum  in  the  minutes  of  the  State  Li¬ 
brarian  saying  that,  under  date  of  1856,  it  was  sent  hy  the  State 
Library  to  the  Senate  C'hambcr,  showing  that  at  least  for  a  time 
many  years  ago  it  had  been  in  charge  of  what  is  now  its  ])er- 
manent  curator. 

If  in  1784  the  ])ortrait  had  been  in  the  Leisler  family  for 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  it  would  carry  its  ]30ssession  back 
1^0  1635.  Jacol)  Leisler  came  to  this  country  al^out  1660  as  a 
soldier  in  the  em|)loy  of  the  Dutch  West  India  Com])anv.  He 
traded  much  abroad,  having  vessels  of  his  own.  It  is  not  likely 
he  brought  this  portrait  with  him  when  he  first  came.  If  the 


74  Christopher  Columbus 


date  1592  is  a  memorandum  by  the  artist  of  the  time  of  its  exe¬ 
cution,  one  would  have  expected  him  to  add  his  own  name. 
Under  any  circumstances,  as  it  represents  a  youth  of  twenty- 
three,  it  plainly  belongs  to  the  division  of  imaginative  portraits. 

No.  30.  THE  HULL  PORTRAIT 

The  Hull  portrait  is  owned  by  Miss  Esther  Hull  of  Danbury, 


No.  jg.  The  Hull  Portrait. 

Conn.  It  is  of  evident  antiquity,  but  of  unknown  origin.  It 
represents  Columbus  past  middle  life,  long  of  visage,  seated, 


Miscellaneous  Portraits 


75 


both  hands  resting  on  the  arms  of  his  chair,  clothed  like  an 
ecclesiastical  prince  in  dark  red  velvet  trimmed  with  ermine,  his 
cap  likewise  of  red  velvet  with  a  broad  lower  border  of  rich 
ermine.  The  face  is  that  of  an  aged  and  thoughtful  man,  and  is 
turned  toward  the  right  shoulder,  on  which  a  white  dove  is  in 
the  act  of  alighting.  No  dove  ever  l)rought  peace  to  the  great 
Discoverer,  but  the  artist  may  have  meant  to  represent  the 
gentle  bird  from  which  the  family  derived  its  name  whispering 
hope  to  him  before  the  S])anish  Sovereigns  determined  to  aid 
him  in  his  projects.  It  was  a  time  when  he  sorely  needed  hope. 
On  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of  the  canvas  one  reads  Cristoforo 
Colombo,  indicating  that  the  artist  was  Italian.  The  head, 
features,  cap,  and  hair  are  the  same  as  those  we  find  in  the  full- 
length  portrait  by  Johannes  Stradanus,  engraved  by  Theodore 
Galle,  and  to  us  it  seems  to  have  been  intended  for  Americus 
Vespucius,  since  it  resembles  the  head  in  the  medallion  designed 
by  Stradanus  and  ]3lainly  inscribed  with  the  Florentine’s  name. 

The  history  of  the  portrait,  as  given  by  the  Hull  family,  is 
not  very  full.  Many  years  before,  two  pictures,  the  one  of 
Columbus,  the  other  of  Americus  Vespucius,  had  been  left  for 
storage  with  Mr.  William  Jaggers  of  New  York,  together  with 
several  other  pictures.  In  the  year  1850  the  owner  wrote  to 
Mrs.  Jaggers  from  a  Western  State,  saying  that  he  had  met  with 
financial  reverses,  and  that  he  desired  to  sell  his  collection. 
These  two  ]3ortraits  were  then  purchased  by  the  father  of  Miss 
Esther  Hull,  who  took  them  to  Danbury. 

No.  40.  THE  RINCK  PORTRAIT 

The  Rinck  portrait  takes  its  name  from  a  Mr.  Rinck  of  Nancy, 
France,  who  liought  the  picture  when  it  was  sold  at  auction  in 
1845,  fhe  city  of  New  Orleans.  It  had  been  brought  from 
Cuba,  where  it  was  said  to  have  been  the  jiropertv  of  an  old  Span¬ 
ish  family.  When  it  was  sold  at  auction  in  New  ('Irleans  it  was 
catalogued  as  ‘‘  The  Old  Gastronomer.”  Dressed  in  a  well-worn 
modern  coat,  with  an  old  fur  hat  upon  his  head,  the  figure  of  a 
smooth-faced  but  bright-eyed  old  man  is  holding  an  egg  which  he 
has  taken  from  a  basket.  It  is  probable  that  the  association  of 
the  egg  with  a  certain  doubtful  legend  suggested  to  some  one  the 
idea  of  calling  it  a  portrait  of  Christoi)her  Columbus.  It  has  the 


76  Christopher  Columbus 

distinction  of  having  I'leen  discussed  at  the  Cougrh  International 
dcs  Anwricanistes,  held  at  Luxemlmrg  in  1877,  but  this  is  scarcely 
enough  of  itself  to  give  it  the  stamp  of  authenticity  so  long  as  we 
can  look  upon  its  jjresentment.  The  legend  was  that  it  had  been 


No.  40.  The  Rinck  Portrait. 


painted  for  Diego  Columbus,  the  son  of  the  Admiral,  who  was 
Governor  of  Cuba,  who  took  it  to  that  island,  depositing  it  in 
the  palace,  whence  it  was  stolen  by  some  filibuster  or  taken  by 
some  partisan  for  its  better  preservation. 


Miscellaneous  Portraits 


77 


No.  41.  THE  SEVILLE  (CAPITOL)  PORTRAIT 

As  illustrating  the  ease  with  which  amateur  collectors  as 
well  as  public  galleries  and  municipal  councils  are  duped  in  re- 


Ah.  41.  The  Seville  {Capitol)  Portrait. 


ceiving  and  accepting  Columbian  ]iortraits,  the  following  anec¬ 
dote  may  be  related;  M.  Berthelot  having  examined  and  pro¬ 
nounced  apocryphal  the  portrait  preserved  in  the  Arehives  of 


Christopher  Columbus 

the  Indies  in  Seville,  there  was  brought  him  another  portrait 
preserved  in  the  Hall  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Chapel  there,  and 
which  it  was  declared  was  authentic  and  genuine,  whatever  the 
former  picture  might  be.  What  was  his  surprise  in  recognising 
in  this  second  picture  the  portrait  of  Columbus  executed  by  the 
painter  Lassalle  in  the  year  1839,  according  to  the  Counsel  of 
Berthelot  himself. 

“This  M.  Lassalle,”  says  M.  Berthelot,  “one  of  our  most  skilful  artists, 
wished  to  exhibit  a  historical  portrait.  He  consulted  me  and  I  proposed 
as  a  subject  Christopher  Columbus.  I  offered  to  furnish  him  with  all 
necessary  information.  I  translated  literally  the  portrait  which  his  son 
has  given  us  of  him.  1  designed  the  costume.  M.  Jomard  had  the  good¬ 
ness  to  lend  some  valuable  objects  which  were  to  serve  as  accessories  to  the 
picture,  an  astrolabe  of  the  time  brought  from  Spain,  the  atlas  of  Benincasa 
which  Columbus  might  have  consulted,  and  an  old  Mariner’s  Compass.  I 
m3’Self  designed  the  globe  of  Martin  Behem,  which  the  artist  placed  near 
the  table  before  which  Columbus  sat,  meditating  his  great  enterprise  and 
measuring  the  distance  between  Europe  and  Cathay.” 

This  picture  was  purchased  by  the  King  of  Spain  and  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  Capitol  at  Seville  as  “a  superb  copy  of  a  contem¬ 
porary  portrait. 

No.  42.  THE  DE  LA  COSA  PORTIL\IT 

Among  these  portraits  belonging  to  the  imaginative  type 
may  be  mentioned  two  which  some  writers  have  thought  might 
be  intended  to  depict  the  features  of  the  Discoverer.  The  one  is 
the  somewhat  reconstructed  picture  which  is  found  at  the  top  of 
the  De  la  Cosa  manuscript  map  bearing  the  date  of  1500. 

No.  43.  THE  PROFILE  PORTRAIT  ON  TITLE-PAGE  OF  “BOOK  OF 

PRIVILEGES  ” 

The  other  is  the  profile  drawing  found  on  the  title-page  of 
the  Book  of  Privileges,  and  consequently  drawn  in  the  month  of 
January  in  the  year  1502.  It  is  reproduced  in  our  chapter 
Ixxxxix. 


No.  42.  The  De  la  Cosa  Portrait. 


79 


CHAPTER  CXX 


MONUMENTS  AND  STATUES 

It  was  many  generations  after  the  time  of  the  great  Navi¬ 
gator  when  the  v/oiTd  began  to  remember  him  in  marble  and  in 
bronze.  It  is  not  intended  to  enumerate  here  the  several  monu¬ 
ments,  statues,  and  busts  erected  to  his  memory.  When  the  four 
hundredth  anniversary  of  the  discovery  took  place  there  were  not 
less  than  twenty-nine  important  statues  of  Columbus  in  the  United 
States.  There  were  seven  at  that  time  in  Italy,  the  land  of  his 
birth,  and  six  in  Spain,  the  land  of  his  adoption.  A  remarkable 
and  an  agreeable  instance  of  America’s  regard  for  her  Discoverer 
is  found  in  the  erection  to  his  memory  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  in 
the  year  1792,  of  a  beautiful  but  simple  shaft  some  thirty  feet  in 
height.  It  stands  in  the  grounds  of  the  Samuel  Ready  Orphan 
Asylum,  and  was  erected  by  General  d’Amamor,  a  French  sol¬ 
dier,  who  accompanied  Count  de  Grasse  when  the  latter  came  to 
serve  the  United  States  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  When  the 
war  ended  at  Yorktown,  General  d’Amamor  took  up  his  resi¬ 
dence  in  what  was  then  a  suburb  of  Baltimore,  and  on  the  three 
hundredth  anniversary  of  the  American  discovery  secured  for 
himself  a  perpetual  remembrance  by  mankind  in  his  act  of  pro¬ 
priety  and  patriotism.  The  Italian  citizens  of  Baltimore,  one 
hundred  years  later,  on  October  12,  1892,  erected  on  Druid  Hill 
a  fine  statue,  designed  by  Achille  Canessa  of  Genoa. 

When  in  the  year  1846  the  main  portion  of  the  Capitol  at 
Washington  was  completed,  upon  the  southern  buttress  of  the 
eastern  portico  at  the  right  of  the  main  entrance,  there  was 
erected  a  marble  group,  in  which  Columbus,  an  armour-clad 
figure,  stands  in  a  dramatic  attitude,  holding  aloft  a  globe,  on 
which  is  inscribed  the  word  “America.”  It  was  carved  in 


Monuments  and  Statues 


8i 


Italy  by  Signor  Persico,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  piece  of 
statuary  ever  purchased  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

Statues  of  Columbus  since  the  four  hundredth  anniversary 
have  been  finding  homes  in  almost  all  our  larger  cities.  Havana 
has  an  old  marble  tablet  imbedded  in  the  walls  of  the  cathedral, 
and  in  addition  three  statues,  one  a  full  length,  heroic  figure  in 
marble,  standing  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Palace  of  the  Captain- 
General;  another,  a  marble  bust  upon  a  column  in  front  of  the 
cha^Jel,  El  Templete,  was  given  by  the  Bishop  Jose  Diaz  Espada 
y  Landa  and  marks  the  spot  where  mass  was  first  said  in  Cuba ; 
a  third  is  the  impressive  figure  of  an  old  man  in  chains  reclining 
on  the  deck  of  a  vessel  which  was  exhibited  at  the  World’s 
Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago  in  1893,  and  which  is  to-day 
in  the  Bibliotheca  Publica. 

The  most  beautiful  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Columbus  is  that  in  Genoa,  the  city  of  his  birth.  It  was  placed 
in  the  great  public  square  in  the  year  1862.  The  famous  sculp¬ 
tor,  Lorenzo  Bartolini,  had  the  commission  for  its  execution, 
but,  that  artist  dying  in  1850,  it  was  committed  to  another 
eminent  artist,  Freccia.  Its  final  development  and  completion 
were  due  to  the  joint  labours  of  Franzini  and  Svanascini  of 
Carrara.  It  is  a  huge  quadrangular  pediment,  at  the  angle 
of  which  are  seated  allegorical  figures  of  Religion,  Wisdom, 
Strength,  and  Geography;  upon  the  pediment  proper  is  a  large 
cylindrical  pedestal  ornamented  with  the  prows  of  ships,  and  upon 
this  pedestal  stands  a  colossal  statue  of  the  Discoverer,  one  hand 
on  an  anchor,  the  other  raised  and  pointing  to  the  distance. 

One  marble  memorial  of  Columbus  of  considerable  interest 
is  in  the  Municipal  Building  at  Genoa.  It  is  a  bust  surmounting 
the  hollow  shaft  known  as  the  Custodia  from  the  precious  holo¬ 
graph  letters  and  manuscripts  which  are  preserved  within.  It 
was  carved  in  1826  by  Frederico  Peschiera.  Gio.  Batista  Spo- 
torno  himself  guided  the  scalpel  of  the  artist,  his  brain  beholding 
an  imaginary  picture  drawn  first  in  roughest  outline  by  Fer¬ 
dinand  Columbus.  As  exhibiting  the  perfect  satisfaction  and 
assurance  with  which  a  man  may  accept  the  handiwork  of  his 
fancy,  listen  to  the  words  of  the  Genoese  historian: 

“These  pictures  I  communicated  to  the  sculptor  and  they  directed  his 
hand  and  mind;  his  production  has  succeeded  in  obtaining  distinguished 

VOL.  III.— 6. 


82 


Christopher  Columbus 

praise  from  the  connoisseurs  of  fine  arts.  Every  one  possessed  of  a  grain 
of  understanding  after  seeing  this  head,  which  expresses  the  living  and  true 
lineaments  and  proportions  of  the  hero,  will  throw  aside  every  other  portrait.” 

There  does  not  exist  to-day,  and  we  believe  there  never  has 
existed,  an  authentic  portrait  of  the  Discoverer.  This  is  well. 


The  Spotorno  Bust. 


In  forming  our  conception  of  his  personal  appearance  we  have  a 
field  as  wide  as  imagination  itself.  We  may  paint  him  a  boy  in 
Genoa  when  the  purpose  first  visited  him  and  wrote  upon  his 
soul  its  errand.  We  may  picture  him  bearded  as  a  Pard  ruling 
unruly  seamen,  possessing  for  his  Sovereigns  seas  and  islands 
and  mainland.  We  may  see  him  with  the  light  of  triumph  on 
his  wearied  face,  or,  back  in  Spain,  the  neglected  giver  of  a  New 
World  to  Castile  and  Leon.  No  canvas  has  caught  his  features. 


Monuments  and  Statues 


83 


No  master’s  brush  has  fixed  his  face  for  ever  on  a  panel.  That 
face  may  change  for  us  with  every  passing  scene.  When  we 
read  his  letter  to  the  Sovereigns  concerning  slavery,  we  draw  in 
lineaments  hard  and  harsh.  We  take  out  those  lines  when 
there  falls  upon  his  face  the  light  of  his  purpose  concerning  the 
Holy  Sepulchre. 

Whosoever  would  paint  the  true  Columbus  must  project  a 
colossal  figure,  drawing  the  features  with  noblest  lines,  posing 
him  in  the  attitude  of  severe  strength,  illumining  his  face  with 
the  sublimest  purpose,  which  yet  is  shaded  with  patient  hope  and 
sure  confidence  in  the  delayed  will  of  the  Almighty. 

Perhaps  one  day  some  artist  will  draw  for  us  such  a  Portrait 
of  Christopher  Columbus. 


CHAPTER  CXXI 


THE  HANDWRITING  OF  COLUMBUS 

[LIST  OF  LETTERS  AND  DOCUMENTS 

I.  Holograph  document,  map  of  Espanola,  assigned  to  January,  1493. 

II.  Holograph  document,  assigned  to  early  part  of  the  year  1493. 

III.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  the  Sovereigns;  large  monogram, 
Xp  Ferens,  assigned  to  the  summer  of  1493. 

nil.  Holograph  letter  to  the  Sovereigns,  assigned  to  the  latter  part 
of  1497- 

V.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  El  Almirante,  and  small  monogram,  dated  April  29  (1498). 

VI.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  el  Almirante,  dated  May  12  (1498). 

VII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  el  Almirante,  dated  May  28  (1498). 

VIII.  Holograph  document,  signed,  large  monogram,  Xp.  Ferens,  and 
small  monogram,  assigned  to  the  year  1501. 

VIIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large 
monogram,  el  Almirante,  dated  February  26  (1501). 

X.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  el  Almirante,  May  24  (1501). 

XI.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  el  Almirante,  dated  June  9  (1501). 

XII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  el  Almirante,  assigned  to  the  year  1501. 

XIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large 
monogram,  el  Almirante,  assigned  to  the  year  1501. 

XIIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  the  Treasurer  Morales ;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  el  Almirante,  dated  October  22,  1501. 

XV.  Holograph  document,  assigned  to  December,  1501. 

XVI.  Holograph  document,  also  assigned  to  December,  1501. 

XVII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  the  Sovereigns;  large  monogram, 
Xp.  Ferens,  and  small  monogram,  dated  February  6,  1502. 

XVIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Nicolo  Oderigo;  large  monogram, 
Xp.  Ferens,  dated  March  21,  1502. 


84 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  85 

XVIIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  dated  April  2,  1502. 

XX.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  April  4,  1502. 

XXL  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  May,  1502. 

XXII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  July  7,  1503. 

XXIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Francisco  de  Morillo,  signed  Xp 
Ferens,  dated  September  7,  1504. 

XXI III.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Francisco  de  Morillo,  signed  Xp 
Ferens,  dated  September  8,  1504. 

XXV.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Francisco  de  Morillo,  Xp  Ferens, 
dated  September  9,  1504. 

XXVI.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  November  21,  1504. 

XXVII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  November  28,  1504. 

XXVIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  December  i. 

XXVIIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  December  3. 

XXX.  Holograph  document  (accompanying  letter  No.  XXVIIII), 
assigned  to  December  3,  1504. 

XXXI.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  December  15,  1504. 

XXXII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  dated  December  21,  1504. 

XXXIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Nicolo  Oderigo;  large  mono¬ 
gram,  Xp  Ferens,  el  Almirante,  and  full  title,  dated  December  27,  1504. 

XXXIIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  December  29,  1504. 

XXXV.  Holograph  document,  assigned  to  the  end  of  the  year  1504. 

XXXVI.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  January  4,  1505. 

XXXVII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  January  18,  assigned  to 

1505- 

XXXVIII.  Holograph  letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus;  large 
monogram,  Xp  Ferens,  small  monogram,  dated  February  5  (1505). 

XXXVIIII.  Letter,  signed,  to  Don  Diego  Columbus,  Xp  Ferens, 
dated  February  25  (1505). 

XXXX.  Holograph  document,  signed,  large  monogram,  Xp  Ferens, 
small  monogram. 

XXXXI.  Holograph  document,  containing  his  name. 

XXXXH.  Holograph  document  of  Columbus,  written  in  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  November  16,  1498,  relating  to  his  First  Voyage. 


86 


Christopher  Columbus 

There  is  no  relic  of  humanity  so  full  of  personality  as  the 
handwriting  of  a  man.  A  mysterious  something  has  gone 
out  from  the  man’s  brain,  made  its  way  down  his  good  arm 
and  hand,  out  into  the  pen  until  it  has  eaten  its  way  into  the 
paper  before  him.  Here  it  remains  to  speak  of  him  and  of  his 
mental  features  long  after  his  physical  obliteration.  A  piece 
of  holograph  manuscript  bearing  a  sentiment  or  presenting  a 
fact  by  some  person  who  has  walked  on  the  high  places  of  the 
earth  is  an  object  of  interest  and  we  guard  it  as  a  part  of 
the  man  himself.  If  the  published  thought  of  a  writer  is 
at  variance  with  the  sentiment  expressed  in  his  holograph,  his 
editor  must  revise  the  printed  matter.  The  man  himself  has 
spoken. 

Some  years  ago  the  examination  of  the  handwriting  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  might  not  have  been  exacted  of  the  world  by  any  impulse 
more  important  than  curiosity  or  more  sufficient  than  the  col¬ 
lector’s  love  for  a  relic.  To-day  the  identification  of  his  hand¬ 
writing  becomes  a  matter  of  highest  moment.  By  means  of  it 
we  may  fill  intervals  in  his  biography,  establish  doubtful  dates, 
and  discover  the  source  whence  he  imbibed,  if  not  his  actual 
first  inspiration,  at  least  that  confirmation  which  fixed  his  pur¬ 
pose  and  led  him  to  its  full  accomplishment.  The  reputation  of 
a  hero  is  like  an  astral  parallax, — we  cannot  always  place  our¬ 
selves  where  we  can  determine  his  true  position,  and  we  know 
he  cannot  occupy  the  place  assigned  him  by  some  observers.  A 
part  of  the  world  praises  a  man  inordinately,  another  part  tears 
from  him  the  honours  he  has  justly  won,  so  that  the  fame  of  a 
man  is  the  conservation  between  these  two  forces.  There  has 
been  a  disposition  lately  to  withhold  from  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus  credit  where  plainly  it  is  his.  Columbus  speaks  knowingly 
of  the  five  zones  and  men  deny  him  personal  knowledge.  They 
deny  that  he  ever  saw  the  mine  of  S.  Jorge  or  that  he  ever 
touched  the  Arctic  Circle.  He  formed  the  purpose  of  reaching 
across  a  Western  Ocean  and  some  men  say  he  simply  followed 
a  path  laid  down  for  him  by  Toscanelli;  and  others  that  he 
stole  his  ideas  from  a  dying  Pilot  whom  the  winds  had  driven 
to  the  islands  of  the  West.  And  here  is  a  curious  conflict  be¬ 
tween  detractors-  Those  who  hold  to  the  Pilot  story  must  get 
rid  of  the  Florentine  philosopher.  Hence  they  deny  that  any  ‘ 
correspondence  ever  took  place  between  Toscanelli  and  Colum- 


87 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

bus,  and  here  again  the  hostile  band  divides  into  two  camps, — 
the  one  holding  that  the  two  alleged  letters  of  Toscanelli  were 
fabricated  by  Columbus  himself,  the  other  asserting  that  they 
were  written  by  Bartholomew,  his  brother,  as  a  result  of  a  con¬ 
spiracy  between  the  latter,  his  nephew  Ferdinand,  and  Las 
Casas.  We  have  already  quoted  that  familiar  anecdote  of  the 
Court  Fool  of  Charles  V.,  Francesillo  de  Zuniga,  who,  in  a  letter 
to  the  Marquis  de  Pescara,  said: 

“I  pray  God  that  Gutierrez  may  never  come  short  of  paper,  for  he 
writes  more  than  Ptolemy  or  than  that  Columbus  who  discovered  the 
Indies.”  ‘ 

Besides  being  a  scribbler  in  the  sense  of  a  letter-writer,  our 
hero  was  indeed  a  confirmed  annotator,  as  may  be  seen  from  the 
innumerable  postilla:  with  which  he  decorated  his  books.  We 
have  many  writings  attributed  to  his  own  hand,  among  them 
references  to  the  discovery  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  by  Diaz 
and  his  personal  association  with  the  event,  and,  of  still  greater 
importance,  a  manuscript  copy  of  Toscanelli ’s  letter.  A  critical 
and  scientific  study  of  his  handwriting,  then,  is  necessary  to 
determine  what  manuscripts  are  holograph  and  what  are  writ¬ 
ten  by  Bartholomew,  his  brother,  or  by  the  hand  of  others. 

There  are  extant  to-day  forty-two  undisputed  autographs  of 
Christopher  Columbus,  independent  of  the  manuscript  notes  on 
the  leaves  or  margins  of  leaves  in  several  printed  books,  which 
will  be  considered  later. 

Thirty  of  these  are  holograph  letters  signed. 

Two  are  holograph  documents  signed. 

Eight  are  holograph  documents. 

One  is  a  letter  signed. 

One  is  a  holograph  letter. 

Of  these  forty- two  pieces,  three  are  addressed  to  the  Catholic 
Sovereigns,  eleven  to  his  son  Diego,  eleven  to  Father  Don  Gaspar 
Gorricio,  three  to  Francisco  Morillo,  two  to  Nicolo  de  Oderigo, 
one  to  the  Governor  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George  at  Genoa,  one  to 
the  Treasurer  Alonzo  de  Morales;  ten  pieces  are  unaddressed, 
being  in  the  nature  of  memoranda  or  memorials.  One,  while 

’  “A.  Gutierrez  vuestro  solicitador,  ruego  a  Dios  que  nunca  le  falte  papel,  porque 
escribe  mas  que  Tolomeo  y  que  Colon,  el  que  hall6  las  Indias.” — Chronicle  of  Don 
Francesillo  de  Zuniga  in  the  Biblioteca  de  Autores  Espanoles,  by  Rivadeneyra,  Curiosi- 
dades  Bibliografkas . 


88 


Christopher  Columbus 

technically  a  holograph  document  signed,  is  really  only  his  sig¬ 
nature  to  a  scriptural  quotation. 

These  forty-two  pieces  are  to-day  lodged  in  five  different  re¬ 
positories,  three  of  which  are  public  and  two  are  private 
archives,  as  follows  : 

Fifteen  are  in  the  archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  at  Madrid. 

Twenty  are  in  the  archives  of  the  House  of  Berwick  and 
Alba  at  Madrid. 

Three  are  in  the  archives  of  the  Municipal  Palace  at  Genoa. 

Two  are  in  the  National  Archives  at  Madrid. 

Two  are  in  the  Royal  Academy  of  History  at  Madrid. 

Twenty-five  of  these  pieces  appear  in  perfect  fac-simile  in 
Autografi  di  Cristoforo  Colombo,  issued  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Minister  of  Public  Instruction  of  Italy,  and  we  reproduce  them 
here,  giving  them  a  proper  enumeration  and  chronological  order 
in  relation  to  others  which  we  reproduce  for  the  first  time. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  for  many  generations,  up  to 
the  year  1790,  the  estates  and  titles  of  Columbus  were  in  the 
Berwick-Alba  family,  and  this  will  account  for  the  large  number 
of  papers  still  remaining  in  the  archives  of  that  house. 

NO.  I.  HOLOGRAPH  MAP  OF  THE  NORTHERN  COAST  OF  ESPANOLA. 

DRAWN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS 

The  earliest  bit  of  handwriting  known  of  Columbus — after 
the  Toscanelli  letter  and  notes  on  the  margins  of  certain  printed 
books  —is  the  sketch  made  by  him  giving  the  northern  coast  of 
the  island  of  Espanola,  the  present  Hayti  or  Santo  Domingo.  We 
have  already  related  the  circumstances  under  which  the  Duchess 
of  Alba  secured  the  precious  manuscript  volume  containing  the 
piece.'  The  manuscripts  seem  genuine.  Subjected  to  such  an 
analysis  as  we  have  attempted  to  apply  to  the  writing  of  Colum¬ 
bus  in  chapter  cxxiii.,  they  emerge  without  suspicion.  The 
letter  r,  peculiar  to  his  hand,  is  found  in  the  name  Monte  Cristi. 
It  is  true  that  in  the  letter  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George,  the  Chris¬ 
tian  name  of  Senor  Oderigo  is  spelled  with  a  y  instead  of  an  i,  as 
in  the  name  given  the  westerly  end  of  the  island,  but  the  separa¬ 
tion  of  the  syllables  and  the  peculiar  use  of  the  final  sibilant  will 
be  found  common  to  both. 


^  See  vol,  i.,  p.  477,  note  i. 


89 


o 


Holograph  Map  of  the  Northern  Coast  of  Espahola.  Drawn  by  Christopher  Columbus.  [Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


90 


Christopher  Columbus 

The  map  was  evidentl}^  made  in  the  month  of  January,  1493. 
It  bears  six  names.  The  reader  will  remember  that  on  Decem¬ 
ber  5,  1492,  the  Admiral,  who  had  been  beating  on  and  off  the 
extreme  easterly  end  of  Juana,  or  Cuba,  beheld  land  over  toward 
the  south-east,  and  this  proved  to  be  an  island  called  by  the 
Indians  Bohio.  On  Sunday,  December  9,  1492,  Columbus  for¬ 
mally  baptised  this  island,  because  on  it  he  had  found  “the 
most  beautiful  plains  in  the  world  and  which  are  almost  like  the 
lands  of  Castile  only  these  are  better,  and  on  this  account  he 
named  the  said  island  the  Isla  EspanolaB  On  Thursday,  De¬ 
cember  6,  1492,  the  sailors  noted  an  island  which,  because  of  its 
peculiar  shape,  the  Admiral  named  the  Isla  de  la  Tortuga,  and 
it  is  possible  to  discover  the  name  from  the  contour  given  the 
island  by  the  hand  of  the  draughtsman.  The  same  day,  after 
having  noted  and  passed  a  most  capacious  and  attractive  har¬ 
bour,  Columbus  returned  to  it  at  the  hour  of  vespers,  and  be¬ 
cause  that  day  was  dedicated  to  Saint  Nicholas  he  called  the 
harbour  Puerto  de  San  Nicolas.  On  Monday,  December  24, 
1492,  some  Indians  told  the  Admiral  of  a  place  a  great  distance 
to  the  east,  called  Civao,  and  which  the  latter  for  the  moment 
thought  might  be  Cipango.  On  the  second  day  following,  in 
again  speaking  of  the  land  called  Civao,  it  appeared  that  the 
Indians  intended  to  distinguish  a  province  of  the  same  island  of 
Espahola  farther  to  the  eastward.  This  land  to  the  eastward 
was  designated  upon  the  map  by  the  name  Civao  and  was  so 
inscribed,  not  then,  but  later,  probably  after  January  10,  1493. 
On  that  fateful  Christmas  eve,  just  as  midnight  brought  in 
the  Day  of  the  Nativity, — Tuesday,  December  25,  1492, — the 
Santa  Maria — the  gallant  ship  of  the  Admiral — went  ashore  on 
the  island  of  Espanola.  The  loss  of  the  ship,  the  absence  of  the 
Pinta,  and  the  small  accommodations  left  on  the  Nina  necessi¬ 
tated  the  abandonment  of  a  portion  of  the  expedition  and  a 
fortress  was  hastily  constructed  at  the  site  of  the  accident  and 
forty -three  men  left  in  it  to  await  the  Admiral’s  return  from 
Spain.  Under  the  entry  for  Thursday,  December  27,  1492,  Las 
Casas  says  the  fortress  was  begun  and  finished  in  ten  days,  which 
would  be  Sunday,  January  6,  1493, — when  the  Admiral  baptised 
it  La  Villa  de  la  Navidad,  from  the  day  on  which  occurred  the 
unfortunate  shipwreck.  However  this  may  be,  in  the  Journal 
under  date  of  Friday,  January  4,  1493,  we  find  the  first  use  of 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  *  9' 

the  name,  and  observe  once  more  the  curious  association  of  this 
day  of  the  week  with  important  events  in  the  life  of  Columbus. 
On  this  same  day,  January  4,  1493,  we  read  in  the  Journal: 

“He  navigated  thus  to  the  east  toward  a  very  high  mountain,  which 
appears  like  an  island  but  is  not,  because  it  connects  with  some  very  low 
land,  which  is  shaped  like  a  very  beautiful  pavillion  [tent].  He  named 
this  mountain  Monte-Cristi." 


We  have  thus  endeavoured  to  fix  the  several  dates  when 
their  names  were  bestowed  upon  these  six  places, — Espanola, 
Tortuga,  San  Nicolas,  Civao,  La  Navidad,  and  Monte  Cristi.  The 
symbol  pictured  at  the  top  of  the  map  may  be  intended  to  rep¬ 
resent  the  place  in  the  Puerto  de  la  Concepcion,  where,  on 
Wednesday,  December  12,  1492,  the  Admiral  erected  at  the 
entrance  to  the  harbour  a  large  cross  “  as  a  sign,”  writes  the 
Admiral,  “  that  your  Highnesses  hold  the  land  for  your  own  and 
principally  as  a  sign  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  and  in  honour  of 
Christianity.”  The  Admiral  at  this  time  named  many  places 
on  this  island  between  San  Nicolas  and  Civao,  and  we  can  only 
account  for  their  failure  to  appear  on  this  map  on  the  theory 
that  it  was  a  hasty  cartographical  memorandum,  which  at  a 
more  leisure  moment  he  contemplated  filling  in  with  much  detail. 
Reaching  the  island  as  he  did  from  Cuba,  the  Admiral  could  not 
have  seen  the  great  south-west  arm  of  the  island  stretching  from 
Cape  Tiburon  to  the  Gulf  Gonaive.  The  northern  contour  of  the 
island  is  fairly  well  outlined.  The  map  must  ever  have  an  in¬ 
terest  for  us  as  the  only  recorded  representation  by  the  Admiral 
of  the  land  he  had  discovered.  It  is  also  the  first  map  made 
of  any  portion  of  the  New  World.' 

^  The  first  attempt  to  picture  in  a  printed  book  any  portion  of  the  New  World 
is  in  the  undated  [Bale]  imprint  of  the  Cosco-Columbus  Letter — a  unique  example  of 
which  is  in  the  Lenox  Library — and  in  the  Verardus-Columbus  Edition  dated  Rale, 
1494 — examples  of  which,  while  exceedingly  scarce,  are  not  unattainable. 


92 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  II.  FRAGMENT  OF  A  MEMORANDUM  BY  CHRISTOPHER 

COLUMBUS 

On  the  third  or  following  leaf  of  the  manuscript  book  (as  it 
now  exists)  in  the  possession  of  the  Duchess  of  Alba,  is  the 
memorandum  here  given  in  exact  fac-simile.  It  once  occupied 
the  tenth  folio  in  the  book,  and  thus  we  assume  that  the  inter¬ 
mediate  matter  is  gone.  From  the  text  we  place  the  writing  in 
the  month  of  January,  or  February,  1493,  immediately  after  the 
great  discovery,  and  when  the  Nina  was  making  her  perilous 
way  back  to  Spain.  Taken  by  itself,  it  speaks  somewhat  un¬ 
pleasantly  to  us.  Magnanimity  is  becoming  in  the  victor. 
Columbus  had  triumphed.  His  triumph  might  be  relied  upon  to 
rebuke  those  who  derided  his  project.  The  spectacle  of  sun¬ 
burned  men  in  the  streets  of  Barcelona,  natives  of  a  New  World, 
the  sight  of  gold,  of  unknown  birds,  of  new  and  pleasant  fruits, 
must  have  been  bitter  punishment  to  the  men  who  called  him 
foolish  and  a  visionary.  Notwithstanding,  we  find  ourselves 
wishing  the  Admiral  had  not  committed  to  paper  the  thoughts 
of  his  heart. 

“Ha  placido  asi  darme  el  galardon  destos  afanes  y  peligros  veramente 
abaumado  con  esta  grande  vitoria  pleje  a  dios  se  redusgan  los  disfamadores 
de  my  honrra  q  con  tanta  deshoesidad  y  malcia  ha  fecho  burla  de  my  e 
disfamado  my  empresa  sin  conoscimiento  de  my  dezir  y  del  servicio  e 
acrescentamiento  de  sus  Altesas.’’ 

“He  has  pleased  to  thus  give  me  the  reward  for  these  truly  crushing 
anxieties  and  dangers  by  this  great  victory.  God  grant  that  the  defamers 
of  my  honour  may  be  humbled,  who  with  so  much  dishonesty  and  malice 
have  ridiculed  me  and  defamed  my  undertaking  without  knowledge  of  my 
projects  and  of  the  service  and  aggrandisement  of  their  Highnesses.” 


11.  Fragment  of  a  Holograph  Memorandum  by  Christopher  Columbus.  [Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


94 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  III.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  THE 

SPANISH  SOVEREIGNS 

The  following  letter  bears  no  date,  but  its  internal  evidence 
points  to  the  time  when  the  Admiral  was  preparing  to  return  to 
Espahola  upon  his  second  voyage  and  therefore  between  March 
30-  1493 — when  the  Sovereigns  sent  him  instructions  to  prepare 
for  his  return — and  September  25,  1493,  the  actual  date  of  his 
departure.  We  think  it  possible  to  arrive  at  a  closer  date.  The 
reference  to  the  necessity  for  building  a  church  and  for  the  en¬ 
gagement  of  priests  makes  it  plain  that  the  letter  alludes  to  the 
first  colonising  expedition  and  therefore  to  his  second  voyage. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  Columbus  dropped  his  anchor  in  the 
river  before  Palos  on  March  15,  1493.  Whether  properly  to  per¬ 
form  the  vows  which  by  lot  fell  to  him  on  February  15,  and  sub¬ 
sequently  when  the  storms  threatened  the  Nina,  or  whether  to 
avail  himself  of  that  immediate  rest  his  body  must  have  de¬ 
manded,  the  Admiral  did  not  leave  Palos  for  two  weeks.  The 
Curate  of  Los  Palacios  is  authority  for  the  date  of  his  arrival  at 
Seville  as  Sunday,  March  31,  1493: 

“  Entro  en  Sevilla  con  mucha  honra  3.  treinta  y  un  dias  del  mes  de  Marzo, 
Domingo  de  Ramos  “He  entered  Seville  with  great  honour  on  the 
thirty-first  day  of  March,  Palm  Sunday.’’ 

It  is  probable  that  five  days  more  passed  before  Columbus 
received  the  letter  of  the  Sovereigns.  The  distance  between 
Barcelona  and  Seville  is  not  far  from  five  hundred  miles,  and  the 
season  was  not  propitious.  The  feet  of  a  king’s  messenger  are 
winged,  but  the  powers  of  a  man  have  their  limitations.  This 
messenger  bore  the  letter  alone,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  at 
once  with  a  reply.  Six  days  was  little  enough  time  in  which  to 
make  his  outward  journey,  and  something  of  his  strength  must 
have  been  husbanded  for  his  return.  We  do  not  know  the  day 
of  the  Admiral’s  arrival  at  Barcelona.  Las  Casas  affirms  it  was 
about  the  middle  of  the  month  of  April,  1493.  The  letter  of 
the  Sovereigns  must  have  puzzled  him.  It  required  haste  on 
his  part  that  he  might  follow  speedily  the  messenger.  It  re¬ 
quired  immediate  investigation  on  his  part  at  Seville  or  else¬ 
where  gathering  information,  by  which  the  Sovereigns  might 
know  with  what  celerity  a  new  expedition  could  be  equipped  to 


95 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

return  to  the  New  World.  If  the  letter  of  the  Sovereigns  reached 
him  on  April  5,  or,  say,  six  days  after  its  writing,  he  might  have 
reached  Barcelona  himself  on  the  thirteenth  or  fourteenth  day 
of  April.  We  assume  that  this  letter  was  not  written  until  after 
the  Admiral  had  been  received  by  the  Sovereigns,  which  event 
occurred  on  or  about  April  15.  It  reads  like  a  memorandum 
which  the  Sovereigns  requested  Columbus  to  make,  formulating 
on  paper  his  fears  and  suggestions.  In  the  twelfth  item  of  this 
letter  the  Admiral  suggests  that  a  treasurer  be  appointed  and 
sent  to  Espahola,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  receive  all  the  gold 
belonging  to  their  Highnesses.  The  Sovereigns,  on  May  7,  1493, 
issued  the  following  cedula  to  Gomez  Tello,  appointing  him  to 
this  office: 

“El  Rev  e  la  Reina:  Gomez  Tello,  Contino  de  nuestra  Casa:  conos- 
ciendo  vuestra  suficiencia  6  fidelidad,  y  el  aficion  que  siempre  habeis  tenido 
6  teneis  d  las  cosas  de  nuestro  servicio,  habemos  acordado  que  vos  hayades 
de  ir  d  las  islas  e  tierras  que  se  ban  descubierto,  y  estan  por  descubrir, 
donde  agora  enviamos  al  Almirante  D.  Cristobal  Colon,  para  que  rescibais 
en  nuestro  nombre  todo  lo  que  alld  hobiere  en  cualquier  manera  que  per- 
tenezca  d  Nos,  para  que  lo  envieis  acd,  segun  6  de  la  forma  que  vos  lo  dird 
D.  Juan  de  Fonseca,  Arcediano  de  Sevilla,  del  nuestro  Consejo,  que  alld 
enviamos,  el  cual  vos  fablard  largamente  sobre  ello.  Nos  vos  mandamos 
y  encargamos  que  por  servicio  nuestro  vos  dispongais  d  ir  este  viage,  en 
que  seremos  de  vos  mucho  servidos,  y  si  se  vos  ficiere  grave  estar  alld  algu- 
nos  dias,  podreis  volver  vos  con  los  primeros  navios  que  vinieren,  como  el 
dicho  D.  Juan  de  Fonseca  vos  fablard,  el  cual  vos  dird  el  asiento  que  se  vos 
fard,  y  otras  cosas:  dadle  entera  fe  e  creencia,  en  lo  cual  mucho  servicio 
nos  fareis.  De  Barcelona  d  siete  de  Mayo  de  noventa  y  tres  anos.” 

“The  King  and  the  Queen:  Gomez  Tello,  Contino  of  our  household: 
knowing  your  ability  and  faithfulness  and  the  zeal  which  you  have  always 
manifested  and  do  manifest  in  the  matters  relating  to  our  service,  we  have 
resolved  that  you  shall  go  to  the  islands  and  lands  which  have  been  dis¬ 
covered  and  are  to  be  discovered,  where  we  are  now  sending  the  Admiral 
Don  Christopher  Columbus,  in  order  that  you  may  receive  in  our  name  all 
that  shall  in  any  manner  be  obtained  there  which  belongs  to  us,  that  you 
may  send  it  here,  according  to,  and  in  such  manner  as  you  shall  be  directed 
by  Don  Juan  de  Fonseca  Archdeacon  of  Seville,  member  of  our  Council, 
whom  we  are  sending  there,  and  who  will  instruct  you  at  length  in  the  mat¬ 
ter.  We  command  you  and  charge  you  that  for  our  service  you  shall  pre¬ 
pare  to  go  on  this  voyage,  in  which  you  will  render  us  great  service,  and  if 
it  shall  cause  you  annoyance  to  remain  there  some  time,  you  can  return  by 
the  first  ships  which  shall  come,  as  the  said  Don  Juan  de  Fonseca  will  tell 
you,  who  will  instruct  you  in  the  business  you  will  transact  for  us  and  other 


96 


Christopher  Columbus 

matters:  render  him  complete  faith  and  credence,  by  which  you  will  render 
us  great  service.  From  Barcelona  May  7,  ’93.” 

We  may  therefore  fix  the  period  in  which  his  letter  was  com¬ 
posed  by  Columbus  as  between  April  15  and  May  7,  1493. 

When  we  consider  this  document,  it  discloses  a  vast  scheme 
of  colonisation.  There  is  no  proposition  to  equip  a  fleet  to  go 
in  quest  of  the  Great  Khan  and  to  conquer  his  dominions. 
Armies  are  not  to  be  gathered.  Soldiers  are  not  to  be  con¬ 
scripted.  The  regions  sought  have  been  found.  And  these 
regions  were  not  the  lands  of  Asia.  If  Columbus  believed  he 
was  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Asia,  where  were  the  people  of  the 
Great  Khan?  Where  were  the  shores  alive  with  commerce? 
Where  were  the  countless  cities  with  marble  temples  and  roofs 
of  gold?  If  the  lands  discovered  by  Columbus  belonged  to  the 
Great  Khan,  why  were  his  subjects  not  there  in  vast  numbers 
digging  gold  and  picking  pearls?  Whatever  Columbus  may 
have  thought,  or  pretended  he  thought,  as  to  the  contiguity  of 
the  newly  found  lands  to  Asia,  he  knew  at  least  that  no  Asiatic 
potentate  claimed  authority  over  them  or  ever  had  knowledge 
of  the  least  of  the  islands. 

The  question  now  with  Columbus  is  one  of  settling  the  new 
lands  with  two  thousand  Spaniards,  of  building  domiciles,  erect¬ 
ing  churches,  of  establishing  towns,  of  tilling  the  soil,  of  search¬ 
ing  for  gold  during  certain  appointed  seasons  when  the  ordinary 
avocations  may  for  a  time  be  neglected.  A  permanent  occupa¬ 
tion  is  contemplated.  The  new  lands  are  to  be  enduring  homes 
for  the  Spaniards  of  the  Old  World.  There  is  to  be  a  new 
Castile  with  softer  skies.  There  is  to  be  another  Andalusia  with 
more  fertile  fields. 

We  can  imagine  the  pictures  drawn  by  Columbus  himself, 
and  the  still  more  fanciful  and  hopeful  descriptions  given  by 
the  officers  and  men  of  the  Pinta  and  Nina.  Whereas  on  the 
first  voyage  the  ships  bore  unwilling  sailors,  now,  wherever 
the  Admiral  went,  the  adventurous  Spaniards  begged  of  him  the 
privilege  of  going  to  the  New  World.  The  Admiral  recom¬ 
mended  that  the  first  settlers  be  two  thousand  in  number.  Ac¬ 
commodations  were  found  for  only  twelve  hundred,  and  we 
know  not  how  many  were  disappointed. 

This  letter  reveals  Columbus  in  a  new  light.  Suddenly,  with- 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  97 

out  preparation,  without  having  handled  in  all  his  life  either 
golden  ducats  or  silver  Castellanos,  this  sailor-man — this  vision 
ary,  this  man  with  a  strange  geographical  theory — develops  into 
a  trained  financier,  equipped  with  plans  for  conducting  large 
operations  in  gathering,  smelting,  coining  gold  and  silver  into 
money  of  the  realm  and  for  peopling  a  new  land  with  a  safe 
yeomanr}^  and  with  skilled  mechanics.  And  further,  this  letter 
presents  to  us  the  generous  soul  of  the  Admiral.  He  welcomes 
the  proscribed  Jew  to  the  New  World.  He  saw  the  people  of 
Israel  driven  from  Spain,  going  out  in  sorrow,  beating  their 
breasts  in  woe  and  agony,  and  he  saw  this  as  he  was  unfurling 
his  sails  in  the  great  adventure  of  his  life.  He  was  a  man  of 
vows.  Perhaps  he  silently  registered  a  promise  that  if  ever 
there  was  vouchsafed  him  an  answer  to  his  prayers  and  the 
sought-for  lands  were  given  him,  he  would  share  their  peaceful 
shores  with  this  homeless  and  persecuted  people.  And  this 
generosity  of  soul  extended  to  permitting  all  men — all  adven¬ 
turers  who  desired — to  embark  on  the  discovery  and  exploring 
of  new  lands.  The  New  World  was  to  be  free.  It  was  a  privi¬ 
lege  which  might  be  abused.  Its  acceptance,  indeed,  led  in  an 
indirect  way  to  robbing  him  of  the  great  glory  attaching  his 
name  for  ever  to  the  New  World.  But  no  man  and  no  circum¬ 
stance  could  rob  him  of  his  generous  impulses  or  cheapen  his 
liberality. 

VOL.  III.— 7. 


in 


90 


No.  III.  Holograph  Letter,^  Signed  hy  Columbus,  to  the  Spanish  Sovereigns,  Supposed  to  have  been  Written  between 
April  Ip,  1493,  and  May  p,  1493,  before  Departing  on  his  Second  Voyage.  [National  Archives  at  Madrid.] 

*  The  folios  on  which  this  letter  is  written  have  been  cut  in  two  for  purposes  of  convenience  in  reproduction,  and  this  present  page  is  the  lower  half 
of  the  first  folio. 


lOO 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  III. 


T  ransliteration 

"Muy  altos  y  poderosos  senores// 
“  Obedesfiendo  lo  que  vuestras 
altejas  me  mandaron//dire  lo  que 
me  ocure  para  la  poblagion  y  ne- 
gogia-Z/gion  asy  de  la  ysla  espanola 
como  de  las//  otras  asy  halladas 
como  por  hallar  some-//tiendome  a 
mejor  parasjer.// ' 

“  Primeramente  para  en  lo  de  la 
ysla  espanola  que//  vayan  hasta  en 
numero  de  dos  mill  vejinos  los//  que 
quisieren  yr  porque  la  tierra  este 
mas  Segura//  y  se  pueda  mejor 
grangear  e  tratar  y  servira  pa-//ra 
que  se  puedan  rebolver  y  traten  las 
yslas  comar-//canas.// 


Translation 

III. 

“Most  High  and  Powerful  Lords; 

“  In  obedience  to  your  Highnesses’ 
commands,  I  will  state  what  occurs 
to  me  for  the  settlement  and  man¬ 
agement  of  the  island  of  Espanola, 
as  well  as  of  the  other  islands, 
whether  already  discovered  or  to 
be  discovered,  submitting  myself  to 
any  better  opinion. 

“In  the  first  place,  in  the  matter 
of  the  island  of  Espanola  I  would 
suggest  that  two  thousand  settlers 
who  are  willing,  should  go  there,  that 
the  country  may  be  more  secure  and 
that  it  may  be  more  easily  won  and 
managed:  and  it  will  aid  in  inter¬ 
course  and  traffic  with  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  islands. 


*  The  end  of  the  lines  in  the  original  will  be  indicated  by  the  marks  //. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


lOI 


“  Iten  que  en  la  dicha  ysla  se 
hagan  tres  o  cuatro  pueblos/ /  e 
rrepartidos  en  los  lugares  mas  con- 
vemibles  e  los//  vejinos  que  alia 
fueren  scan  rrepartidos  por  los 
dichos//  lugares  y  pueblos.// 

“Yten  que  porque  mejor  y  mas 
presto  se  pueble  la  dicha//  ysla  que 
ninguno  tenga  facultad  para  cojer 
oro  en  ella//  salvo  los  que  tomaren 
vegindad  e  hi9ieren  casas  para//  su 
morada  en  la  poblacion  que  esto- 
vieren  porque  vivan//  juntamente  y 
mas  seguros.// 

“Yten  que  en  cada  lugar  e  pob¬ 
lacion  aya  su  alcalde//  o  alcaldes 
con  su  escrivano  del  pueblo  segun 
uso//  e  costumbre  de  castilla  // 
“Yten  que  hay  a  iglesia  y  abades 
o  frayles  para  ad-//minystracion  de 
los  sagramentos  y  cultos  divinos// 
y  para  conversion  de  los  yndios.// 


Ilia. 

“Also,  I  suggest  that  three  or 
four  towns  be  founded  and  located 
in  the  most  convenient  places  and 
that  the  settlers  who  go  there  be 
divided  among  the  said  places  and 
towns. 

“Also,  in  order  that  the  said 
island  may  be  more  quickly  settled, 
I  would  suggest  that  no  one  be  al¬ 
lowed  the  privilege  of  getting  gold 
there  except  those  who  settle  there 
and  build  houses  for  their  dwelling- 
place  in  the  town,  which  will  cause 
them  all  to  live  near  each  other  and 
be  more  secure. 

“Also,  that  each  place  and  town 
have  its  Mayor  or  Mayors  and  his 
clerk,  according  to  the  law  and  cus¬ 
tom  in  Castile. 

“Also,  that  there  be  a  church  and 
priests  or  friars  for  the  administra¬ 
tion  of  the  sacraments,  the  observ¬ 
ance  of  divine  worship  and  the 
conversion  of  the  Indians. 


Illb. 


102 


N  K 


i  I  ^ 


To  .r/ 


,  .  .■■  '% 
t  ^  ^ 

i;t  ^  \ 

i.  ^  i'-?' '  ^  j  ,  r  - 

i  '  "S  i  V  V  Q/  ^ 

J  "  If'-  ^  M  J  r^ 


y-r^  K:-,\y 

P'  -N  i  'p 

1  t\  \ .  n 


j  y\j^ 

^  CO 

5\,  \  ?■,  \  %  y 


104 


Christopher  Columbus 


“  Iten  que  ninguno  de  los  vejinos 
pueda  yr  a  coger  oro  sal-//vo  con 
lijencia  del  gobernador  o  alcalde  del 
lugar  donde//  biviere  y  que  primero 
haga  juramento  de  volver  al  mys-// 
mo  lugar  de  do  saliere  a  rregysatrar 
fielmente  to-// do  el  oro  que  oviere 
cogydo  y  avido  y  de  volver  una//  vez 
en  el  mes  o  en  la  semana  segun  el 
tiempo  le  fuere//  asygnado  adar 
quenta  &  manifestar  la  cantidad 
del//  dicho  oro  &  que  se  escriba  por 
el  escrivano  del  pueblo//  por  ante  el 
alcalde  y  sy  paresgiere  que  aya  asy 
mesmo//  un  frayle  o  abad  deputado 
para  ello.// 

“  Yten  que  todo  el  oro  que  asy  se 
traxere  se  aya  luego  de  fundir//  y 
marcar  de  alguna  marca  que  cada 
pueblo  senalare/ /  y  qye  se  pese  y  se 
de  y  entregue  a  cada  alcalde  ensu 
lu-//gar  la  parte  que  pertenesgiere  a 
vuestras  altezas  y  se  escriva//  por 
el  dicho  escrivano  &  por  el  abad 
o  frayle  de  manera//  que  no  pase 
por  una  sola  mano  y  asy  no  se  pueda 
gelar// 


Illb. 

“Also,  that  none  of  the  settlers  be 
allowed  to  go  and  gather  gold  save 
with  the  permission  of  the  Governor 
or  Mayor  of  the  place  in  which  he 
lives  and  that  in  the  first  place  he 
shall  swear  to  return  to  the  same 
place  from  whence  he  goes  out  and 
faithfully  report  all  the  gold  he 
gathers  and  possesses ;  and  to  return 
once  a  month  or  once  a  week,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  time  assigned  to  him, 
to  give  account  and  declare  the  quan¬ 
tity  of  the  said  gold:  and  that  this 
be  registered  by  the  clerk  of  the 
town  before  the  Mayor  and  if  it 
appears  best,  that  a  friar  or  priest 
be  also  deputed  to  be  present. 

“Also,  that  all  the  gold  which  is 
thus  brought  be  melted  immediately 
and  stamped  with  some  stamp 
which  is  fixed  by  each  town,  and 
that  it  be  weighed  and  the  part  be¬ 
longing  to  your  Highnesses  be  given 
and  delivered  to  each  Mayor  in  his 
town:  and  that  it  be  recorded  by 
the  said  clerk  and  by  the  priest  or 
friar  so  that  it  does  not  pass  through 
the  hands  of  one  person  alone,  and 
so  the  truth 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


105 


la  verdad./ / 

“  Yten  que  todo  el  oro  que  se  hal- 
lare  syn  la  marca  de  los//  dichos 
pueblos  en  poder  de  los  que  ovieren 
una  vez  regis-//trado  por  la  orden 
susodicha  le  sea  tornado  por  per-// 
dido  &  aya  una  parte  el  acusador  y 
lo  al  para  vuestras  altejas.// 

“Yten  que  todo  el  oro  que  oviere 
se  saque  uno  por  giento  para//  la 
fabrica  de  las  yglesias  y  ornamentos 
dellas  &//  para  sustentamiento  de 
los  abades  o  frayles  dellas  y//  sy 
paresciere  que  a  los  alcaldes  y  escri- 
vanos  se  de//  algo  por  su  trabajo  y 
porque  agan  fielmente  sus  oficios// 
que  se  remita  al  governador  y  the- 
sorero  que  alia  fueren//  por  vues¬ 
tras  altezas.// 

“Yten  quanto  toca  a  la  division 
deloro  &  de  la  parte  que//  ovieren// 
de  aver  vuestras  altejas  esto  a 
my  ver  deve  ser  remitido//  a  los 
dichos  gobernador  y  thesorero 
porque  avera  ser//  mas  o  menos 
segun  la  cantidad  del  oro  que  se 
hallare// 


IIIc. 

cannot  be  concealed. 

“Also,  that  all  the  gold  which 
may  be  found  without  the  stamp  of 
the  said  towns  in  the  possession  of 
those  who  shall  have  already  re¬ 
ported  in  the  aforesaid  manner, 
shall  be  forfeited  and  the  informer 
shall  have  one  part  and  your  High¬ 
nesses  shall  have  the  other  part. 

“Also,  that  one  per  cent,  of  all  the 
gold  obtained  be  taken  for  the  build¬ 
ing  of  the  churches  and  their  orna¬ 
mentation  and  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  priests  or  friars  who  have 
them  in  charge,  and  if  it  seems  ad¬ 
visable,  that  something  be  given  to 
the  Mayors  and  clerks  for  their  ser¬ 
vices'  and  because  they  fulfil  their 
duties  faithfully;  and  that  the  bal¬ 
ance  be  delivered  to  the  Governor 
and  Treasurer  sent  there  by  your 
Highnesses. 

“Also,  in  regard  to  the  division  of 
the  gold  and  the  part  which  your 
Highnesses  will  receive,  it  is  my 
opinion  that  it  should  be  intrusted 
to  the  said  Governors  and  Treas¬ 
urer,  because  it  will  be  more  or  less, 
according  to  the  quantity  of  gold 
which  is  found 


io6 


107 


Christopher  Columbus 


loS 


y  sy  paresciere  que  por 
tiempo  de  un  afio  ay  an  vuestras 
altejas//  la  mytad  y  los  cojedores  la 
otra  mytad  ca  despues//  podra 
mejor  determinar  se  cerca  del  dicho 
repartimiento.// 

“  Yten  que  sy  los  dichos  alcaldes  y 
escrivanos  hicieren  o  con-//sintieren 
algun  fraude  se  le  ponga  pena  y 
asjimesmo//  a  los  veginos  que  por 
entero  non  manifestaren  todo  el// 
oro  que  ovieren.// 

“Yten  que  en  la  dicha  ysla  haya 
thesorero  que  reciva  todo//  el  oro 
pertenesciente  a  vuestras  altejas  y 
tenga  su  escrivano//  que  lo  asgiente 
&  losalcaldes  y  escrivanos  de  los 
otros//  pueblos  cadauno  tome  co- 
noscimiento  de  lo  que  entregaren// 
al  dicho  thesorero.// 

“Yten  porque  segun  la  codigia  del 
oro  cada  uno  querra  mas//  ocuparse 
en  ello  que  en  hager  otras  grangerias 
paresceme//  que  alguna  temporada 
delaho  se  le  deva  defender  de  yr// 
a  buscar  oro  para  que  aya  lugar  que 
se  hagan  en  la  dicha//  ysla  otras 
grangerias  a  ellas  pertenescientes.// 


Illd. 

and  if  it  seems  advis¬ 
able,  that  for  the  space  of  one  year 
your  Highnesses  have  one  half  and 
the  gatherers  the  other  half;  and 
afterwards  the  said  apportionment 
can  be  better  arranged. 

“Also,  that  if  the  said  Mayors  and 
Clerks  commit  or  consent  to  any 
fraud,  that  they  be  properly  pun¬ 
ished  and  that  a  like  penalty  be  im¬ 
posed  upon  the  settlers  who  do  not 
report  the  entire  quantity  of  gold  in 
their  possession. 

“Also,  that  there  be  a  Treasurer 
on  the  said  island,  who  shall  receive 
all  the  gold  belonging  to  your  High¬ 
nesses,  and  who  shall  have  his  clerk 
to  make  a  record  of  it,  and  that  the 
Mayors  and  clerks  of  the  other 
towns  shall  each  one  take  a  receipt 
for  what  they  deliver  to  the  said 
Treasurer. 

“Also,  as  each  one,  through  eager¬ 
ness  to  obtain  gold,  will  be  more 
desirous  of  occupying  himself  in  get¬ 
ting  it  than  in  performing  other 
profitable  labours,  it  appears  advis¬ 
able  to  me  that  the  search  for  gold 
should  be  forbidden  during  some 
period  of  the  year  so  that  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  be  given  for  the  performance 
of  other  necessary  and  profitable 
labours. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


109 


“Yten  para  en  lo  de  descobrir  de 
nuevas  tierras  paresceme//  se  deva 
dar  ligencia  a  todos  los  que  quisieren 
yr  y  alargar//  la  mano  en  lo  del 
quinto  moderandolo  en  alguna  buena 
ma-//nera  afyn  de  que  muchos  se 
dispongan  ayr.// 

“Agora  dire  my  parescer  para  la 
yda  de  los  navios  a  la//  dicha  ysla 
espanola  &  la  orden  que  se  deva 
guardar  ques  la//  syguiente.  Que 
no  puedan  yr  los  dichos  navios  a 
descargar  salvo//  en  uno  o  dos 
puertos  para  ello  senalados  y  ende 
rregistren//  todo  lo  que  llevaren  & 
descargaren  y  cuando  ovieren  de 
partir/ /  sea  de  los  mismos  puertos  & 
rregistren  todo  lo  que  cargaren// 
por  que  no  se  encubra  cosa  alguna./ / 


“Yten  que  cerca  deloro  que  se 
oviere  de  traer  de  las  yslas  para// 
Castilla  que  todo  lo  que  se  oviere  de 
cargar  asy  lo  que  fuere//  de  vuestras 
altegas  como  de  cualesquier  personas 
todo//  ello  se  ponga  en  una  area  que 
tengan  dos  con  sus  Haves//  y  quel 
maestro  tenga  la  una  y  otra  presona 
quel//  gobernador  y  thesorero  esco- 
geren  la  otra  &  venga  por// 


III  e. 

“Also,  in  the  matter  of  making 
discoveries  of  new  lands,  it  seems 
advisable  to  me  that  permission 
should  be  given  to  all  who  wish  to 
go,  and  that  the  fifth  to  be  given 
as  tribute  be  reduced  somewhat,  in 
order  that  many  persons  may  be  dis¬ 
posed  to  go. 

“Now,  I  will  state  my  opinion  in 
regard  to  the  departure  of  the  ves¬ 
sels  for  the  said  island  of  Espanola 
and  the  method  which  must  be  ob¬ 
served,  and  which  is  as  follows :  That 
the  said  vessels  must  not  go  to  un¬ 
load  in  any  ports  except  one  or  two 
established  for  that  purpose;  and 
they  must  there  register  all  that  they 
carry  and  unload,  and  when  they 
are  obliged  to  depart  from  the  island 
it  must  be  from  the  same  ports  and 
they  must  register  all  that  they  have 
loaded,  in  order  that  nothing  may  be 
concealed. 

“Also,  in  regard  to  the  gold  to  be 
brought  from  the  islands  to  Castile, 
that  all  which  is  loaded,  whether  for 
your  Highnesses  or  for  any  other 
persons,  be  placed  in  a  chest  which 
has  two  keys,  and  that  the  Master  of 
the  vessel  shall  have  one  key  and 
another  person  selected  by  the  Gov¬ 
ernor  and  Treasurer  shall  have  the 
other,  and  shall  come  to 


I  lO 


Ill 


®  t 


hi  rhk 

iCr^, 


?'  I  ri  -M  ,;  • 


f  C! 


'i  i  -i  4 


1  12 


Christopher  Columbus 


testy- 

monio  la  relacion  de  todo  lo  que  se 
pusiere  en  la  diclia//  area  &  sena- 
lado  para  que  cada  uno  aya  lo  suyo 
y  que  sy//  otro  oro  alguno  se  hallare 
fuera  de  la  dicha  area  en//  eualquier 
manera  poeo  o  mueho  sea  perdido 
afin  que  se//  haga  fielmente  y  sea 
para  vuestras  altejas.// 

“Yten  que  todos  los  navios  que 
vinieren  de  la  dieha  ysla  vengan// 
a  hager  su  dieha  desearga  al  puerto 
de  eadiz  y  no  sal-//ga  presona  dellos 
ny  entren  otros  hasta  que  vayan  a 
los//  diehos  navios  la  presona  o  pre- 
sonas  que  para  ello  por  vuestras  al-// 
tegas  fueren  deputadas  en  la  dieha 
eibdad  a  quien  los  niaes-//tros 
manifysten  todo  lo  que  traen  y 
muestren  la  fe  de  lo  que  ovie-//ren 
eargado  para  que  se  pueda  ver  & 
rrequerir  sy  los  diehos//  navios 
traen  eosa  alguna  eneubierta  &  non 
manifestada//  al  tiempo  del  ear- 
gar.// 

“Yten  que  enpresengia  de  la  jus- 
tieia  de  la  dieha  eibdad  de  ca-// 
diz  &  de  quien  fuere  para  ello  depu- 
tado  por  vuestras  altegas  se// 


klld. 

witness  the 

report  of  all  that  is  plaeed  in  the 
said  ehest  and  reeorded,  so  that  eaeh 
one  may  have  his  own :  and  that  if 
any  gold  be  found  outside  of  the 
said  ehest  in  any  manner  whatever, 
whether  a  large  or  small  quantity, 
that  it  be  forfeited  for  the  benefit  of 
your  Highnesses,  in  order  that  the 
transaetion  may  be  faithfully  ear- 
ried  out. 

“Also,  that  all  the  ships  whieh 
eome  from  the  said  island  shall  eome 
to  unload  at  the  port  of  Cadiz,  and 
that  no  person  shall  leave  them  or 
be  allowed  to  board  them,  until  the 
person  or  persons  selected  for  that 
purpose  by  your  Highnesses  in  the 
said  city,  shall  go  on  board  the  said 
ships;  to  whom  the  Masters  of  the 
vessels  shall  declare  everything  they 
bring  and  shall  show  the  statement 
of  everything  they  have  loaded  in 
order  that  it  may  be  made  known 
and  proved  whether  the  said  Masters 
have  brought  anything  concealed 
and  not  manifested  at  the  time  of 
shipment. 

“Also,  that  in  the  presence  of  the 
Justice  of  the  said  City  of  Cadiz  and 
of  whomever  your  Highnesses  may 
select  for  that  purpose, 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


113 


aya 

de  abrir  la  dicha  area  en  que  se 
traxere  el  dicho  oro  y//  dar  a  cada 
uno  lo  suyo.  Vuestras  altejas  me 
ayan  por  enco-//mendado  y  quedo 
rrogando  a  nuestro  senor  dios  por 
las  vi-//das  de  vuestras  altejas  y 
acrescentamiento  de  muy  mayores 
estados.// 

.S. 

■S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

:Xpo  Ferens  ./ 
“por  departida  del  almyrante.” 


Illd. 

the  said 

chest  in  which  the  said  gold  is 
brought,  shall  be  opened,  and  each 
one  shall  be  given  the  part  belong¬ 
ing  to  him. 

“  May  your  Highnesses  keep  me  in 
mind,  while  I  remain,  praying  our 
Lord  God  for  the  lives  of  your  High¬ 
nesses,  and  the  acquisition  of  very 
great  possessions. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

;Xpo.  Ferens  ./ 
“Sent  by  the  Admiral.” 


1 14  Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  nil.  HOLOGR.\PH  LETTER  (DEFECTIVE)  WRITTEN  BY  CHRIS¬ 
TOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  THE  SOVEREIGNS  PROBABLY  IN  1497 

The  reader  will  find  in  Navarrete,  among  the  Documentos 
Diplomaticos,^  a  number  of  Royal  cedulas  issued  by  the  Sove¬ 
reigns  during  the  year  1497,  relating  for  the  most  part  to  the 
third  vo3’age  and  defining  the  privileges  of  the  Admiral.  A 
study  of  these  will  enable  us  to  approximate  a  date  to  which  we 
ma}^  assign  this  letter,  which  is  incomplete  and  is  perhaps  but 
a  rough  draft  of  the  one  actually  sent.  It  presupposes  a  long 
negotiation,  in  which  propositions  and  interpretations  were 
proffered,  rejected,  or  modified.  The  interests  of  the  Crown,  of 
the  colonists  and  of  Columbus  were  not  always  identical,  and 
there  was  much  debate  over  their  adjustment.  But  of  all  the 
differences  none  was  so  difficult  to  determine  as  the  exact  miean- 
ing  of  the  partnership  between  the  Sovereigns  and  the  Admiral. 
The  agreement  was  made  in  the  uncertain  hopefulness  attending 
the  equipment  of  the  first  expedition  and  confirmed  in  the  nat¬ 
ural  excitement  following  its  success.  As  we  have  before  sug¬ 
gested,  there  is  a  certain  equitable  seemliness  to  be  observed  even 
in  a  royal  gift.  A  king  may  not  give  away  a  third,  an  eighth,  a 
tenth  of  his  kingdom’s  prospective  fortune  to  an  individual,  to 
the  head  of  a  single  family,  however  great  his  services,  however 
unwavering  his  devotion.  Here  we  find  Columbus  sounding  that 
note  of  solicitous  greed  upon  which  he  harped  until  his  voice  died 
away  in  a  begging  murmur  at  Valladolid.  We  have  explained 
that  his  apparent  rapacity  was  not  a  miserly  and  miserable 
sentiment,  but  was  actuated  by  his  dedication  of  himself,  his 
heirs,  his  fortune,  to  the  project  of  a  New  Crusade  and  the  re¬ 
covery  of  the  Holy  Land  from  the  hand  of  the  Moslem.  Until 
we  com.prehend  the  purpose  of  Columbus  we  do  not  know  the 
real  man.  Until  we  know  the  real  man  we  cannot  interpret  his 
words. 

In  the  two  cedulas  dated  at  Medina  del  Campo,  June  2,  1497, 
the  Sovereigns  undertake  to  reconcile  their  views  concerning  the 
proportion  of  profits  due  Columbus  with  that  held  by  the  Ad¬ 
miral  himself.  The  latter  demanded  that  he  should  be  assigned 
his  eighths  from  the  gross  receipts;  the  Sovereigns  interpreted 

^  Coleccion  de  los  Viages  y  Descubrimientos ,  vol.  ii.  Some  of  these  will  also  be  found 
in  Columbus’s  Book  of  Privileges. 

VOL.  III.— 8. 


The  H  andwriting  of  Columbus  115 

this  clause  in  their  partnership  to  mean  that  the  expenses  should 
first  be  deducted  from  the  gross  receipts,  and  that  then — before 
they  themselves  touched  a  maravedi — Columbus  should  receive 
his  eighth.  Manifestly  this  was  a  fair,  if  not  a  literal  interpre¬ 
tation.  However,  in  the  second  cedula  of  June  2,  1497,  the 
Sovereigns  yield  for  a  time  to  his  construction  of  the  contract, 
and  declare  that  for  the  term  of  three  years  he  shall  have  his 
eighth  of  the  gross  receipts  and  before  a  single  expense  charge 
shall  be  deducted.  Reference  to  this  concession  is  found  in  the 
opening  passage  of  this  letter,  and  therefore  we  know  it  must 
have  been  written  subsequently  to  June  2,  1497. 

When  Miguel  Diaz  returned  to  the  city  of  Isabella  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Ozama  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  island  of  Espa- 
nola,  the  Adelantado,  Bartholomew  Columbus,  hastened  to  visit 
the  site  and  then  and  there  determined  to  build  a  new  city, — 
the  city  of  San  Domingo, — a  city  which  was  destined  to  be¬ 
come  the  capital  of  the  island.  Not  only  was  the  site  itself  more 
attractive  than  that  of  Isabella  Vecchia,  but  there  were  promis¬ 
ing  mines  of  gold  in  its  neighbourhood.  In  the  Royal  Cedula, 
dated  from  Medina  del  Campo,  June  15,  1497,  the  Sovereigns 
authorise  Columbus  to  take  with  him  on  his  third  expedition  an 
old  ship,  so  worn  that  its  battered  sides,  if  ever  it  arrived  at 
Espanola,  might  be  utilised  for  building  purposes.  As  the 
Admiral  in  this  present  letter  refers  to  this  direction  concerning 
the  old  vessel  and  the  subsequent  abandonment  of  the  plan 
under  changed  conditions,  it  seems  to  indicate  that  the  letter 
was  written  some  considerable  time  after  June  15,  1497. 

Columbus  is  evidently  preparing  for  his  third  voyage  at  this 
time,  and  one  of  the  serious  difficulties  presenting  itself  is  equip¬ 
ping  his  ships  and  purchasing  provisions,  not  only  for  his  present 
expedition,  but  for  the  colonists  in  Espanola.  The  exigencies 
of  the  people  going  to  Espanola  and  of  those  already  there  are 
noted  by  the  Spanish  purveyors,  and  the  ]3rices  are  raised  to  an 
exorbitant  degree.  Columbus  suggests  in  this  letter  that  some 
one  person  should  have  the  power  to  buy  food  and  provender  of 
public  dealers  and  at  the  market  price  ruling  three  days  prior 
to  the  time  of  purchase.  On  December  23,  1497,  the  Sovereigns 
issued  a  cedula  authorising  the  appointment  of  some  one  person 
to  see  to  purchasing  supplies  at  a  reasonable  price.  This  letter, 
then,  was  written  prior  to  the  adoption  of  the  suggestion,  and 


ii6  Christopher  Columbus 

therefore  previous  to  December  23,  1497.  Somewhere  between 
June  15  and  December  23  in  the  year  1497  this  letter  was  sent 
to  the  Sovereigns,  and  inasmuch  as  the  question  of  unfair  prices 
fixed  by  the  dealers  in  food-stuff  was  likely  to  occur  as  the  time 
approached  for  the  departure  of  the  expedition,  we  are  inclined 
to  move  the  date  toward  the  end  of  that  year. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  n; 

NO.  nil.  HOLOGRAPH  LETTER  (DEFECTIVE)  WRITTEN  BY  CHRIS¬ 
TOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  THE  SOVEREIGNS  PROBABLY  IN  1497 

[Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


Transliteration 

“A1  primero  capitulo,  Su  Alteza, 
porque  yo  dezia  que  habia  de  haber 
el  .  .  .  ochavo  primero  que  se 

saquase  custa  alguna,  como  mas 
largo  respond!  por  el  memorial, 
mandd  tomar  buen  medio  y  diso 
que  yo  oviese  el  dicho  ochavo  por 
espagio  de  .  .  .  tiempo,  y  des¬ 

puds  si  non  me  pertene^iese  de  sacar 
primero  el  ochavo,  que  el  diezmo  y 
las  custas  que  non  lo  lebase  dende 
adelante;  y  d’esto  soy  contento. 

“  A1  segundo  capitulo,  que  diz  que 
anonbre  lo  que  yo  quero  mudar,  re- 
spondo  que,  por  quanto  me  limitaron 
que  yo  lebase  .300  personas,  y  anom- 
braron  la  calidad  d’ellas  y  de  los 
officiales,  y  asimesmo  ferramienta  y 
otras  cosas,  podra  ser  que  non  se 
fallerd  asi  todo  por  entero,  y  non 
por  lebar  menos  personas  de  .300.,  y 
asimesmo  de  las  otras  cosas  que  en 
tal  caso  se  non  pudiere  haber,  verbi 
grafia,  .40  labradores,  que  pueda  yo 
tomar  en  lugar  de  lo  que  faltare  tan- 
tos  peones  6  otra  soerte  de  gente, 
non  acrecentando  el  numero  de  las 
.300  personas,  i  asimesmo  de  las 
otras  cosas,  como  mas  largo  va  en  el 
memorial  que  yo  di,  en  el  qual  me 
afirmo,  asi  tarnbidn  como  se  acordd 
que  yo  lebase  una  nao  vieja,  y  agora 
parege  que  non  es  de  lebar,  porque 
entonces  era  um  tiempo  y  agora  es 
otro.  y  digo  que  todo  lo  que  yo 


Translation 

nil. 

“To  the  first  chapter,  your  High¬ 
ness,  because  I  said  that  I  was  to 
have  the  .  .  .  eighth  before  any 

costs  should  be  deducted,  as  I  re¬ 
plied  more  at  length  in  the  memor¬ 
andum,  you  ordered  good  measures 
taken  and  said  that  I  should  have 
the  said  eighth  for  the  space  of  .  .  . 
time,  and  then,  if  it  should  not  be¬ 
long  to  me  to  first  deduct  the  eighth, 
then  the  tenth,  and  the  costs,  that  I 
should  not  demand  it  from  then 
henceforward:  and  with  this  I  am 
satisfied. 

“To  the  second  chapter,  which  in¬ 
structs  me  to  name  what  I  wish  to 
change,  I  reply  that  inasmuch  as 
they  limited  me  to  the  taking  of  300 
persons,  and  named  their  station  and 
the  station  of  the  officials,  and  like¬ 
wise  the  tools  and  other  things,  it 
may  be  that  everything  will  not  be 
found  entirely  thus:  and  in  order 
not  to  take  less  than  the  300  persons, 
and  likewise  less  of  the  other  things, 
that  in  such  event  there  cannot  be 
taken,  verbi  gragia,  40  labourers 
whom  I  can  take  in  place  of  those 
who  shall  be  lacking,  some  day- 
labourers  and  other  kinds  of  people, 
not  increasing  the  number  of  the 
300,  and  likewise  in  the  matter  of 
the  other  things,  as  contained  more 
at  length  in  the  memorandum  which 
I  gave,  in  which  I  confirm  myself :  in 
the  same  manner  also,  as  it  was 
agreed  that  I  was  to  take  an  old  ves¬ 
sel,  and  now  it  appears  that  it  is  not 
to  be  taken,  because  circumstances 
have  changed.  And  I  say  that  all 
that  I  demand  was  agreed  to  by  the 


Christopher  Columbus 


I  iS 

demando  lo  acordaron  las  personas 
que  Sus  Altezas  mandaron  a  ente[n]- 
der  en  ello,  porque  de  todo  se  le  did 
razon  a  qud  fin  se  deman daba  cada 
cosa  y  creo  que  asi  harian  las  per¬ 
sonas  que  esto  apontan,  si  oyeran 
la  platica  y  razon  d’ello. 

“[A]l  tercero  capitulo,  de  la  per¬ 
sona  que  no  haya  de  entender  en  las 
cosas  de  la  hazienda  por  la  parte  que 
me  cabe,  Su  Alteza  sabe  como  yo  he 
sido  tratado  en  el  pasado.  si  Su 
Alteza  manda  que  non  se  entienda 
en  esta  negogiajion  sin  my  6  persona 
por  my,  me  hara  grande  merged,  y, 
si  non,  yo  creria,  de  non  haber  un 
maravedis  de  renta  de  quanto  yo 
enbiase,  y  cierto  non  serf  a  su  ser- 
vigio. 


“A1  quarto  capitulo,  nunca  de¬ 
mands  que  se  pusiese  pregio  tasado 
en  nada,  salvo  que  si  algunas  per¬ 
sonas,  por  ver  que  por  fuerga  le  have- 
mos  de  comprar  algo  que  el  tubiere, 
y  demandara  pregios  descomunales  6 
se  escusara  de  la  dar,  porque  les  den 
lo  que  el  quisere,  que  en  tal  caso  la 
justicia  le  constringa  que  le  de  por 
precio  razonable  y  como  suele  valer 
6  se  vendia  tres  dias  antes. 


“A1  quinto,  yo  non  deman  do 
tanto  esto  de  las  capitanias  para 
poner  capitanes,  antes  es  al  con- 
trario,  que  yo  voy  por  quitarlos, 
porque  dan  custa  y  dano  y  non 
pequeno,  como  se  puede  amostrar 
por  el  pasado,  y  ja  lo  escrivy  a  Sus 
Altezas  de  quanta  custa  y  daho  han 


nil. 

persons  whom  their  Highnesses  sent 
to  arrange  the  matter  because  I  gave 
the  reasons  for  everything  and  for 
what  purpose  each  thing  was  de¬ 
manded  and  I  believe  the  persons 
who  pass  upon  this  will  do  likewise 
if  they  hear  the  exposition  and 
reasons  for  it. 

“To  the  third  chapter,  regarding 
the  person  who  is  not  to  take  part 
in  the  matters  relating  to  the  rev¬ 
enue  in  representation  of  the  part 
which  belongs  to  me,  your  Highness 
knows  how  I  have  been  treated  in 
the  past.  If  your  Highness  orders 
that  this  affair  shall  not  be  arranged 
without  me  or  a  person  representing 
me,  you  will  do  me  a  great  favour, 
and  if  you  do  not  order  thus,  I 
should  not  expect  to  receive  a  mara- 
vedi  of  revenue  from  whatever  I 
might  send,  and  certainly  it  would 
not  be  serving  you. 

“To  the  fourth  chapter,  I  never 
demanded  that  a  price  should  be 
fixed  on  anything,  except  if  some 
persons  because  of  seeing  that  we 
would  be  forced  to  buy  something  in 
their  possession,  should  demand  ex¬ 
orbitant  prices  or  excuse  themselves 
from  selling  in  order  that  we  should 
give  them  what  they  desired,  then 
in  such  case  that  justice  should  con¬ 
strain  them  to  give  their  goods  for  a 
reasonable  price  and  at  the  current 
value  or  selling  price  three  days  pre¬ 
viously. 

“To  the  fifth,  I  do  not  demand  so 
much  in  this  matter  of  the  captain¬ 
ships  in  order  to  appoint  Captains, 
rather  it  is  to  the  contrary  because  I 
am  going  to  do  away  with  them,  as 
they  occasion  no  small  expense  and 
damage  as  can  be  shown  by  the 
past ;  and  I  had  already  written  to 
their  Highnesses  how  much  expense 


'•  IlII.  Holograph  Letter  of  Christopher  Columbus  to  the 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


119 


dado,  puriende  puderia  acaecer  tien- 
po  6  causa  que  seria  menester  capi¬ 
tal!,  digo  que  desconosco  nadi  quien 
sepa  por  agora  ordenar  instru^'ion 
para  capitanes  para  lo  que  habrian 
de  hazer  en  las  cosas  de  las  Yndias, 
como  es  yr  a  descobrir  tierras  y  yslas 
6  a  negogiar  en  alguna  parte  d’ellas, 
ny  este  negocio  es  conforme  a  lo  de 
Castilla,  y  que  si  esto  non  es  regido 
por  una  mano,  c[ue  se  puede  perder 
y  ronpir  para  nunca  tornar  en  pie. 
y  que  todo  consiste  en  esto  .  .  . 

asi  como  de  las  cartas  de  marear,  y 
me  temo  que  yo  no  sea  bien  enten- 
dido,  porque  en  esto  yo  sirve,  asi- 
mismo  en  tener  .  .  .  pilotos  .  .  . 
como  se  .  .  .  de  mucho  .  .  . 

me  .  .  .  que  .  .  .  otras  gen- 

eraciones  ban  de  ir  alia,  como  tengo 
indifio,  y  sobre  todo  es  de  p[re]min- 
encia  de  my  oficio  y  esta  asentado  y 
esta  en  la  provision  de  mis  titulos, 
que  todos  los  oficios  provea  yo  en 
nombre  de  Sus  Altezas. 


“A1  sesto,  digo  que  se  haga  asi, 
pues  el  fin  as  porque  non  se  furte  el 


IIII. 

and  damage  they  have  occasioned. 
Therefore  as  the  time  might  come  or 
there  might  be  a  cause  when  a  Cap¬ 
tain  would  be  needed,  I  say  that  I 
do  not  know  any  one  who  can  formu¬ 
late  instructions  for  Captains  regard¬ 
ing  what  they  would  have  to  do  in 
the  affairs  of  the  Indies,  such  as  to 
go  and  discover  lands  and  islands  or 
to  negotiate  in  any  part  of  them, 
neither  is  this  affair  consistent  with 
the  affairs  of  Castile,  and  that  if  this 
is  not  regulated  by  one  hand,  that 
the  affair  may  be  lost  and  ruined 
never  to  come  back  again  rightly. 
And  that  everything  consists  in  this 
.  .  .  as  well  as  of  the  sailing 

charts,  and  I  fear  that  I  may  not  be 
well  understood,  because  in  this  I 
serve,  likewise  in  having 
pilots  ...  as  if  ...  of  much 
.  .  .  me  .  .  .  that  .  . 

other  generations  are  to  go  there,  as 
I  have  indication,  and  above  all  it 
belongs  to  the  pre-eminence  of  my 
office  and  is  agreed  and  is  in  the 
provision  of  my  titles,  that  I  shall 
provide  all  the  offices  in  the  name 
of  their  Highnesses. 

“  To  the  sixth,  I  say  let  it  be  done 
so,  since  the  object  is  that  the  gold 
shall  not  be  stolen.  .  . 


oro. 


120 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  V.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  HIS 

SON,  DON  DIEGO 

It  is  extremel}^  difficult  to  assign  this  letter  to  its  proper 
period.  The  Queen  was  alive,  therefore  it  was  prior  to  Decem¬ 
ber,  1504,  when  the  Admiral  first  learned  of  her  demise.  It  was 
written  in  the  month  of  April  from  Seville,  between  April  i,  1497, 
and  May  i,  1498,  or  between  April  i,  1501,  and  May  i,  1502. 
When  Columbus  returned  from  his  third  voyage  in  September, 
1500,  he  came  in  chains,  in  great  despondency,  without  much 
if  any  gold.  His  voyage  had  been  into  the  Gulf  of  Paria,  and 
there  he  had  gathered  scarcely  any  of  the  shining  metal.  In¬ 
deed,  in  his  letter  to  the  Nurse,  written  as  he  was  returning  from 
his  third  voyage,  he  complains  that  Bobadilla  had  taken  from 
him  the  nuggets  of  gold  he  contemplated  carr3dng  home  to  the 
Queen.  We  may  eliminate  the  month  of  April,  1502,  because 
Don  Diego  is  urged  to  look  well  after  his  younger  brother,  and 
at  that  time  Ferdinand  was  with  his  father  in  Seville,  preparing 
to  accompany  the  Admiral  on  his  fourth  and  last  voyage.  We 
also  eliminate  the  date  of  April  29,  1501.  Don  Diego  was 
with  the  Court,  and  at  that  time  the  Court  was  at  Granada,  only 
about  one  hundred  miles  distant  from  Seville,  where  the  Ad¬ 
miral  was.  The  letter  seems  to  indicate  the  passing  of  much 
important  correspondence  between  father  and  son  and  between 
Columbus  and  the  Court  functionaries.  If  the  Court  was  as  near 
as  Granada,  it  seems  to  us  the  Admiral,  who  so  far  as  appears 
was  in  robust  health,  would  have  himself  gone  thither  carrying 
his  precious  nuggets.  By  this  process  of  exclusion  we  come  to 
the  two  dates,  April  29,  1497,  and  April  29,  1498.  Don  Diego 
is  required  in  this  letter  to  watch  for  a  favourable  opportunity, 
preferably  some  day  after  dinner,  to  present  to  the  Queen  the 
nuggets  of  gold.  This  presupposes  circumstances  under  which 
the  young  lad  might  frequently  see  the  Queen.  As  early  as 
May  8,  1492,  Diego  received  an  appointment  at  the  Court,  but 
it  is  doubtful  if  he  ever  appeared  there  until  his  uncle  Bartholo¬ 
mew,  in  passing  through  Spain  on  his  way  to  join  his  elder 
brother  in  the  New  World,  brought  him  to  Valladolid,  and  at 
which  time  he  was  assigned  to  the  duty  of  attending  the  young 
Prince  Don  Juan.  This  promising  youth  died  at  Salamanca, 
October  4,  1497,  and  on  February  19,  1498,  the  Queen  took 


I2I 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

Diego  into  her  own  service  as  a  page.  Here  was  a  situation  in 
which  Don  Diego  might  approach  Queen  Isabella  in  almost  any 
moment,  and  all  that  is  now  required  of  him  as  he  attends  her 
Highness  in  the  Court  now  at  Alcala  de  Henares  is  to  await  a 
time  when  she  shall  be  disengaged  and  in  a  pleasant  mood. 
The  letter  also  suggests  some  feeling  of  disappointment  in  the 
breast  of  the  Queen  toward  Columbus.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
the  Sovereigns  found  themselves  somewhat  discouraged  at  the 
failure  of  the  New  World  to  produce  for  them  that  untold 
wealth  promised  them  by  the  Admiral.  Nino  and  others  had 
made  expeditions  on  their  own,  or  on  the  mutual  accounts  of 
themselves  and  Spain,  but  their  ships  brought  comparatively 
little  gold.  It  is  a  consciousness  of  a  slight  cloud  between  him 
and  the  face  of  the  Queen  that  prompts  him  to  put  into  her 
hands  solid  pieces  of  the  yellow  metal,  to  remind  her  that  it 
was  only  a  sample  of  that  which  surely  would  one  day  flow 
into  the  coffers  of  Castile.  We  are  then  disposed  to  fix  April 
29,  1498,  as  the  date  when  Columbus  wrote  this  letter. 


O 


f"  j 

j-r!,T:t=;t 

^  T  r ;  i  ^ 

We  A  ?  l^vV  ^ 

V  Hi  "l  0 

r!5K?Wfrli^V%  ^- 

"t  ^  ^  c  I>n 

U--  i.'i^  ?.  ;?'^  (»  < 

I  1 1  ^ 


u 


I V 


\  f  ■ 


k.i 

3.. 


/ 

,-.  ? 


„  itb^u 


V.  Holograph  Letter,  Signed  by  Christopher  Colimihus,  to  his  Son,  Don  Diego.  April  2g.  [Archwes,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid 


123 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“Muy  CARO  Fijo. — Ya  te  he  escrito 
con  ot^a  que  te  enbiare  dos  marcos 
de  oro  de  na^imiento  de  granos  muy 
gordos,  y  asi  fago  agora  con 
portador  desta,  atado  en  vm  pano  y 
asellado,  para  que  lo  ay  as  de  dar  a 
la  Reyna  n.  s.  al  tiempo  que  virdes 
que  mejor  venga,  con  acoerdo  de 
Jeronimo  y  del  tesoyrero  Villacurta 
al  qual  tan  bien  por  otra  escriuo 
largo,  y  a  my  ver  sera  bien  quan 
acaba  de  comer,  el  es  tal  gioya  que 
antes  he  sofrido  mil  necesidades  que 
venderlo  ni  fondirle  para  seruir  con 
el  a  la  Reyna  n.  s.  pues  s.  a.  me  habia 
fecho  merced  dello,  mas  vy  que  era 
cargo  de  consciencia,  a  desfazerle, 
salvo  boluerselo  por  que  vea  los 
milagros  de  nro.Sor.y  le  haga  ver  a 
quien  s.  a.  aplogiere,  a  la  qual  bexa 
sus  reales  manos  por  my  y  daselo 
con  esta  carta  que  con  esta  va,  y 
como  digo  por  que  te  escriuo  y  a 
todos  muy  largo  en  otras  cartas  non 
me  alargo  mas  saluo  suplicar  a  nro. 
Sor.  que  te  ay  a  en  su  santa  guardia 
y  a  tu  hermano,  el  qual  ay  as  mucho 
encomendado  fecha  en  sebilla  a  xxix 
de  Abril. 


“tu  padre  que  te  ama  como  a  si. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“a  my  muy  caro  fijo  don  diego  colon 
en  la  [corte 


V. 

Translation 

V. 

“Very  dear  son; — • 

“I  have  written  you  by  another 
courier  that  I  will  send  you  two 
marks  of  virgin  gold  in  very  large 
nuggets  and  thus  I  do  now,  by  .  .  ., 
the  bearer  of  this  letter,  fastened  in 
a  cloth  and  sealed,  in  order  that  you 
may  give  them  to  the  Queen,  our 
Lady,  at  such  time  as  you  see  to  be 
best,  with  the  consent  of  Jeronimo 
and  of  the  Treasurer  Villacorta,  to 
whom  I  am  also  writing  at  length  by 
another  courier:  and  in  my  opinion 
the  best  time  will  be  just  after  din¬ 
ner.  This  is  a  treasure  of  such  value 
that  I  have  hitherto  suffered  a  thou¬ 
sand  necessities  rather  than  to  sell  it 
or  melt  it  in  order  to  serve  the 
Queen,  our  Lady,  with  it,  as  her 
Highness  had  granted  it  to  me.  Fur¬ 
ther,  I  saw  that  it  was  charged  upon 
my  conscience  not  to  destroy  it  but 
to  return  it  to  her  that  she  may  see 
the  miracles  of  our  Lord  and  that  it 
may  make  her  see  to  whom  her 
Highness  will  apologise.  Kiss  her 
Royal  hands  for  me  and  give  it  to 
her  with  this  letter  which  goes  with 
it.  And  as  I  tell  why  I  write  to  you 
and  to  all  greatly  at  length  in  other 
letters,  I  do  not  enlarge  more  than 
to  supplicate  our  Lord  to  have  you 
in  His  holy  keeping,  and  thy  brother, 
whom,  may  you  have  greatly  in  your 
charge.  Done  in  Seville  April  29. 

“Your  father,  who  loves  you  as 
himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
el  Almirante. 

[Address] 

“To  my  very  dear  son  Don  Diego  at 
[Court].” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  125 

NO.  VI.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
FATHER  DON  CASPAR  GORRICIO 

There  is  no  doubt  respecting  the  day  and  year  in  which  this 
was  written.  It  was  May  12  of  1498,  and  the  Admiral  was  at 
San  Lucar  de  Barrameda,  where  his  fleet  was  preparing  for  the 
third  voyage.  This  is  the  first  reference  to  Father  Gaspar  Gor- 
ricio  in  any  of  the  letters  of  Columbus.  In  considering  a  sub¬ 
sequent  letter  we  have  written  at  length  in  regard  to  this 
interesting  character.' 

As  we  shall  see,  Columbus  did  not  sail  on  the  following 
Monday,  delay  after  delay  holding  him  in  port.  Which  of  his 
six  ships  the  Admiral  diverted  from  its  Biscayan  traffic  we  do 
not  know.  Peter  Martyr,  in  the  sixth  book  of  his  First  Decade, 
says  that  Columbus  sailed  with  eight  ships  from  San  Lucar  and 
went  to  the  island  of  Madeira  to  avoid  certain  French  corsairs 
lying  in  wait  for  him  and  his  fleet.  We  know  from  Las  Casas 
that  when  the  Admiral  arrived  at  the  Canaries  he  divided  his 
fleet  of  six  ships,  sending  three  directly  to  Espanola  and  sailing 
with  the  other  three  for  the  Cape  Verde  Islands.  It  may  be 
that  the  statement  of  Peter  Martyr  and  that  of  Las  Casas  will 
be  reconciled  by  assuming  that  while  Columbus  sailed  out  of  San 
Lucar  de  Barrameda  with  eight  ships,  he  left  at  the  island  of 
Madeira  two  ships,  one  of  which  was  the  Biscayan  vessel  men¬ 
tioned  in  this  letter. 

I  See  No.  XX. — the  letter  written  April  4,  1502. 


126 


127 


No.  VI.  Holograph  Letter,  Signed  by  Christopher  Columbus,  to  Father  Don  Caspar  Gorricio. 

[Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


128 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

T  ransliteration 

“Reberendo  y  deboto  padre,  re- 
creciome  aqui  la  carga  y  gente  en 
tanta  cantidad  que  fue  necesario  de 
haber  otra  nao  en  que  la  libiar,  y  a 
esta  causa  non  he  partido.  tome 
una  nao  de  viscaya  que  lebara  esto 
que  sobra  fasta  la  ysla  de  la  madera 
y  partire  en  nombre  de  nro.Sor.  el 
lunes  .  .  .  esos  debotos  religiosos 
me  encomiendo 


VI. 

T  ranslation 

VI. 

“Reverend  and  devout  father; 

“The  cargo  and  the  people  in¬ 
crease  here  so  greatly  that  it  was 
necessary  to  have  another  vessel  in 
which  to  carry  them,  and  on  this 
account  I  have  not  started.  I  got 
a  ship  from  Biscay  which  will  take 
those  who  are  in  excess  as  far  as  the 
island  of  Madeira,  and  I  shall  start 
in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Monday. 

I  commend  myself  to  those 
devout  monks 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


1 29 


y  os  pido  por  merced 
que  me  ayudeis  con  vuestras  ora- 
ciones  en  las  quales  tengo  grande 
esfoerjo.  Nro.  Sor.  vuestra  reber- 
enda  persona  guarde  fecha  en  san 
lucar  de  barrameda  a  xij  de  Mayo 

“A  lo  que  mandardes 
.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  I\I  Y 
el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“  A1  reberendo  y  deboto  padre  don 
gaspar  en  el  monasterio  de  las  cuebas 
en  sebilla  (1498).  [Lleva  la  carta  al 
principio  estas  cifras:  .15.  q.]” 

VOL,  HI.— g. 


V  M.kL» 

and  beg  you  as  a 
favour  to  aid  me  with  your  prayers, 
from  which  I  derive  great  strength. 
May  our  Lord  guard  your  Reverend 
person.  Done  at  San  Lucar  de  Bar¬ 
rameda  May  12. 

“Yours  to  command. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
el  Almirante. 

[Address] 

“To  the  Reverend  and  Devout 
father  Don  Gaspar  in  the  monastery 
of  Las  Cuevas  at  Seville  (1498). 
[The  letter  bears  at  the  beginning 
this  contraction:  .15.  q.]” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  131 

NO.  VII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
FATHER  DON  CASPAR  GORRICIO 

Both  Bartolome  de  las  Casas  and  Peter  Martyr  are  agreed 
that  the  day  of  departure  for  this  little  fleet  was  May  30,  1498. 
Thus  the  purpose  of  the  Admiral  of  leaving  San  Lucar  on  the 
morrow,  May  29,  was  modified  by  some  unexpected  circum¬ 
stance.  The  Admiral  expresses  himself  as  well  equipped  in  the 
matter  of  ships  and  provender,  but  sadly  deficient  in  arms  and 
defences.  Off  the  Cape  of  Saint  Vincent,  or  within  the  Mediter¬ 
ranean  side  of  the  Straits,  at  no  great  distance  away,  he  knew 
a  vigilant  and  powerful  enemy  awaited  him,  and  he  does  not 
fail  to  condemn  those  who  have  sent  him  off  unprotected.  Thir¬ 
teen  sail  comprise  the  French  fleet,  while  on  board  the  six  or 
eight  ships  of  his  own  fleet  are  neither  artillery  nor  protecting 
arms.  However,  the  leader  of  this  latter  is  a  born  sailor, — a 
trained  captain.  While  the  enemy  is  cruising  around  to  the 
southward  to  prevent  his  reaching  the  Canaries,  to  which  they 
knew  all  Spanish  vessels  bound  for  Espanola  first  turned  their 
prows,  the  Admiral  slipped  out  due  westward  and  made  for  the 
island  of  Madeira.  Strategy  carries  farther  and  straighter  than 
a  Lombard,  or  even  an  Armstrong  gun.  And  so  Columbus 
arrived  safely  at  the  Madeiras,  and  from  there  made  his  way 
with  at  least  six  of  the  ships  to  the  Canaries. 


No.  VII.  Holograph  Letter,  Signed  by  Christopher  Columbus,  to  Father  Don  Caspar  Gorricio. 

[Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


134 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“Reberendo  y  deboto  padre — 
Despues  de  escrito  ?  no  parti  a  cabsa 
de  la  carga  y  gente  que  aqui  me 
recrecio  tanto  que  los  nabios  eran 
innabegables  y  a  esa  causa  tom6  una 
nao  y  tenia  alibiado  en  ella  ya  gran 
parte  y  despues  compre  vna  carabela 
en  palos  y  el  juebes  vino  y  luego  la 
carge  y  estoy  agardando  tiempo  el 
qual  desque  de  ali  parti  nunca  hizo 
para  nabegar  antes  tan  contrario 
como  si  fuera  en  deciembre  saluo  el 
lunes  y  ese  dia  salio  vn  nabio  de 
palos  que  yba  a  lixboa  cargado  de 
trigo  y  el  miercoles  le  tomaron  los 
franceses  al  cabo  de  san  vicente  y  oy 
echaron  la  gente  del  en  tierra  aqui 
en  Rota  y  venieron  ame  avisar  como 
estan  agardando  por  my  y  que  seran 
xiij  naos. 


VII. 

T  ranslation 

VII. 

“Reverend  and  devout  father: — 
“Since  writing  you  I  have  not 
started  on  account  of  the  cargo  and 
people  which  have  increased  to  such 
an  extent  here  that  the  vessels  were 
unnavigable.  On  that  account  I 
took  a  vessel  and  had  already 
loaded  a  great  part  upon  it  and  then 
bought  a  caravel  in  Palos.  It  came 
Thursday  and  I  loaded  it  imme¬ 
diately  and  now  I  am  awaiting  the 
weather,  which  since  I  left  there 
[Palos]  was  never  so  unfavourable 
for  navigation,  as  if  it  were  in  De¬ 
cember,  except  Monday,  and  on  that 
day  a  vessel  started  from  Palos, 
which  was  going  to  Lisbon  laden 
with  wheat  and  Wednesday  the 
French  captured  it  off  the  end  of 
Cape  San  Vincent  and  to-day  they 
put  the  people  from  this  vessel  on 
land  here  in  Rota,  and  they  came  to 
me  to  advise  me  that  they  [the 
French]  were  waiting  for  me  and 
that  there  would  be  thirteen  vessels. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


135 


“yo  voy  muy  bien  atabiado  en 
gran  manera  en  quanto  a  lo  que  toca 
al  nabegar,  mas  muy  desatabiado  de 
para  gerra  que  non  se  puede  dezir 
peor  y  perdone  Dios  a  quien  ha  sido 
causa  dello  que  cierto  yo  non  tengo 
armas  ny  artilleria  .  .  .  ni  le 

puedo  haber. 

“yo  partire de  manana  [con  ayuda] 
de  nro.  Sor.  si  el  tiempo  lo  consin- 
tiera  el  nos  guie  y  a  el  os  pido  por 
merced  que  nos  encomendeis  el  qual 
aya  siempre  vuestra  reberenda  per¬ 
sona  en  su  Santa  guardia.  fecha  en 
san  lucar  a  xxviii  de  Mayo,  al 
padre  priol  y  a  todos  estos  debotos 
religiosos  me  encomiendo.  A  lo  que 
mandardes. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“Al  reberendo  y  muy  deboto 
padre  don  gaspar  en  el  monasterio 
de  las  cuebas  sebilla  (1498.) 

“[En  el  principio,  la  cifra  .15.  q.]” 


VII  a. 

“  I  am  going  very  well  prepared  to 
a  great  extent  in  regard  to  what 
concerns  navigation,  but  very  poorly 
prepared  for  war,  so  that  it  cannot 
be  said  to  be  worse,  and  may  God 
pardon  those  who  have  been  the 
cause  of  it,  for  certainly  I  have  no 
arms  or  artillery  .  .  .  nor  can  I 

have  them. 

“  I  shall  start  to-morrow  [with  the 
aid]  of  our  Lord  if  the  weather  per¬ 
mits  it.  May  He  guide  us  and  I  beg 
you  as  a  favour  to  commend  us 
to  Him.  May  He  continually  have 
your  reverend  person  in  His  holy 
keeping.  Done  in  San  Lucar  May 
28.  To  the  father  Prior  and  to  all 
those  devout  monks  I  commend  my¬ 
self. 

“Yours  to  command. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Address] 

“  To  the  reverend  and  very  devout 
father  Don  Gaspar  in  the  monastery 
of  Las  Cuevas,  Seville  (1498.) 

[At  the  beginning,  the  contraction : 

•15-  q-]” 


136  Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  VIII.  HOLOGRAPH  DOCUMENT  WRITTEN  BY  COLUMBUS 

This  document  also  is  without  date.  It  apparently  was 
written  by  Columbus  while  in  Spain,  and  as  it  speaks  of  four 
ships  being  at  the  island  of  Espanola,  it  must  be  subsequent  to 
the  second  outward  voyage.  But  here  again  the  date  can  be 
more  eloseh^  fixed.  It  will  be  recalled  that  on  the  oecasion  of 
this  exploration  of  Cuba  in  the  spring  of  1494,  the  Admiral  had 
a  caravel  called  La  Nina.  This  vessel  was  also  sometimes  ealled 
the  Santa  Clara.  On  the  third  voyage,  in  the  summer  of  1498, 
Columbus  sailed  into  the  Gulf  of  Paria  with  three  ships,  one  of 
the  two  earavels  having  the  name  La  Vacchina,  as  given  by 
Ferdinand  Columbus  in  the  Historie.  We  imagine  the  name  of 
this  ship  in  Spanish  was  La  Vaquenos,  and  that  it  was  this  very 
vessel  mentioned  by  the  Admiral  in  this  letter  as  being  then  in 
Espanola.  The  Sovereigns  and  the  Admiral  owned  the  Nina  in 
common.  The  Vaquenos  belonged  to  a  widow  in  Palos.  When 
Columbus  went  to  San  Domingo  after  his  exploration  of  the 
Gulf  of  Paria,  we  hear  no  more  of  the  Vacchina.  It  will  be  re¬ 
membered  that  when  the  Admiral  was  taken  home  in  chains  he 
was  on  board  the  caravel  Gorda,  of  which  Andres  Martin  de  la 
Gorda  was  master.  We  may  assume  that  the  Vacchina  was  left 
at  Espanola  for  the  service  of  the  colonists,  and,  if  this  is  so, 
we  may  at  least  fix  the  date  of  this  letter  as  between  November 
20  or  25,  1500, — when  the  Admiral  arrived  at  Cadiz, — and  May 
9,  1502,  when  he  set  out  on  his  fourth  and  last  voyage.  We 
think  it  possible  still  further  to  narrow  the  period  within  which 
it  was  written.  The  reference  to  the  furnishings  for  horses, 
without  suggesting  the  exportation  of  the  animals  themselves, 
indieates  a  condition  of  colonisation  in  which  those  beasts,  so 
terrifying  to  the  natives,  had  long  been  on  the  island.  They 
had  outworn  their  trappings,  and  hence  we  may  assume  they 
had  already  been  some  years  in  the  New  World. 

The  Father  Fray  Juan,  mentioned  in  the  letter,  we  imagine 
to  be  Fray  Juan  de  Trasierra,  a  religiose  of  the  Order  of  San 
Franeisco.  This  priest,  it  will  be  remembered,  carried  a  com¬ 
munication  to  the  Admiral  from  the  Sovereigns,  dated  Madrid, 
May  26,  1499.  As  Columbus  was  much  interested  in  the  Order 
of  San  Franeisco,  it  is  likely  he  was  on  terms  of  friendship  with 
this  particular  priest.  A  Fray  Juan  Franees,  el  Bermejo, — 


137 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

Rubicundus,  to  distinguish  him,  perhaps,  from  a  brother  of  the 
same  name  darker  in  complexion, — was  authorised  by  a  cedula, 
dated  at  Madrid,  May  21,  1499,  to  go  to  the  New  World  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  other  Fray  Juan  Frances  and  several  other  priests. 
Perhaps  this  second — or  the  dark-complexioned  Fray  Juan 
Frances — is  identical  with  Fray  Juan  de  Trasierra  mentioned 
above. 

The  strongest  proof  as  to  the  approximate  date  of  the  writing 
lies  in  the  tone  of  the  letter  itself.  It  is  the  letter  of  a  man  of 
affairs,  bound  to  give  intelligent  aid  to  his  Sovereigns  in  their 
management  of  their  new  possessions.  But  it  is  the  letter  of 
an  official  who  has  been  discharged,  a  deputy  ruler  who  has 
been  deposed.  He  says: 

“  Likewise  a  conscientious  person  is  necessary  to  see  that  justice  is  done 
to  every  one  and  that  all  are  treated  as  they  should  be :  for  if  those  who  are 
noiv  in  power  continue  in  authority  henceforward,  I  say  that  not  only  the 
Christians  but  likewise  the  Indians  will  leave  the  country,  because  both 
are  treated  more  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  cruelty  than  according  to 
reason  and  justice.” 

It  would  seem  that  the  Admiral  was  alluding  to  Francisco  de 
Bobadilla  and  to  those  holding  office  under  him.  The  allusion 
could  hardly  be  to  Ovando,  as  the  letter  only  reached  Espahola 
on  April  15,  1502,  and  the  Admiral  started  on  his  last  expedition 
on  May  9,  1502,  thus  not  leaving  any  time  either  to  hear  news 
of  the  new  Governor  or  for  the  latter  to  make  any  record  favour¬ 
able  or  unfavourable,  although  the  title  of  Governor  was  for¬ 
mally  conferred  upon  him  only  on  September  3,  1501.  Las 
Casas  tells  us  the  appointment  of  Don  Nicolas  de  Ovando,  Com¬ 
mander  of  Lares,  of  the  Order  of  Alcantara,  was  determined 
upon  at  some  time  during  the  year  1500.  As  this  appointment 
would  have  been  known  to  the  Admiral  by  rumour,  if  not  actu¬ 
ally  commiunicated  to  him  by  the  Sovereigns,  we  must  fix  the 
date  of  this  letter  as  previous  to  the  appointment  of  Ovando. 
We  may  then  assign  the  year  1500  as  the  period  within  which 
this  letter  was  written  to  the  Sovereigns  of  Spain, — a  letter 
written  in  a  spirit  of  great  magnanimity  by  a  faithful  servitor 
who  had  been  most  shamefully  requited. 

There  is  one  characteristic  of  greatness  which  is  revealed  in 
this  letter  as  possessed  by  Columbus  in  common  with  other 


138  Christopher  Columbus 

great  men  of  history.  This  is  the  capacity  to  consider  a  multi¬ 
tude  of  trivial  details  in  the  midst  of  matters  of  vastly  larger 
importance.  The  skilful  juggler  tosses  into  the  air  at  one  and 
the  same  time  a  bit  of  paper,  a  sharpened  dagger,  a  heavy  iron 
ball,  and  controls  their  movements  with  ease  and  accuracy. 
So  some  minds  will  deal  at  one  and  the  same  moment  with 
weight}^  affairs,  with  dangerous  complications,  and  with  trifles 
light  as  the  thoughts  of  youth.  Delicacy  of  touch  relieves  the 
heavier  muscles  and  strengthens  them  against  employment. 
We  have  before  us  at  this  moment  a  holograph  document  of 
George  Washington,  written  the  night  before  his  inauguration 
as  first  President  of  the  United  States, — a  most  momentous 
event,  when  the  air  was  surcharged  with  ceremonial  excitement, 
when  the  world  was  to  behold  a  new  government  try  its  earliest 
wings,  and  in  which  document  this  greatest  of  Americans  care¬ 
fully  notes  in  a  lengthy  list  what  shirts,  what  hose,  what  ker¬ 
chiefs  are  to  find  their  way  to  the  cleansing  bath.  And  so  with 
the  First  Admiral  of  the  Indies.  In  the  midst  of  most  exciting 
and  interesting  events,  no  detail  was  so  small  as  to  escape  his 
eye.  Until  the  end  of  his  days  this  grasp  of  the  minutias  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  characteristics  of  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus,  that  individual  who  planned  and  carried  to  successful  issue 
the  vastest  project  ever  known  to  man. 


t 


IIIA 


140 


I4I 


VIII.  Holograph  Document  of  Columbus,  Signed.  Memorandum  of  Things  to  be  Taken  to  the  Indies. 
[Archives  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  History  at  Madrid.] 


142 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

T  ransliteration 

“Vuestras  altegas  mandaron  que 
se  fysiese  memorial  delas  co-//sas 
que  eran  menester  para  ser  baste- 
sidas  las  yndias  y//  segund  my 
parescer  es  menester  lo  syguiente// 
'  primeramente// 

seys  navios  para  quatrofientos  o 
quinientos  hombres  que  son//  me¬ 
nester  para  sojudgar  la  ysla  espanola 
se-//gund  my  parescer.  y  destos 
ay  en  la  dicha  ysla  quatro//  navyos 
los  dos  son  de  vuestras  altejas.  y 
elluno//  que  se  llama  la  nina  es  la 
meytad  de  vuestras  al-Z/tegas  y  la 
meytad  mio.  el  otro  que  se  llama 
la//  vaquenos  es  la  meytad  de  vues¬ 
tras  altegas  &  la  otra  la//  meytad  de 
vna  byuda  vesyna  de  palos// 

“y  destos  dos  navios  que  fait  an 
para  ser  seys  es  me-//nester  scan  de 
giento  &  veytte  toneles  cada  vno// 
por  suplir  la  falta  delos  otros  que 
son  mas  pe- 


VIII. 

Translation 

VIII. 

“Your  Highnesses  ordered  that  a 
statement  should  be  made  of  all  the 
things  necessary  for  the  provision¬ 
ing  of  the  Indies,  and  in  my  opinion 
the  following  is  necessary: 

in  the  first  place 

six  vessels  for  four  hundred  or  five 
hundred  men,  which  in  my  opinion 
are  necessary  for  the  subjugation  of 
the  island  of  Espanola.  And  of  this 
number,  there  are  in  the  said  island 
four  ships,  of  which  two  belong  to 
your  Highnesses:  and  of  one,  which 
is  called  the  Nina,  one  half  belongs 
to  your  Highnesses  and  one  half  be¬ 
longs  to  me :  half  of  the  other,  which 
is  called  the  Vaquenos ,  belongs  to 
your  Highnesses  and  the  other  half 
to  a  widow  residing  in  Palos. 

“And  it  is  necessary  that  the  two 
ships  which  are  lacking  to  complete 
the  number  of  six  should  be  each 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons  bur¬ 
den,  to  make  up  for  the  deficiency  of 
the  others,  which  are  smaller: 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


143 


//quenos.  y  seran  mas 
baratos  conprar  que  no  fletar-//los. 
y  ansy  niesmo  los  maryneros  que 
sean  a-//vydos  asueldo  y  no  por  su 
flete  porque  sera  mas//  barato  y 
mejor  servydos.// 

“y  para  los  abituallar  y  ser  la 
gente  mantenida  es//  menester  que 
sea  desta  manera  la  tercia  parte  de 
vys-//cocho  que  sea  bueno  y  byen 
sazonnado.  y  que  no  sea  ane-//jo 
porque  se  pyerde  la  mayor  parte 
dello.  y  la  ter-//cya  parte  que  sea 
de  faryna  salada.  y  que  se  sale  al// 
tiempo  de  moler  y  la  tercia  parte  en 
trigo.// 

“mas  es  menester  vyno.  y  tosino. 
y  aseyte.  y//  vynagre  &  queso.  & 
garvansos.  &  lantejas.  &  havas. 
&//  pescado  salada.  &  redes  para 
pescar.  &  miel.  &  aros.//  &  al- 
mendras.  &  pasas.// 

“mas  para  los  navios  ser  repar¬ 
ados  es  menester//  pes.  &  estopa. 
&  clavos.  &  sevo.  &  manquetas. 
&//  fyerro.  &  ferreros.// 


VIII. 

and 

it  will  be  cheaper  to  buy  them  than 
to  charter  them;  and  in  the  same 
manner  the  sailors  should  be  en¬ 
gaged  at  fixed  wages  and  not  other¬ 
wise,  because  it  will  be  cheaper  and 
secure  better  service. 

“And  for  the  victualling  and 
maintenance  of  the  people  it  is 
necessary  that  the  third  part  be  bis¬ 
cuit,  which  should  be  good  and  well 
seasoned;  and  it  must  not  be  old 
because  the  greater  part  of  it  will  be 
lost.  And  a  third  part  must  be  of 
salted  flour,  which  must  be  salted  at 
the  time  of  grinding;  and  a  third 
part  must  be  wheat. 

“Furthermore,  wine  is  necessary, 
and  bacon  and  oil,  and  vinegar  and 
cheese  and  peas  and  lentils  and 
beans  and  salted  fish,  and  nets  for 
fishing,  and  honey,  and  iron  hoops 
and  almonds  and  raisins. 

“  Furthermore,  for  the  repairing  of 
the  ships  pitch  is  necessary  and  tow 
and  nails  and  tallow  and  iron  and 
hardware. 


VIII  b 


144 


Vlllb. 


145 


J 


Christopher  Columbus 


146 


“mas  entre  la  gente  que  fuere  en 
los  iia\-io5  son  me-//nester  estos. 
ofyciales  que  son  calafates.  &  car- 
p^mte-/  ros.  Sz  toneleros.  &  asser- 
radores  &  ferrador.  «S:  syherras// 
e  se  Uevar  es  mas  barato.// 

“y  mas  es  menester  que  los  navios 
que  fueren  que  Ueven//  ganado  ans}* 
ovejuno  como  vacuno  &  cabruno. 
y// esto  que  sea  nuevo.  ypuedenlo 
tomar  de  las  yslas//  de  canaria 
porque  se  abra  mas  barato.  &  es 
mas/7  gerca.// 

“es  mas  menester  que  se  Here 
para  su  vistuario  liengo//  &  pano  & 
calgado.  filo.  agujas.  fusta.  cana- 
maso  //  bonetes.  &  para  los  cavallos 
syUas  &  frenos.  &  e5-//puelas.// 

“es  mas  menester  para  los  nayvos 
que  fueren  como//  para  la  gente  que 
alia  resydiere  ansy  armas  Ion-// 


VIII  b. 

“Furthermore  among  the  people 
who  go  on  the  ships,  the  following 
are  necessar}- ;  artisans  who  are 
calkers,  and  carpenters  and  coopers 
and  saw\-ers  and  blacksmiths;  and 
it  is  cheaper  to  cany  saws. 

“And  furthermore  it  is  necessaiy 
that  the  ships  which  go  shall  earn,' 
domestic  animals,  ewes  as  well  as 
black  cattle  and  goats,  and  these 
must  be  young:  and  they  can  be 
taken  from  the  Canaiy  Islands  be¬ 
cause  they  are  cheaper  there  and 
those  islands  are  nearer. 

“And  it  is  furthermore  necessan,' 
that  for  the  clothing  of  the  people, 
linen  should  be  taken  and  cloth  and 
foot-gear;  thread,  needles,  woollen 
cloth,  canvas  and  caps ;  and  for  the 
horses  saddles  and  bridles  and  spurs. 

“And  furthermore,  it  is  necessaiy 
for  the  ships  which  go  there  as  well 
as  for  the  people  who  reside  there  to 
take  arms:  Lombardy  guns 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


147 


bardas  para  los  navios.  &  langas. 
&  espadas.  &pu-//dales.  &  valles- 
tas.  &  madexuelas  para  las  valles-// 
tas.  &  almacen  para  las  vallestas// 

“ansy  mesmo  delas  cosas  que  son 
menester  para  curar//  los  enfermos 
el  padre  fray  Juan  enformara  a  vues- 
tras//  altegas  de  lo  que  sera  menes¬ 
ter// 

“sy  estas  cosas  suso  dichas  se 
ovieren  de  dar  por  ragion//  es  mene¬ 
ster  que  sea  puesta  vna  persona  de 
buena//  conciengia  para  que  de  a 
cada  vno  su  derecho  no  quitandole// 
nada  que  le  pertenesge.  &  sy  se 
acordare  que  no  sea//  por  racion  es 
menester  que  les  haga  alia  algima// 
pagua  de  su  sueldo  en  dineros  para 
que  lo  aj'a  de//  comprar// 

“ansy  mesmo  es  menester  vna 
persona  que  sea  de//  buena  cons- 
zienzia  y  guarde  a  cada  uno  su  jus- 
tizia//  y  que  los  trate  ansy  como  es 
menester  por  que  sy  los//  que  oy  lo 
tienen  lo  poseen  de  aqui  adelante  no 
digo  los// 


VIII  b. 

for  the 

ships:  and  lances  and  swords  and 
daggers  and  crossbows  and  their  ap¬ 
purtenances  and  ammunition  for  the 
men. 

“  Likewise  in  regard  to  the  things 
which  are  necessar\'  to  cure  the  sick, 
the  father  friar  Juan  will  inform 
your  Highnesses  of  what  is  needed. 

“  If  these  things  aforesaid  are  to 
be  given  out  as  rations,  a  conscien¬ 
tious  person  will  be  necessary-  for  the 
distribution  so  that  each  one  may  be 
given  his  own  and  not  be  deprived 
of  what  belongs  to  him:  and  if  it  is 
decided  not  to  give  them  out  as 
rations  it  is  necessar}-  that  payment 
shall  be  made  to  each  person  in 
money  from  their  wages,  that  they 
may  be  able  to  buy  the  said  articles. 

“Likewise  a  conscientious  person 
is  necessary*  to  see  that  justice  is 
done  to  ever\-  one  and  that  all  are 
treated  as  they  should  be;  for  if 
those  who  are  now  in  power  continue 
in  authority  henceforward,  I  say 
that  not  only  the 


> 


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149 


Christopher  Columbus 


150 


christianos  mas  los  yndios 
dexaran  la  tierra  porque//  son  tra- 
tados  ansy  los  unos  como  los  otros 
mas//  syguiendo  la  crueldad  que  la 
razon  y  justizia  y  por//  que  ay 
muchos  de  los  que  alia  estan  que 
querran  abezyn-//dar  es  menester 
quel  quel  tal  cargo  llevare  lle-//ve 
poder  para  los  fajer  aquel  partido  y 
dar  li-//bertad  segun  viere  es  me¬ 
nester.// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
:Xpo  Ferens.// 


VIIIc. 

Christians  but 

likewise  the  Indians  will  leave  the 
country,  because  both  are  treated 
more  in  accordance  with  the  dictates 
of  cruelty  than  according  to  reason 
and  justice;  and  as  many  of  those 
who  are  on  the  island  would  like  to 
settle  there  it  is  necessary  that  the 
person  exercising  such  authority  be 
provided  with  the  power  to  make 
arrangements  to  that  effect  and  give 
exemption,  according  as  he  may  see 
that  it  is  advisable. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

:Xpo  Ferens.// 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


151 


“memorial  del  almirante  a  sus 
altegas : 

“  vino  a  Valladolid  ano  de  .  . 


VIII  d. 

“Memorandum  of  the  Admiral  to 
their  Highnesses: 

“He  came  to  Valladolid  the  year 

of  .  . 


I 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


153 


NO.  VIIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS 
TO  FATHER  DON  CASPAR  GORRICIO 

The  Admiral  is  with  the  Court  at  Granada  and  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  Sovereigns.  There  has  been  a  reaction  of  the  feeling 
against  him.  The  sight  of  the  great  Discoverer  brought  home 
in  chains  a  few  months  back  had  revived,  especially  with  the 
Queen,  sentiments  of  gratitude  and  affection.  After  all,  he  it 
was  who  gave  the  New  World  to  Castile.  Absent,  the  Sove¬ 
reigns  might  forget  him.  But  present,  with  the  rough  marks  of 
the  irons  still  upon  his  wrists,  his  marvellous  services  move  the 
King  and  Queen  to  kindly  and  grateful  remembrance. 

From  the  first  ]3aragraph  of  this  letter,  and  from  the  fact  that 
Father  Don  Caspar  Gorricio  was  trained  in  ecclesiastical  and 
civil  law,  we  imagine  the  allusion  may  be  to  the  celebrated  legal 
opinion  as  to  his  rights,  of  which  Columbus  often  spoke  and 
which  a  year  later  he  had  copied  and  inserted  in  his  Book  of 
Privileges.  This  document,  whatever  it  may  be,  is  important 
and  is  to  be  copied  in  a  fair  round  hand.  In  a  letter  of  later 
date  we  will  see  that  Camacho  is  himself  a  copyist,  and  is 
recommended  as  competent  to  transcribe  a  certain  valuable 
paper. 


VIIII. 


154 


VIIII. 


IS5 


No.  VIIII.  Holograph  Letter,  Signed  by  Christopher  Columbus,  to  Father  Don  Caspar  Gorrtcio. 

[Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


156 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“Reberendo  y  muy  deboto  padre, 
sus  cartas  receby  con  el  criado  de 
camacho.  el  plazer  y  descanso  que 
5'o  receby  con  ellas  nro.  Sor.  lo  sabe, 
en  espicial  en  la  composicion  de 
aquela  escritura,  la  qual  viene  pro- 
prio  fixada  para  tan  altos  principes, 
yo  he  acordado  de  os  la  tornar  a  en- 
biar  para  que  se  escriua  en  letra  mas 
redonda  como  senor  la  sabeys  bien 
hazer,  y  non  os  la  enbio  con  este  por 
que  yo  descanso  en  lerle  y  pudera 
ser  que  ansi  la  amuestre  a  s.a.  por 
que  sey  que  habla  plazer. 


“  el  lo  de  los  negocios  de  las  yndias 
non  se  ha  entendido  ni  entiende,  non 
por  mal  nuestro,  saluo  por  bien.  y 
de  mys  fechos  si  yo  non  os  escriuo 
por  menudo  lo  que  se  pasa  non  os 
debeys  marabillar  por  que  ay  cosas 
que  non  son 


VIIII. 

Translation 

VIIII. 

“Reverend  and  very  devout  father; 

“I  received  your  letters  by  the 
servant  of  Camacho.  Our  Lord 
knows  the  pleasure  and  relief  which 
I  received  by  their  coming,  espe¬ 
cially  from  the  composition  of  that 
document  which  came  drawn  up  in 
a  manner  proper  for  such  exalted 
princes.  I  have  decided  to  send  it 
back  to  you  again  that  it  may  be 
written  in  a  more  rounded  hand,  as 
a  gentleman  well  knows  how  to  do. 
I  do  not  send  it  with  this  letter  be¬ 
cause  I  am  relieved  by  reading  it 
and  it  might  be  that  I  can  show  it  to 
her  Highness  thus,  because  I  know 
that  she  will  be  pleased. 

“The  affair  of  the  Indies  has  not 
been  agreed  upon  nor  is  it  agreed 
upon,  not  to  our  detriment  but 
rather  to  our  benefit.  If  I  do  not 
write  you  frequently  in  regard  to 
what  takes  place  in  my  affairs,  you 
must  not  wonder  at  it,  because  there 
are  matters  which  are  not 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  157 


de  encomendar  a  la  pen- 
dula,  solamente  digo  que  debeys  de 
estar  alegre  y  contento  pues  que 
nro.  Sor.  es  de  nuestra  parte  y  S.A. 
el  otro  dia  os  escriuy  de  vm  libro  de 
los  viajes  de  las  yndias  que  os  enbie 
con  ballester.  folgaria  de  saber  si  le 
teneis.  non  mas  saluo  que  me  en- 
comiendo  a  vuestras  debotas  ora- 
ciones  las  quales  creo  que  munca 
cesan  y  ansi  soy  consolado  con  ellas 
por  que  todo  el  bien  y  descanso  de- 
piende  de  aquel  verdadero  redemp- 
tor  nuestro.  pena  receby  de  lo  cjue 
me  escriuistes  y  despues  consolacion 
con  la  repuesta  del  padre  priol.  en 
todo  se  dara  remedio.  fecha  oy 
viernes  xxvi  de  febrero  en  Granada. 


“  A  lo  que  vuestra  reverencia  man- 
dare. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“A1  reberendo  y  muy  deboto 
padre  fray  don  gaspar  en  las  cuebas 
en  sebilla. 

[En  las  espaldas] :  “  Recebida  en 
iiij  de  mar^o  de  1501.  [A1  principio 

lleva  la  cifra  .15.  q.]” 


VIIII. 

to  be  de¬ 
layed.  I  only  say  to  you  that  you 
must  be  joyful  and  contented  since 
our  Lord  is  on  our  side  and  her  High¬ 
ness  wrote  you  the  other  day  about 
a  book  of  the  voyages  of  the  Indies, 
which  1  sent  you  by  Ballester.  She 
wotlld  be  pleased  to  know  if  you 
have  it.  No  more,  save  to  com¬ 
mend  myself  to  your  devout  prayers, 
which  I  believe  never  cease,  and  so 
I  am  consoled  by  them,  for  all  good 
and  tranquillity  is  dependent  upon 
our  true  Redeemer.  I  was  pained 
by  what  you  wrote  me  and  after¬ 
wards  consoled  by  the  reply  of  the 
father  Prior.  Reparation  will  be 
made  for  everything.  Done  to-day, 
Friday,  the  26th  of  February  in 
Granada. 

“At  the  command  of  your  Rever¬ 
ence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Address] 

‘  ‘  To  the  reverend  and  very  devout 
father  Friar  Don  Gaspar  at  Las 
Cuevas  of  Seville. 

[On  the  back];  “Received  March 
4,  1501.  [At  the  beginning  it  bears 
the  contraction;  .15.  q.]’’ 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  159 

NO.  X.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  FATHER 

DON  GASPAR  GORRICIO 

This  letter,  hitherto  unknown  to  historians,  might  be  cited 
as  confirming  their  views  by  those  who  impute  a  bitter  enmity 
between  the  Admiral  and  the  Bishop  of  Palencia,  Juan  Rodri¬ 
guez  de  Fonseca.  We  confess  we  do  not  see  its  evidence  here. 
That  there  were  differences  may  readily  be  admitted.  By  any 
fair  reading  of  the  Capitulation,  the  Admiral  was  de  jure  Viceroy 
of  the  New  World.  Yet  no  thread  of  actual  management  re¬ 
mained  in  his  hands.  It  is  probable  there  arose  many  questions 
of  policy  relative  to  executive  work  in  Espahola  on  which  these 
two  men  took  opposing  sides.  But  that  Fonseca  hated  and 
persecuted  Columbus  seems  unlikely.  The  assertion  rests  upon 
the  word  of  Ferdinand  Columbus,  then  too  young  to  have  at 
best  more  than  an  impression.  The  language  here  used  shows 
that  the  two  men  had  been  on  good  terms,  and  we  will  see  in 
subsequent  letters  that  they  were  still  friends.  The  trouble 
here  calling  out  the  Queen’s  desire  for  a  reconciliation  between 
the  Admiral  and  the  head  of  the  Indian  Department  was  doubt¬ 
less  temporary  and  not  of  a  vital  character. 

The  Sovereigns,  at  the  city  of  Burgos,  on  April  23,  1497,  au¬ 
thorised  Christopher  Columbus  to  institute  a  Majorat,  or  line  of 
descent  for  his  titles,  rights,  privileges,  powers,  and  estates. 
This  he  accordingly  did  at  Seville  on  February  22,  1498.  Three 
years  passed  and,  being  with  the  Court  at  Granada,  the  Admiral 
has  need  of  a  copy  of  this  important  instrument,  which  is  filed 
in  the  monastery  of  Las  Cuevas.  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio  was 
quick  to  act,  and  we  find  that  in  four  days  from  the  date  of  this 
letter — May  28,  1501 — a  legalised  copy  was  made  by  the  public 
writers,  Alonzo  Lucas,  Juan  Fernandez,  and  Martin  Rodriguez.' 

The  interesting  question  raised  by  Columbus  as  to  the  pro¬ 
priety  or  right  of  a  monk  of  the  order  to  which  Father  Gaspar 
belonged  to  leave  his  monastery  must  have  been  answered  in 
the  affirmative,  as  we  find  the  latter  not  long  after  at  Court  and 
on  the  business  of  the  Admiral. 

^  The  original  is  in  the  archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua.  Navarrete  (vol.  ii.,  p. 
221)  quotes  this  document  in  full. 


i6o 


Holograph  Letter,  Signed  by  Christopher  Columbus,  to  Father  Don  Caspar  Gorricio. 
[Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


i62 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO 

Tra)isliicration 

“  Reberendo  y  muy  deboto  padre, 
aca  nunca  falta  vm  negocio  que  sos- 
pende  los  otros.  la  senora  prin- 
cepsa  partio  en  nombre  de  nro.  Sor. 
crehese  que  agora  se  entendera  en 
las  3’ndias,  s.  a.  son  las  mas  sabios 
princepes  que  jamas  obo.  sus 
grandes  ocupacione  ocupaciones  ban 
sido  causa  que  yo  non  sea  agora  en 
gran  renta  y  este  negocio  en  grande 
prosperidad  y  la  espana  ya  rica.  al 
rebes  se  ha  proveydo  todo  fasta  aqui 
y  agora  mas  que  nunca.  algun  pe- 
cado  nuestro  es  causa  dello. 


“Mucho  he  menester  un  traslado 
abtorizado  de  escriuano  publico  de 
vna  provision  que  ala  esta  por  que 
pueda  yo  hazer  mayorazgo  y  querria 
que  fuese  en  pergamino  marco  de 
bargali  portador  desta  lo  hara  o  gon- 
zalo  camacho,  y 


X. 

Translation 

X. 

“Reverend  and  ver}^  devout  father: 

“An  affair  which  suspends  all 
others  is  never  lacking  here.  The 
Lady  Princess  departed  in  the  name 
of  our  Lord.  It  is  to  be  believed 
that  now  the  affair  of  the  Indies  will 
be  heard.  Their  Highnesses  are  the 
wisest  Princes  that  ever  existed.  It 
has  been  because  of  their  numerous 
occupations  that  I  am  not  now  in 
receipt  of  a  great  rent  and  that  this 
affair  is  not  extremely  prosperous 
and  Spain  already  rich.  Every¬ 
thing  has  resulted  to  the  contrary  up 
to  the  present,  and  now  more  than 
ever.  Some  sin  of  ours  is  the  cause 
of  it. 

“I  am  greatly  in  need  of  an  au¬ 
thorised  copy  made  by  a  notary  pub¬ 
lic  of  a  provision  which  is  there  [in 
Las  Cuevas]  authorising  me  to  estab¬ 
lish  a  majorat,  and  I  would  like  to 
have  it  on  parchment.  Marco  de 
Bargali,  the  bearer  of  this  letter,  will 
do  it ,  or  Gonzalo  Camacho ,  and 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  163 


despues  de  sacado, 
bueluan  el  original  a  vos  Senor,  para 
que  quede  adonde  esta  y  lo  otro  tra- 
heran.  Vnas  cartas  mensajeras  de 
s.  a.  estan  ali  en  que  me  escriuan 
y  prometen  mercedes  y  acrescenta- 
miento.  si  non  recibis  Senor  pena 
esbiame  el  traslado  dellas.  vuestras 
cartas  todas  recebi  con  el  plazer  que 
suelo.  el  libro  os  enbie  con  mycer 
Francisco.  en  el  mio  non  se  hizo 
despues  nada  a  causa  de  vnas  callen- 
turas.  la  Reyna  m.  s.  enbio  a  dezir 
que  folgaria  que  yo  me  conformase 
con  el  senor  obispo  y  que  si  obiese 
debate  que  s.  a.  seria  tercero.  el  fue 
para  flandes  y  al  tiempo  de  su  par- 
tida  me  vino  ver.  algunas  cosas  quer- 
ria  que  supiesdes  mas  non  por  carta 
ny  tercero  y  ansi  se  quedan.  nro. 
Sor.  vuestra  reberenda  persona 
guarde. 


“vm  debate  obo  aqui  que  vna  re- 
ligioso  de  vuestra  orden  non  puede 
salir  para  yr  a  Roma  ny  a  otras 
partes  pidos  por  merce  que  me  lo 
digais.  fecha  a  xxiiij  de  Mayo  en 
Granada. 

“Para  lo  que  vuestra  reverencia 
mandare. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“Al  reberendo  y  muy  deboto 
padre  fray  don  gaspar  en  las  cuebas. 

[En  las  espaldas]:  “  Recibida  en 
Sevilla  en  28  del  dicho  mes  e  ano 
1501.  [Al  principio  lleva  la  cifra. 
.6.  f.l” 


X. 

after 

having  drawn  it  up  they  will  return 
the  original  to  you,  Sir,  that  it  may 
remain  where  it  now  is  and  they 
will  bring  the  other.  There  are 
some  letters  of  her  Highness  there  in 
which  she  wrote  me  promising  fav¬ 
ours  and  reward.  If  you.  Sir,  are 
not  troubled  thereby,  send  me  the 
copy  of  them.  I  received  all  your 
letters  with  my  accustomed  pleas¬ 
ure.  I  sent  you  the  book  by  Messer 
Francisco.  Nothing  has  since  been 
done  in  mine  [his  book?]  on  account 
of  some  attacks  of  fever. 

“The  Queen,  my  Lady,  sent  to  me 
to  say  that  she  would  be  pleased  to 
have  me  reconcile  myself  with  the 
Lord  Bishop  and  that  if  there  should 
be  a  discussion,  her  Highness  would 
be  the  intermediary.  He  went  to 
Flanders  and  at  the  time  of  his  de¬ 
parture,  he  came  to  see  me.  There 
are  some  things  of  which  I  would 
like  to  have  you  know  more  but  not 
by  letter  or  intermediary,  and  so 
they  remain.  May  our  Lord  guard 
your  Reverend  person. 

“I  had  an  argument  here  to  the 
effect  that  a  monk  of  your  Order 
cannot  leave  the  monastery  to  go  to 
Rome  or  to  other  places.  I  beg  you 
as  a  favour  to  tell  me  about  it.  Done 
May  24  at  Granada. 

“At  the  command  of  your  Rever¬ 
ence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Address] 

“To  the  reverend  and  very  devout 
father  Friar  Don  Gaspar  at  Las 
Cuevas. 

[On  the  back];  “Received  at  Se¬ 
ville  the  28th  of  the  said  month  and 
year  1501.  [At  the  beginning  it 
bears  the  contraction;  .6.  f.]’’ 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


165 


NO.  XI.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
FATHER  DON  GASPAR  GORRICIO 

As  this  letter  indicates,  the  commission  intrusted  to  this 
good  priest  by  Columbus  was  speedily  executed  and,  probably 
at  some  date  about  a  week  previous,  the  Admiral  received  the 
copy  of  his  Majorat.  We  imagine  the  document  mentioned  as 
composed  by  Father  Gaspar  is  none  other  Ahan  his  opinion  as 
to  the  rights  of  Columbus.  The  Queen  is,  as  ever,  favourable 
to  the  Admiral  and  gives  him  assurance  that  his  titles  and  pre¬ 
rogatives  will  be  maintained. 


i66 


i6S 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

T  ransliteration 

“Reberendo  y  muy  deboto  padre. 
Receb}^  todas  vuestras  cartas  y  el 
traslado  del  mayorazgo.  la  Reyna 
n.  s.  me  disc  que  queria  ver  de 
espacio  vuestra  escritura  la  qual  es 
muy  buena  y  bien  consolatiba.  en 
las  cosas  de  las  indyas  se  intende 
mas  non  hay  fasta  oy  niguna  de- 
terminacion  para  que  yo  os  pueda 
dezir  cosa  cierta,  saluo  que  s.  a.  me  di- 
seron  que  non  me  seria  tocado  de 
my  hazienda  ny  oficios,  es  muy 
cierta  que  merced  esperaba  y»espero. 
en  mi  escritura  non  entendi  despues, 
y  por  esto  non  os  la  enbio.  fray 
pedro  estubo  aqui  y  se  fue.  en  no 
me  dar  el  carta  vuestra  me  parecio 
cosa  nueba  y  quede  sospenso 


XI. 

Translation 

XI. 

“Reverend  and  very  devout  father: 

“I  received  all  your  letters  and 
the  copy  of  the  majorat.  The 
Queen,  our  Lady,  told  me  that  she 
would  like  to  see  your  document  at 
leisure,  which  is  very  good  and  ex¬ 
ceedingly  consoling.  The  affairs  of 
the  Indies  are  more  in  agreement. 
Up  to  the  present  no  determination 
has  been  reached  in  order  that  I  can 
tell  you  anything  certain,  except 
that  her  Highness  told  me  that  my 
property  and  titles  would  not  be 
touched.  It  is  very  sure  that  I  ex¬ 
pected  and  expect  favours.  I  did 
not  occupy  myself  with  my  docu¬ 
ment  afterwards,  and  on  that  ac¬ 
count  did  not  send  it  to  you.  Father 
Pedro  was  here  and  went  away.  It 
appeared  to  me  something  new  when 
he  did  not  give  me  your  letter  and  I 
thus  remained  in  suspense 


The  Handwriting  ol  Columbus 


169 


asi 

como  me  escriuistes,  bien  que  las 
cartas  obiese  yo  a  la  postre.  quisera 
yo  hazer  toda  cosa  que  fuese  vuestro 
plazer  y  del  reberendo  padre  priol  y 
de  todos  esos  religiosos  a  los  quales 
deseo  gontentar  y  hazer  a  todo  su 
mandado.  en  toda  cosa  que  amy 
posible  sea  con  muy  llena  y  buena 
voluntad  en  merced  de  los  quales 
todos  me  encomiendo  y  en  sus  de- 
botas  oraciones.  este  mensajero  va 
de  priesa  de  lo  que  oviere  de  nuebo 
os  escriuyre.  fecha  oy  miercoles  ix 
de  Junyo  a  lo  que  vuestra  r.  a  man- 
dare. 

■S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“A1  reberendo  y  deboto  padre 
fray  don  gaspar  en  las  cuebas  en 
sebilla. 

[En  las  espaldas]:  “Fecha  en 
Granada  en  ix  de  Junio  1501. 
Recibida  en  21  del  dicho  mes.  [A1 
principio  lleva  la  cifra.  .s.  e.]” 


XI. 

until  you 

wrote  me,  although  I  had  the  letters 
at  last.  I  would  wish  to  do  every¬ 
thing  that  might  be  for  your  pleasure 
and  that  of  the  reverend  father  Prior 
and  of  all  those  monks  whom  I  desire 
to  please  and  to  do  their  will  in  every¬ 
thing  which  may  be  possible  for  me 
with  most  entire  good-will.  I  com¬ 
mend  myself  to  the  favour  of  them 
all  and  to  their  devout  prayers.  This 
messenger  goes  in  haste  on  account 
of  what  I  shall  have  new  to  write 
you.  Done  to-day,  Wednesday, 
June  9.  At  the  command  of  your 
Reverence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Address] 

“To  the  reverend  and  devout 
father  Friar  Don  Gaspar  at  Las  Cue¬ 
vas  at  Seville. 

[On  the  back] :  “  Done  in  Granada, 
June  9,  1501.  Received  the  21st  of 
the  said  month.  [At  the  beginning 
it  bears  the  contraction:  .s.e.]” 


1 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


171 


NO.  XII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
FATHER  DON  CASPAR  GORRICIO 

This  letter  is  so  mutilated  that  its  eontinuity  is  broken  be¬ 
yond  our  ability  to  reconstruet  it.  We  simply  assign  it  to  the 
period  in  whieh  the  preceding  letters  were  written,  while  Colum¬ 
bus  was  with  the  Court  at  Granada  in  the  spring  or  early  sum¬ 
mer  of  1501,  and  while  he  was  in  frequent  correspondence  with 
Father  Gaspar  in  Seville. 


17- 


f 

1  . 


5^-., 


i 

f 

K 

k 

- 1 
\ 

I 

I 

'v — I 
) 


1 


^  1 


V.) 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


173 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“Muy  y  deboto  padre.  En 

mucha  merced  receby  .  .  .  carta 
y  lo  que  en  ella  viene,  plega  an.  s.  de 
me  .  .  .  acia  que  yo  pueda  com- 

plir  my  deseo.  yo  veo  y  non  .  .  . 
nuebo  que  teneis  mas  cargo  de  mi 
que  yo  mi[smo]  .  .  .  trabajare 

y  se  hara.  cred  que  es  gran  .  .  . 

nuestro  amigo  y  que  le  parece  que 
todos  .  .  .  venientes  que  le 

vienen  que  sea  por  esto.  fecha  oy. 

.  .  .  para  lo  que  V.  R.  mandare. 


.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  iM  Y 

el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“A1  rev.'^o  y  muy  deboto  padre 
fray  don  gaspar. 

[Maltrada  por  ambas  margenes. 
A1  principio  la  cifra  .15.  q.  Falta 
la  fecha  (1501?).]  ” 


XII. 


Translation 

XII, 

“Very  reverend  and  devout  father: 

“  As  a  great  favour  I  received  .  .  . 
letter  and  that  which  is  contained 
therein,  may  it  please  pur  Lord  to 
.  .  .  me  .  .  .  until  I  can  ful¬ 
fil  my  desire.  I  see  and  not  .... 
new  that  you  have  more  charge  of 
me  than  I  my[self].  ...  I  will 
work  and  it  will  be  done.  Believe 
that  it  is  great  .  .  .  our  friend 

and  that  it  appears  to  him  that  all 
.  .  .  comers  that  come  to  him 

that  it  may  be  for  that.  Done  to¬ 
day.  ...  At  the  command  of 
your  Reverence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 


[Address] 

“  To  the  reverend  and  very  devout 
father  Friar  Don  Gaspar. 

[Mutilated  on  both  margins.  At 
the  beginning  is  the  contraction  : 
.i5.q.  The  date  is  lacking  (1501  ?).]’’ 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  175 


NO.  XIII. 

This  letter  also  we  assign  to  the  period  included  in  the  last 
five.  It  is  endorsed  on  the  back  from  Seville,  which  is  difficult 
to  understand,  since  there  would  be  small  need  of  epistolary 
correspondence  if  both  the  Admiral  and  Father  Gaspar  were  in 
Seville.  However,  the  letter  has  no  importance. 


IIIX 


\ Archives.  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


177 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“  Reverendo  y  muy  devoto  padre. 
El  emboltorio  que  con  este  portador 
me  enviastes  recebi  pidos  por  merced 
que  si  non  le  respondo  agora  a  ello 
que  me  perdone  que  yo  lo  hare  luego 
y  le  enviare  la  respuesta  de  todo  con 
persona  muy  cierta  o  yo  la  lebare. 
fecha  oy  miercoles  a  medio  dia. 

“a  lo  que  vuestra  reverencia 
mandare. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
el  Almirante. 

[Sobre] 

“A1  reverendo  y  muy  deboto 
padre  fray  don  gaspar  en  las  cuebas. 

[En  las  espaldas];  “  De  seuilla  14 
[tachado]  1501.  [A1  principio,  la 

cifra  .15.  q.]” 


XIII. 


Translation 


XIII. 

“Reverend  and  very  devout  father: 

“I  received  the  enclosure  that  you 
sent  me  by  this  bearer.  I  beg  you 
as  a  favour  to  pardon  me  if  I  do  not 
reply  to  it  now,  as  I  will  do  so 
presently  and  will  send  a  reply  to 
everything  by  a  very  safe  person  or 
I  will  take  it.  Done  to-day,  Wed¬ 
nesday,  at  noon. 

“At  the  command  of  your  Rev¬ 
erence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 


[Address]  el  Almirante. 

“To  the  reverend  and  very  devout 
father  friar  Don  Gaspar  at  Las 
Cuevas. 

[On  the  back]:  “From  Seville 
14th  [blotted]  1501.  [At  the  be¬ 
ginning,  the  contraction  .15.  q.]” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  179 

NO.  XIIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  THE 

TREASURER  MORALES 

The  Admiral  writes  this  letter  in  all  probability  from  Gran¬ 
ada.  The  Court  had  long  been  there.  On  the  following  day 
the  Treasurer  Morales  advanced  the  money,  and,  as  the  Treasurer 
usually  followed  the  Court,  the  prompt  answer  indicates  that 
the  several  parties  to  the  transaction  were  in  the  same  city. 

Diego  Tristan  was  captain  of  the  ship  Capitana  on  the 
fourth  voyage.  In  his  interesting  relation,  Diego  Mendez  nar¬ 
rates  how  this  brave  captain  met  his  death  in  the  fulfilment  of 
his  orders.  The  Admiral,  on  April  6,  1503,  was  preparing  to 
depart  with  the  two  ships  remaining  of  the  fleet  from  the  river 
Belem.  Diego  Mendez  and  twenty  of  his  men  were  encamped 
on  the  shore,  guarding  the  effects  of  the  expedition,  when  Diego 
Tristan,  with  two  small  boats  and  twelve  men,  came  from  the 
ships  for  the  purpose  of  getting  water.  There  had  occurred  on 
that  very  day  a  severe  hght  between  the  men  ashore  and  the 
Indians,  and  Mendez  used  every  effort  to  dissuade  Tristan  from 
ascending  the  river.  The  ships  were  greatly  in  need  of  water, 
and  the  latter  decided  to  make  the  attempt.  The  Indians  at 
once  attacked  them  and  Tristan  and  his  devoted  little  band  were 
massacred,  save  one  alone,  who  escaped  to  the  ships. 

It  was  only  on  the  fourth  voyage  that  Columbus  ever  lost  a 
single  man  of  his  many  expeditions.  While  some  were  killed 
on  the  shores  of  Veragua,  they  were  not  in  immediate  charge  of 
the  Admiral  himself.  On  this  particular  occasion  he  was  on 
board  his  ship,  preparing  the  three  remaining  vessels  for  escape 
from  the  unfriendly  shores. 

The  memorandum  made  by  the  Admiral  at  the  bottom  of 
the  letter  shows  that  when,  later,  he  receipted  to  the  Treasurer 
for  150,000  maravedis,  there  were  taken  out  therefrom  the  one 
hundred  Castellanos  here  advanced  by  Morales  in  answer  to  the 
letter. 


XIIII. 


iSo 


XIIII, 


I 


I 


I 

I 


L 


i8  r 


/ 


i 

I 


Holograph  Letter  of  Columbus  Signed  The  Admiral,  Addressed  to  the  Treasurer  Alonzo  de  Morales,  as  Appears  from 
the  Endorsement  by  Diego  1  ristan,  Dated  October  22,  ipoi.  A  Holograph  Document  Accompanies  this  Letter  Explaining  the  Dis¬ 
position  of  Certain  Money.  [Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


i82 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“Muy  virtuoso  senor;  suplico  a 
Vuestra  Merged  que  me  mande  a 
esprestar  cien  Castellanos  de  oro  que 
he  menester  para  my  despacho  de 
aqui  para  yr  a  Sebilla,  y  los  mande 
a  dar  a  Diego  Tristan,  my  mayor- 
domo,  portador  d’  esta,  el  qual  dara 
el  conosgimiento  d’ellos  en  las  espal- 
das  d’esta. 

“Fecha  oy  viernes  .xxii.  de 
otubre.  1501. 

“A  lo  que  Vuestra  Merced  man- 
dare. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
El  Almirante. 


XIIII. 

Translation 

XIIII. 

“Very  Virtuous  sir;  “I  entreat 
Your  Worship  to  send  me  the  loan 
of  100  gold  Castellanos  which  I 
need  here  to  prepare  myself  to  go 
to  Seville,  and  to  send  them  by  Diego 
Tristan,  my  majordomo,  the  bearer 
of  this,  who  will  give  you  the  re¬ 
ceipt  for  them  on  the  back  of  this. 

“Done  to-day,  Friday,  October 
22,  1501. 

“At  the  command  of  Your  Wor¬ 
ship. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
The  Admiral. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


183 


“  En  los  ciento  cinquenta  mil  de 
que  yo  despues  le  di  conoscimiento, 
se  descontaron  estos,  los  quales  .150. 
mil  me  mandaron  a  dar  Sus  Altezas 
por  aiuda  de  custa  en  Sebilla  en 
henero.” 


XIIII  a. 

“From  the  150,000,  for  which  I 
afterwards  gave  him  a  receipt,  these 
were  deducted,  which  150,000  their 
Highnesses  sent  to  give  me,  to  help 
pay  expenses  in  Seville  in  January.’’ 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  185 

NO.  XV.  HOLOGRAPH  DOCUMENT  COPIED  BY  CHRISTOPHER  CO¬ 
LUMBUS  FROM  AN  OPINION  RESPECTING  HIS  LEGAL  RIGHTS 

We  have  three  separate  written  opinions  respecting  the 
legal  rights,  powers,  and  privileges  of  the  Admiral.  These 
differ  in  matter  and  treatment.  The  present  we  are  inclined  to 
regard  as  the  opinion  of  Father  Don  Caspar  Gorricio,  who,  while 
a  priest,  is  believed  to  have  been  trained  in  the  law,  and  to  have 
performed  the  functions  pertaining  to  a  certain  semi-legal  and 
semi-ecclesiastical  office  in  the  Order  to  which  he  belonged.  In 
some  of  his  letters,  Columbus  urges  him  to  send  him  a  copy  of 
his  privileges.  In  a  letter  dated  from  Granada,  February  26 
( 1501 ),  and  written  to  Father  Don  Caspar  Gorricio,  the  Admiral 
acknowledges  the  receipt  of  an  important  document,  for  the 
composition  of  which  he  thanks  the  Father.  This  document 
was  intended  to  be  transmitted  to  the  Sovereigns,  or  at  least  to 
the  Queen;  and  because  it  was  not  in  quite  as  rounded  and 
clerical  a  hand  as  the  Admiral  thought  desirable,  he  returned  it 
to  be  reinscribed.  He  made  a  copy  in  his  own  hand,  and  we 
imagine  this  is  the  paper  we  now  have  before  us.  Manifestly  it 
is  not  as  strong  or  forceful  an  exposition  as  the  document  which 
Columbus  finally  incorjDorated  in  his  Book  of  Privileges  and 
which  defined  his  legal  rights. 

It  is  not  the  clear,  cold  exposition  made  by  a  lawyer  on  an 
abstract  question  of  law.  The  personal,  friendly,  familiar  ele¬ 
ment  is  present.  The  author  is  moved  to  record  the  perils  to 
which  Columbus  and  his  brothers  were  subjected  as  entitling 
him  to  consideration.  He  recites  the  injury  the  Admiral  has 
had  to  his  pride,  to  his  humiliation  at  seeing  the  administration 
of  the  office  in  the  hands  of  another.  Sentiment  is  to  interpret 
his  rights.  Altogether,  it  seems  to  us  the  kind  of  opinion  likely 
to  emanate  from  a  friendly  counsellor  not  very  learned  in  the 
law,  and  yet  not  totally  ignorant  of  its  great  principles.  It, 
of  course,  preceded  the  making  of  the  Book  of  Privileges  and  the 
undertaking  of  the  fourth  voyage.  After  January,  1502,  when 
Columbus  incorporated  into  his  Book  the  fonnal  legal  opinion 
there  expressed,  the  opinion  of  Father  Gaspar,  or  of  the  author 
of  this  document,  would  have  no  value.  Moreover,  if  the  fourth 
voyage  had  already  taken  place,  the  perils  to  which  Columbus 
and  his  brothers  had  been  subjected  would  have  been  made  to 
include  the  younger  son  Ferdinand,  who  was  with  his  father  on 
his  final  expedition. 


AX 


iS? 


i\0.  A I  .  Holograph  Document  Copied  by  Columbus  from  an  Opinion  Regarding  his  I^egal  Rights,  not  Signed. 

[Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


Christopher  Columbus 


i8S- 


NO.  XV. 


Transliteration 

“En.  nombre  del  almirante  de  las 
y  ndias : 

“digo  que  al  tiempo  que  el  vino 
a  s.a.  con  la  impresa  de  las  yndias, 
que  el  demandaba  por  vm  memorial 
muchas  cosas  y  fray  juan  perez  y 
mosen  coloma,  los  quales  entendian 
en  esto  por  mandado  de  s.a.  le  con- 
certaron  que  le  fiziesen  su  almirante 
de  las  yslas  y  tierra  firme  que  desco- 
briesen  en  la  mar  oceana,  y  non  de 
la  mar,  saluo  de  la  tierra  [del  mar 
oceano  el  qual  marcaron  por  una 
linea  que  pasa  de  septentrion  en 
abstro  de  las  yslas  del  cabo  verde 
aquelas  de  los  agores  de  polo  a  polo] 
con  todas  las  mercedes,  e  segun 
tiene  el  senor  almirante  de  la  mar  de 
Castilla  el  dicho  oficio  en  su  distrito. 

“ytem  que  el  dicho  almirante 
fuese  visorrey  y  gobernador  general 
de  todas  las  islas  y  tieras  firmes  que 
son  [al  poniente  de  la  dicha  linea] 
en  el  mar  oceano,  y  que  proveyese 
de  todos  los  oficios  en  la  mar  y  en  la 
tierra. 

“ytem  porque  el  dicho  almirante 
decia  que  lo  que  s.a.  daban  al  senor 
almirante  de  castilla,  que  era  poco, 
diziendo  que  el  yba  a  poner  su  per¬ 
sona  a  ventura  y  gastaba  sus  dineros 
y  daba  las  yndias  a  s.a.  que  dellas 
mesmas  demandaba  satisfacion,  que 
le  diesen  mas  el  diezmo  de  todo,  y 
plugo  a  s.a.  sacan  do  pero  las  custas. 

“  ytem  suplico  a  s.a.  que  le  desasen 
poner  juez  aca  para  entender  en  las 
cosas  de  las  yndias:  respondieron 
que  sf,  si  pertenecia  al  tal  oficio  de 
almirante  y  si  fuese  justo. 


XV. 

Translation 

“In  the  name  of  the  Admiral  of  the 
Indies: 

“  I  say  that  at  the  time  he  came  to 
your  Highness  with  the  undertaking 
of  the  Indies, that  hedemanded  many 
things  by  a  memorandum  and  Friar 
Juan  Perez  and  Mosen  Coloma,  who 
by  command  of  your  Highness  were 
employed  in  this  matter,  agreed  with 
him  that  they  would  make  him  your 
Admiral  of  the  islands  and  main¬ 
land  which  he  might  discover  in  the 
Ocean-sea,  and  not  of  the  sea,  save 
of  the  land  [of  the  Ocean-sea  which 
they  marked  by  a  line  which  passes 
from  north  to  south  from  the  Cape 
Verde  islands  [to  ?]  those  of  the 
Azores  from  pole  to  pole],  with  all 
the  privileges,  and  according  as  the 
Lord  Admiral  of  Castile  possesses 
the  said  office  in  his  territory. 

“Item,  that  the  said  Admiral 
should  be  Viceroy  and  Governor 
General  of  all  the  islands  and  main¬ 
lands  which  are  [to  the  west  of  the 
said  line]  in  the  Ocean-sea,  and  that 
he  should  profit  by  all  the  offices  on 
sea  and  on  land. 

“Item,  as  the  said  Admiral  said 
that  what  was  given  to  the  Lord  Ad¬ 
miral  of  Castile  was  of  small  account, 
stating  that  he  was  going  to  put  his 
life  in  danger  and  was  spending  his 
moneys  and  giving  the  Indies  to  your 
Highness,  he  demanded  in  satisfac¬ 
tion  for  this  that  furthermore  the 
tenth  of  everything  should  be  given 
to  him,  and  it  pleased  your  Highness, 
first  deducting  the  costs  however. 

“Item,  he  entreated  your  High¬ 
ness  to  allow  him  to  place  a  judge 
there  to  arrange  the  affairs  of  the 
Indies:  they  replied  yes,  if  it  be¬ 
longed  to  the  said  office  of  Admiral 
and  if  it  was  just. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


189 


“ytem  porque  aca  se  decia  que 
esta  impresa  hera  burla,  suplico  el 
dicho  almirante  a  s.a.  que  le  desasen 
contribuir  la  ochava  parte  en  el 
gasto  que  se  fiziese  entonces,  y  des¬ 
pues  ansi  para  siempre  y  que,  oviese 
el  la  ochava  parte  de  todo  lo  que 
resultase  de  las  dichas  armadas,  y 
plugo  a  s.a.  como  mas  largo  todo  lo 
susodicho  parece  por  el  asiento. 


“sus  altezas  mandaron  por  su  in- 
struccion  y  priuilegios  que  el  dicho 
almirante  fuese  a  ganar  yslas  y  tier- 
ras  firmes.  plugo  a  nro.  sefior  que 
las  gano  y  tiene  puestas  debaso  su 
real  senorio. 

“S.a.  mandaron  al  sor.  almirante 
de  mar  de  castilla  que  diese  un 
traslado  abtorizado  de  sus  priuile¬ 
gios  al  dicho  almirante  de  las 
yndias  por  que  por  el  le  pudiesen  dar 
lo  que  le  pertenecia  del  almirantado 
de  las  yndias  [cobrar  y  haber  las 
mercedes  en  el  almirantado  de  las 
yndias  que  ha  tiene  el  en  el  de  cas¬ 
tilla]  que  s.a.  le  queria  mandar  a  dar. 


“  en  el  privilegio  del  sor.  almirante 
de  castilla  esta  asentado  que  haya  el 
y  Hebe  la  tercia  parte  de  todas  las 
ganancias  que  el  ficiere  y  otras  pre- 
heminencias,  como  en  el  parece. 

“el  almirante  de  las  yndias  asento 
con  s.a.  que  el  fuese  almirante  de  las 
yslas  y  tierra  firme  que  se  desco- 
briesen  en  la  mar 


XV. 

“Item,  because  it  was  said  here 
that  this  undertaking  would  be  a 
hoax,  the  said  Admiral  entreated 
your  Highness  to  allow  him  to  con¬ 
tribute  the  eighth  part  of  the  ex¬ 
pense  which  should  be  then  incurred, 
and  in  the  same  manner  afterward 
forever,  and  that  he  should  have  the 
eighth  part  of  all  that  should  result 
from  the  said  fleets,  and  it  pleased 
your  Highness,  as  all  the  aforesaid 
appears  more  at  length  by  the  con¬ 
tract. 

“Their  Highnesses  ordered  by 
their  instructions  and  privileges  that 
the  said  Admiral  should  go  to  gain 
islands  and  mainlands.  It  pleased 
our  Lord  that  he  gained  them  and  he 
has  placed  them  under  your  Royal 
dominion. 

“  Her  Highness  ordered  the  Lord 
Admiral  of  the  sea  of  Castile  that  he 
should  give  an  authorised  copy  of 
his  privileges  to  the  said  Admi¬ 
ral  of  the  Indies  in  order  that  by 
means  of  that  they  could  give  him 
what  pertained  to  him  from  the 
Admiralship  of  the  Indies  [to  re¬ 
cover  and  possess  the  prerogatives 
in  the  Admiralship  of  the  Indies 
which  the  Admiral  of  Castile  has  and 
possesses  in  that  of  Castile],  which 
Her  Highness  desires  to  order  to 
be  given  him. 

“In  the  privilege  of  the  Lord  Ad¬ 
miral  of  Castile  it  is  agreed  that  he 
is  to  have  and  enjoy  the  third  part 
of  all  the  gains  which  he  shall  make 
and  other  pre-eminences,  as  appears 
in  the  privilege. 

“The  Admiral  of  the  Indies  agreed 
with  her  Highness  that  he  should 
be  Admiral  of  the  islands  and  main¬ 
land  which  should  be  discovered  in 


Christopher 


Columbus 


190 


oceana,  asi  3'  por 
la  guisa  que  es  .  .  .  la  mar  de 

Castilla,  se^’endo  terceros  fra}'  juan 
perez  y  mosen  coloma,  que  en  satis- 
facion  de  su  servicio  oviese  el  la 
tercia  parte  de  todo  lo  que  el  ganase, 
3'  s.a.  asenaladmente  le  mandaron 
que  fuese  a  ganar  3"slas  y  tierra 
firme ;  ha  de  liaber  la  tercia  parte  de 
todo  }'■  esto  es  el  principal  que  s.a. 
asento  y  le  dieron. 

“  3'tem  mas  ha  de  haber  el  diezmo 
de  todo,  sacado  pero  las  custas. 

“ytem  porque  el  contribuyo  des- 
del  primer  viaje  fasta  el  postrero  en 
todos  los  gastos  y  custas 


XV. 

the  Ocean-sea  in  the  same  manner 
and  form  as  is  .  .  .  the  sea  of 

Castile,  Friar  Juan  Perez  and  Mosen 
Coloma  being  the  intermediaries: 
that  in  satisfaction  for  his  service  he 
should  have  the  third  part  of  all  that 
he  gained  and  their  Highnesses  sig¬ 
nally  ordered  him  to  go  and  gain 
islands  and  mainland :  he  is  to  have 
the  third  part  of  everything  and 
this  is  the  principal  thing  that  their 
Highnesses  agreed  and  that  they 
gave  him. 

“Item,  further  he  is  to  have  the 
tenth  of  everything,  after  the  ex¬ 
penses  are  deducted. 

“Item,  as  he  contributed  from 
the  first  voyage  until  the  last,  to  all 
the  costs  and  expenses 


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Christopher  Columbus 


que  se  han 

fecho  desdel  ano  de  92  que  el  desco- 
brio  las  dichas  yslas  y  tierra  firme 
fasta  agora  que  las  acabo  de  poner 
debase  su  real  senorio,  en  fletes  de 
nabios,  en  sueldo  de  marinerose,  en 
todas  las  mercadurias  que  se  ban 
lebado  y  gastado  y  en  el  sueldo  de  la 
gente  de  gerra  que  han  estado  en  la 
dicha  conquista,  en  todo  ha  con- 
tribuydo  y  puesto  su  persona  tanto 
tiempo  en  tantos  perigos  y  de  sus 
hermanos.  es  verdad  que  s.a.  le 
han  fecho  merced  y  ajuda  en  la 
dicha  contribucion,  porque  fasta  oy 
non  ha  recibido  ninguna  cosa  de 
renta  ny  de  provecho  por  razon  del 
dicho  tercio  ny  ochavo  ni  diezmo: 
tiene  y  ha  de  haber  el  ochavo  de 
todo  lo  que  hay  y  habra  en  las  dichas 
yslas  y  tierra  firme,  lo  cual  con  el 
diezmo  aclaro  s.a.  en  Burgos  por  in- 
tercesion  de  don  Aluaro  de  portugal 
y  el  dotor  de  talauera  y  juan  de  la 
parra.  non  entendieron  en  el  tercio 
porque  non  tenian  el  priuilegio  del 
senor  almirante  de  castilla,  por  lo 
qual  le  enbiaron  a  mandar  que  lo 
diese. 


“digo  que  el  dicho  almirante 
descobrio  y  gano  a  s.a.  las  yslas  y 
tiera  firme  que  son  alien  de  la  linea 
sobredicha  en  la  mar  oceano  y  las 
han  habido  por  su  mano  e  industria 
y  son  senores  dellas,  de  las  quales 
non  lo  eran  antes,  por  que  en  su 
mano  estaba  del  dicho  almirante, 
despues  de  dios  nro.  Sor.  de  las  dar 
a  qualquier  princepe  con  quien  el  se 


XV  b. 

which  have 

been  incurred  from  the  year  ’92 
when  he  discovered  the  said  islands 
and  mainland  until  now  when  he 
has  finished  placing  them  beneath 
your  Royal  dominion,  for  fleets  of 
vessels,  for  wages  of  sailors,  for  all 
the  merchandise  which  has  been 
carried  and  expended  and  for  the 
payment  of  soldiers  who  have  taken 
part  in  the  said  conquest,  as  he  has 
contributed  to  everything  and  has 
so  many  times  placed  his  person  in 
so  many  dangers,  as  well  as  the  per¬ 
sons  of  his  brothers — it  is  true  that 
their  Highnesses  have  granted  him 
favour  and  aid  in  the  said  contribu¬ 
tion — and  as  up  to  the  present  he 
has  not  received  anything  in  rent  or 
profit  on  account  of  the  said  third  or 
eighth  or  tenth,  he  has  and  is  to 
have  the  eighth  of  everything  which 
there  is  and  will  be  in  the  said  is¬ 
lands  and  mainland  in  regard  tO' 
which  [together  with  the  tenth]  he 
explained  to  their  Highnesses  in 
Burgos  by  means  of  Don  Alvaro  de 
Portugal  and  the  Doctor  Talavera 
and  Juan  de  la  Parra.  They  did 
not  understand  about  the  third  as 
they  did  not  recall  the  Privileges  of 
the  Lord  Admiral  of  Castile, on  which 
account  they  sent  to  him  to  order 
that  it  should  be  given  to  him. 

“I  say  that  the  said  Admiral  dis¬ 
covered  and  gained  for  their  High¬ 
nesses  the  islands  and  mainland 
which  are  beyond  the  aforesaid  line 
in  the  Ocean-sea  and  they  have  pos¬ 
sessed  them  by  reason  of  his  hand 
and  industry  and  are  Lords  over 
them,  which  they  were  not  pre¬ 
viously,  for  it  was  in  the  power  of 
the  said  Admiral,  after  God,  our 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  195 


concertase,  y  pues  ya  son  ganadas 
y  el  abenturo  su  persona  y  de  sus 
hermanos  y  vino  de  tan  leysos  a 
seruir  s.a.  y  ha  gastado  xvij  anos 
los  mejores  de  su  vida,  en  ello,  sin 
ningun  probecho  fasta  agora,  le 
pertenece  y  ha  de  haber  la  tercia 
parte  y  la  ochava  parte  y  la  decima 
parte  de  todo  ello  y  de  cuanto  ha  en 
las  dichas  yslas  y  tierra  firme,  por- 
que  ellas  ya  estan  ganadas,  y  todo  lo 
que  de  aqui  en  adelante  se  ficiere  ya 
non  es  para  las  ganar,  solamente  es 
para  las  grangear  y  haber  provecho 
dellas. 


“y  en  todos  los  gastos  que  se 
ficieren  el  contribuyra  y  protesta  de 
contribuir  en  lo 


XV  b. 

Lord,  to  give  them  to  any  Prince 
with  whom  he  might  come  to  an 
agreement,  and  since  they  are  al¬ 
ready  gained  and  he  has  risked  his 
person  and  the  persons  of  his 
brothers  and  since  he  came  from 
such  a  distance  to  serve  their  High¬ 
nesses  and  has  spent  seventeen  years, 
the  best  of  his  life,  in  this  affair 
without  any  profit  up  to  the  present 
time,  it  belongs  to  him  and  he  is  to 
have  the  third  part  and  the  eighth 
part  and  the  tenth  part  of  every¬ 
thing  and  of  whatever  there  is  in 
the  said  islands  and  mainland,  for 
they  are  already  acquired,  and  all 
that  is  to  be  done  from  now  hence¬ 
forth  will  not  be  for  the  purpose  of 
acquiring  them,  but  is  only  to  ob¬ 
tain  profits  and  benefits  from  them. 

“And  in  all  the  expenses  which 
shall  be  incurred  he  will  contribute 
and  gives  assurance  that  he  will  con¬ 
tribute 


Christopher  Columbus 


1 96 


que  fuere  obligado 
para  sostener  lo  que  esta  ganado  y 
hauer  su  parte. 

“ytem  digo  que,  segun  el  asiento 
del  dicho  almirante  de  las  yndias,  se 
intende  que  el  ha  de  regir  y  governar 
las  dichas  yslas  y  tierras  como  al¬ 
mirante  visorrey  y  governador,  y 
non  otra  persona,  y  que  si  algo 
oviese  que  prover  en  la  justicia  o 
hazienda,  que  el  ha  de  hazer  un 
memorial  dello  y  le  despachar  con 
s.a.  como  fasta  aqui  ha  fecho,  y 
complir  la  instrucion  que  dello  le 
mandaran  a  dar  s.a.,  y  no  otra  per¬ 
sona,  porque  alien  de  estar  ansi  por 
asiento,  es  justo  que  el  lo  haga,  por 
la  parte  que  en  esta  negociacion 
tiene,  y  el  qual  non  acebtara  de 
tomar  esta  inpresa  si  el  non  la  oviera 
de  regir  governar,  porque  non  es- 
perara  de  haber  della  nada,  ny  que 
nadi  tubiera  sofrimiento,  ny  se 
abenturara  a  le  llegar  al  cabo  como 
se  ha  yspirimentado,  que  ha  seys 
anos  que  la  sostiene  por  fuerfa  con 
mucho  perigo  de  su  persona  alia  y 
mucha  desajuda  aca,  porque  alia  y 
aca  todos  dezian  que  era  burla,  ansi 
que  non  governando  el  recibe  agra- 
bio  y  dano  en  sus  oficios  y  hazienda 
y  non  se  lieba  la  forma  del  capitu- 
lado. 


XV  b, 

whatever  shall  be  necessary 
to  sustain  what  is  acquired  and  to 
have  his  part. 

“  Item,  I  say  that  according  to  the 
contract  of  the  said  Admiral  of  the 
Indies,  it  is  understood  that  he  is  to 
rule  and  govern  the  said  islands  and 
lands  as  Admiral,  Viceroy  and  Gov¬ 
ernor  and  no  other  person,  and  that 
if  he  has  to  prove  anything  in  the 
matter  of  justice  or  of  property,  he 
must  make  a  memorandum  of  it  and 
despatch  it  to  their  Highnesses  as  he 
has  done  up  to  the  present  time  and 
fulfil  the  instructions  which  their 
Highnesses  shall  send  and  give  to 
him  in  regard  to  it,  and  no  other 
person;  for,  besides  having  been 
thus  agreed  upon  it  is  just  that  he 
should  do  this  on  account  of  the 
part  which  he  has  in  this  affair  and 
as  he  would  not  have  agreed  to  un¬ 
dertake  this  enterprise  if  he  was  not 
to  rule  and  govern  because  he  would 
not  otherwise  expect  to  receive  any¬ 
thing  from  it  or  that  any  one  should 
have  tolerance  nor  would  he  have 
ventured  to  carry  it  to  an  end  as  has 
been  done.  He  has  continued  in 
this  condition  for  six  years  with 
much  danger  to  his  person  there  and 
much  hindrance  here,  because  both 
yonder  and  here  every  one  said  that 
it  was  a  hoax,  so  that  in  not  acting 
as  governor  he  is  injured  and  dam¬ 
aged  in  his  offices  and  property  and 
the  form  of  the  capitulation  is  not 
carried  out. 


igS 


199 


>’ 


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:l.l  u>  1 1 


kXA^St 

I'Trl  ^ 

V  /  4  -/i  <  \  >  \ 

1^  ?  ,t  f  :> 

!  U 

■d  <  U 

:; ■  ■  i  .  '  'V?v  M 


200 


Christopher  Columbus 


“Si  s.a.  hazen  mercedes  en  las 
dichas  yslas  y  tierras  firmes  o  dan 
franquezas  sin  consentimiento  del 
dicho  ahnirante,  o  non  saluan  en 
ellas  la  parte  que  le  pertenece  y 
manda  que  le  acudan  con  ella,  y  a  el 
dan  puder  para  la  tomar,  recibe 
agravio  y  s.a.  son  obligados  a  le 
satisfazer  todo;  ysi^le  quitan  de  la 
posesion  del  gobierno  y  se  perdie- 
sen  las  dichas  yslas  y  tierra  firme  o 
recibiese  daho,  s.a.  son  obligados  por 
ello. 


“Si  s.a.  enbian  o  dan  licencia  a 
niguna  persona  que  vaya  adentro  el 
dicho  almirantado  a  descobrir  ny 
rescatar  en  absencia  del  dicho  almir- 
ante,  recibe  agrabio  en  la  hacienda 
y  en  sus  oficios,  porque  de  todo  el 
mueble  que  es  alien  de  la  sobredicha 
linea  en  las  yslas  y  tierra  firme  tiene 
la  tercia  y  ochava  y  dezena  parte,  y 
s.a.  se  la  deben  mandar  a  dar  des¬ 
pues  de  bueltos,  porque  todo  esta 
ganado  y  debaso  su  real  senorio. 


“por  los  priuilegios  y  cartas  de 
s.a.  manda  y  dizen  que  non  se  in- 
tenda  en  cosa  tocante  a  la  dicha  ne- 
gociacion  sin  el  almirante  de  las 
yndias. 


XV  c. 

“  If  their  Highnesses  grant  privi¬ 
leges  in  the  said  islands  and  main¬ 
lands  or  give  franchises  without  the 
consent  of  the  said  Admiral,  or  do 
not  reserve  the  part  which  belongs 
to  him  and  order  that  it  shall  be 
bestowed  upon  him  and  give  him 
power  to  take  it,  he  receives  injury 
and  their  Highnesses  are  obliged  to 
satisfy  him  for  everything:  and  if 
they  take  from  him  the  possession 
of  the  governorship  and  the  said 
islands  and  mainland  should  be 
lost  or  he  should  be  damaged,  their 
Highnesses  are  under  obligation  for 
it. 

“If  their  Highnesses  send  or  give 
licence  to  any  person  to  go  into  the 
said  Admiralship  to  make  discov¬ 
eries  or  barter  in  the  absence  of  the 
said  Admiral  he  is  damaged  in  his 
property  and  in  his  offices  because 
of  all  the  properties  which  are  be¬ 
yond  the  aforesaid  line  on  the  is¬ 
lands  and  mainland  he  has  the 
third  and  eighth  and  tenth  part  and 
their  Highnesses  must  order  that  it 
shall  be  given  to  him  after  the  re¬ 
turn  of  such  persons,  because  every¬ 
thing  is  gained  and  under  their  royal 
dominion. 

“By  the  privileges  and  letters  of 
their  Highnesses  they  order  and  say 
that  no  subject  respecting  the  said 
business  shall  be  agreed  upon  with¬ 
out  the  consent  of  the  Admiral  of 
the  Indies. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


201 


“s.a.  agora  que  son  descobiertas 
las  yndias  y  pasado  el  peligro,  fizie- 
ron  merced  a  algunas  personas  que 
fuesen  a  tratar  en  ellas  y  que  fuese 
suyo  de  seys  parte  las  cinco,  y  la 
sexta  parte  quedase  para  s.a.  y  mas 
le  dieron  gobernacion  de  las  tierras. 
Recibe  el  almirante  en  ello  grande 
agravio. 

“s.a.  no  dieron  al  almirante  de 
las  yndias  saluo  la  tercia  parte,  y  la 
decena  a  el  que  fue  a  le  ganar  y  des- 
cobrir  las  yndias  contra  la  opinion 
de  todo  el  mundo,  y  el  cual  fizo  la 
meytad  del  gasto  y  puso  su  persona, 
porque  s.  a.  para  este  negocio  no  le 
quisieron  dar  mas  de  vm  cuento,  y  a 
el  fue  necesario  de  prouer  de  medio, 
porque  non  abastaba  para  tal  fecho; 
ansi  que  recibe  agrabio  y  le  debe  de 
ser  acudido  con  su  parte,  y  de  aqui 
en  adelante  le  deben  de  ser  guarda- 
das  sus  preheminencias,  porque, 
como  dicho  es,  en  todo  el  mueble  de 
las  yslas  y  tierra  firme  tiene  el 
tercio,  ochaba  y  diezmo  ya  ganado. 


XV  c. 

“Now  that  the  Indies  are  discov¬ 
ered  and  the  danger  is  passed,  their 
Highnesses  granted  permission  to 
some  persons  to  go  and  trade  in  the 
Indies  and  that  out  of  six  parts,  five 
should  belong  to  them  and  the  sixth 
part  should  belong  to  their  High¬ 
nesses  and  furthermore  they  gave 
them  government  over  the  lands. 
By  this,  the  Admiral  received  a  very 
great  injury. 

“Their  Highnesses  only  gave  the 
third  and  the  tenth  part  to  the  Ad¬ 
miral  of  the  Indies, — he  who  went 
to  acquire  and  discover  the  Indies 
against  the  opinion  of  all  the  world, 
and  who  advanced  half  of  the  costs 
and  risked  his  person,  for  their 
Highnesses  would  not  give  over  a 
million  for  this  affair  and  he  was 
obliged  to  provide  a  half  million,  as 
a  million  was  not  enough  for  the 
undertaking.  Thus  he  is  injured 
and  his  part  ought  to  be  bestowed 
upon  him  and  from  now  henceforth 
his  pre-eminencies  ought  to  be 
guarded,  because,  as  has  been  said, 
out  of  all  the  riches  of  the  islands 
and  mainlands  he  has  the  third, 
eighth  and  tenth,  already  acquired. 


202 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  203 


“s.  a.  dan  a  hojeda  y  a  vicente 
eanes  y  a  otros  de  seys  partes  de  lo 
que  ovieren  en  las  yndias  las  cinco, 
y  la  governacion  de  las  tierras. 
grande  diferencia  va  en  esto  que 
agora  que  las  yndias  estan  desco- 
biertas  y  nabegadas  y  pasado  los 
perigos  a  quando  fue  el  almirante  a 
las  descobrir,  de  que  dezia  todo  el 
mundo  qtxe  era  burla  y  emposible,  y 
non  le  dieron  saluo  la  tercera  parte 
y  el  diezmo,  que  por  el  ochavo  fue 
como  compania. 

[On  the  back :] 

“Traslado  del  concierto  que  fizie- 
ron  frey  juan  peres  e  monsen  coloma 
sobre  las  cosas  que  demandaua  el 
senor  almirante  al  tiempo  que  vino  a 
sus  al.  con  una  petitio  para  ellos 
sobre  los  agrauios  que  recibio  &” 


XV  d. 

“Their  Highnesses  give  to  Hojeda 
and  to  Vincente  Yanez  and  to  others 
five  parts  out  of  six  of  what  they 
shall  obtain  in  the  Indies  and  the 
government  over  the  lands.  There 
is  a  great  difference  in  this  now  that 
the  Indies  are  discovered  and  navi¬ 
gated  and  the  dangers  are  passed 
from  the  time  when  the  Admiral 
went  to  discover  them  when  all  the 
world  said  that  it  was  a  hoax  and 
impossible  and  they  only  gave  him 
the  third  and  the  tenth  part,  because 
the  eighth  was  a  matter  of  partner¬ 
ship. 

“Copy  of  the  agreement  which 
father  Juan  Perez  and  Mosen  Co¬ 
loma  made  in  regard  to  the  things 
which  the  Lord  Admiral  demanded 
at  the  time  when  he  came  to  their 
Highnesses  with  a  petition  for  them 
about  the  injuries  that  he  received 
and  ” 


204 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XVI.  HOLOGRAPH  DOCUMENT  OF  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS, 
BEING  A  COPY  OF  AN  OPINION  RELATIVE  TO  HIS 
RIGHTS,  POWERS,  AND  PRIVILEGES 

This  document — for  although  it  has  the  form  of  a  letter,  it 
is  simpl}^  a  cop}^  of  a  letter  and  therefore  a  document — begins 
with  a  contracted  fonn  of  the  invocation  so  often  employed  by 
Columbus — Ihcsus  cum  Maria  sit  nobis  in  via — May  Jesus 
with  Mary  be  with  us  on  the  way!  The  remainder  of  the 
document  seems  to  be  a  copy  of  a  letter  sent  the  Admiral  by 
some  lawyer  whose  opinion  had  been  desired  relative  to  his 
rights  and  privileges  under  the  Capitulation  and  supplementary 
grants  made  him  by  the  Sovereigns.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  whoever  wrote  this  opinion  had  before  him  the  originals  or 
attested  copies  of  the  several  Royal  Cedulas,  and,  moreover, 
had  an  intimate  knowledge  of  Columbus  and  his  accomplished 
work.  He  had  before  him  a  copy  of  the  Pope’s  Bull,  and  he 
interpreted  it  to  mean  that  the  Spanish  rights,  and  therefore 
the  rights  of  Columbus,  began,  not  one  hundred  leagues  west  of 
the  Azores,  but  directly  after  leaving  the  Azores,  and  that  the 
line,  or  the  pair  of  lines,  were  drawn  from  the  islands  of  the 
Cape  Verde  group  to  those  of  the  Azores.  The  points  of  his 
case  are  admirably  set  forth  by  the  lawyer:  Columbus  was  to 
be  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea,  with  all  the  rights,  titles,  privi¬ 
leges,  and  emoluments  attaching  to  the  office  of  High  Admiral 
of  Castile,  the  principal  feature  of  which  was  the  right  to  one 
third  of  all  that  should  be  found,  discovered,  or  acquired:  he 
was  to  be  Viceroy  of  the  New  World,  with  power  to  govern  and 
to  fill  all  offices:  he  was  to  have  the  right  to  administer  civil, 
military,  and  criminal  justice  with  sovereign  power:  he  was  to 
have  one  tenth  of  all  that  was  acquired  in  the  regions  over 
which  he  had  control,  after  the  expenses  had  been  deducted: 
he  was  to  have  one  eighth  of  everything  obtained  from  any 
fleet  going  to  the  New  World,  provided  he  had  contributed  one 
eighth  of  the  cost.  These  were  his  rights,  and  their  strict  en¬ 
forcement  was  what  he  demanded  of  the  Sovereigns.  The  law¬ 
yer  then  undertakes  to  show  how  this  partnership  is  to  be 
construed  and  the  shares  of  the  Admiral  determined.  He  in¬ 
forms  Columbus  that  he  is  entitled  to  his  several  proportions  of 
the  gains  as  if  each  were  independent  of  the  other :  that  is  to  say, 


205 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

if  the  whole  profits  are  represented  by  twelve  hundred  pieees 
of  money,  one  third  goes  to  him  under  the  clause  respecting  the 
privileges  of  the  High  Admiral,  thus  giving  him  four  hundred 
pieces :  one  tenth  goes  to  him  under  the  provisions  of  the  Capitu¬ 
lation,  thus  bringing  to  him  in  this  instance  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pieces:  one  eighth  goes  to  him,  assuming  he  contrilDuted 
one  eighth  of  the  original  expense,  thus  making  his  third  source 
of  revenue  contribute  one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces:  the  sum 
total,  then,  of  this  supposititious  transaction  would  give  the  one 
partner — Columbus — 670  pieces,  and  the  Spanish  Crown — the 
other  partner — 530  pieces.  Apparently,  when  the  Sovereigns 
granted  Columbus  the  privileges  and  the  emoluments  of  the 
office  of  High  Admiral,  they  were  not  cognisant  of  the  provision 
relative  to  the  one  third  part  of  the  profit,  or  else  they  con¬ 
strued  this  one  third  as  confined  to  gains  on  the  sea.  The 
legal  advisers  of  the  Crown,  even  if  they  had  to  admit  the  legal¬ 
ity  of  the  claim  of  Columbus  as  to  the  one  third  share,  insisted 
that  of  the  net  profits  one  tenth  should  first  be  deducted,  and 
from  the  sum  remaining  the  eighth  should  be  subtracted,  while 
from  the  result  thus  obtained  the  one  third  should  be  taken. 
In  this  way  the  somewhat  larger  share  would  go  to  the  Crown. 

The  reader  will  find  in  the  Book  of  Privileges  a  very  elaborate 
legal  opinion  as  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  Admiral.  It 
may  be  a  finished  argument  of  which  this  was  the  first  draft. 
It  deals  in  legal  terms  and  pronounces  legal  aphorisms.  Among 
these  latter  and  as  a  propos  of  the  method  to  be  employed  in 
dividing  the  profits,  he  quotes  the  sentiment  dear  to  the  heart  of 
the  courtier, — beneficia  Principum  sunt  latissime  inter pretanda 
— the  favours  of  Princes  are  to  be  most  liberally  interpreted. 
That  the  Sovereigns  were  most  liberally  disposed  is  evident  from 
their  releasing  the  Admiral  for  three  years  from  furnishing  his 
eighth  of  the  cost,  while  still  permitting  him  one  eighth  of  the 
profits.  After  all,  however  careless  or  prodigal  the  King  and 
Queen  had  been,  and  however  great  the  services  rendered  by 
the  Sovereigns,  a  Royal  partnership  with  a  naturalised  subject, 
in  which  the  latter  secures  a  larger  share  of  j^rofit  than  the 
former,  seems  incongruous  and  unfair. 


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No.  X\l.  Holograph  Document  uf  Columbus,  being  a  Copy  of  an  Opinion  Relative  to  his  Rights,  Powers,  and  Privileges. 

About  End  of  ijoi.  [Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


2o8 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

T  raiislilcratioji 

“  Ihesus  cum  Maria  sit  nobis  in  via. 

“jMagm'fico  senor:  por  vuestro 
privilegio  y  capitulafion  parece  que 
Sus  Altezas  os  fizieron  su  almirante 
del  mar  Oj^ano,  el  qual  fizieron 
marcar  por  una  raya  que  pasa  de 
las  yslas  del  Cabo  Verde,  aquelas  de 
los  Afores,  de  polo  a  polo,  con  todas 
las  merfedes  y  honrras  que  ha  y 
tiene  el  senor  almirante  de  Castilla 
en  su  distrito. 

“Vten,  fizieron  merged  a  Vuestra 
Senoria  de  visorey  y  governador 
general  de  todas  las  yslas  y  tierra 
firme  que  se  aya.  descobierto  y  se 
descobriere  allende  la  dicha  raya,  y 
le  fizieron  merged  de  todos  los 
ofigios  de  governagion  de  las  dichas 
yslas  y  tierra  firme. 

“Yten,  le  hizieron  merged  del 
diezmo  de  todo  lo  que  se  oviere  en  el 
dicho  almirantado,  sacado  primero 
las  custas. 

“Yten,  le  hizieron  merged  de  la 
ochaba  parte  de  todo  lo  que  resul- 
tase  de  qualquera  armada  que  par’ 
alia  se  fiziese,  habiendo  Vuestra 
Senon'a  contribmdo  la  ochaba  parte 
del  gasto. 

“  Parege  por  las  confirmaciones  de 
vuestros  privilegios  que  habeys  des¬ 
cobierto  las  yslas  y  tierra  firme  de 
las  Yndias,  y  que,  si  algo  se  des- 
cobre,  que  es  por  vuestra  yndustria, 
ny  se  puede  para  con  Vuestra 
Senoria  llamar  descobrir,  porque  vos 
descobristes  las  Yndias  sobre  que 
era  la  profia,  sobre  la  qual  ansi 
sabios  de  letras  en  tierra,  como  la 
gente  de  la  mar,  todos  fueron  con- 
trarios  a  vuestra 


XVI. 

Translation 

XVI. 

“Ihesus  cum  Maria  sit  nobis  in  via. 

“Magnificent  Lord:  it  appears  by 
your  privilege  and  capitulation  that 
their  Highnesses  made  you  their 
Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea,  which 
they  caused  to  be  marked  by  a  line 
which  passes  from  the  islands  of 
Cape  Verde  to  those  of  the  Azores, 
from  pole  to  pole,  with  all  the  fav¬ 
ours  and  honours  which  the  Lord 
Admiral  of  Castile  has  and  possesses 
in  his  territory. 

“  Item,  they  made  your  Lordship 
Viceroy  and  Governor-General  of 
all  the  islands  and  mainland  which 
may  have  been  discovered  and  shall 
be  discovered  beyond  the  said  line, 
and  they  granted  you  the  privilege 
of  all  the  offices  of  government  of 
the  said  islands  and  mainland. 

“Item,  they  granted  you  the 
privilege  of  the  tenth  of  all  that 
shall  be  acquired  in  the  said  Admir- 
alship,  the  expenses  first  having 
been  deducted. 

“Item,  they  granted  you  the 
privilege  of  the  eighth  part  of  every¬ 
thing  that  shall  be  obtained  from 
any  fleet  which  shall  be  fitted  out  to 
go  there,  your  Lordship  having  con¬ 
tributed  the  eighth  part  of  the  cost. 

“It  appears  by  the  confirmation 
of  your  privileges  that  you  have  dis¬ 
covered  the  islands  and  mainland  of 
the  Indies,  and  that  if  anything  shall 
be  discovered  it  is  through  your 
efforts,  neither  can  it  be  called  dis¬ 
covery  in  comparison  with  ^mur 
Lordship  because  you  discovered 
the  Indies,  upon  which  question 
there  was  dispute  and  upon  which 
question  the  learned  men  on  land  as 
well  as  the  seamen  were  all  opposed 
to  your 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


209 


opinion,  y  todos 
dezian  que  era  burla,  y  que  Dios 
nunca  habia  dado  ah'  tierra;  ansi 
que  non  descobren  para  con  Vuestra 
Senon'a,  salvo  que  van  6  pueden  yr 
adonde  non  aya  andado;  mas  todo 
esto  non  lo  hazen  ny  pueden  hazer 
sin  entrar  en  el  dicho  almirantado, 
y  yr  a  tierras  6  mar  que  habeys  des- 
cobierto;  de  manera  que  en  todo  lo 
andado  y  que  se  andoviere  de  aqui 
en  adelante  teneys  en  la  mar  vuestra 
prehemenenfia  de  almirante,  y  en 
la  tierra  de  visorey  y  governador 
general,  y  habeys  de  prover  de  los 
ofifios  por  virtud  de  los  puderes  de 
Sus  Altezas,  y  habeys  de  espidir 
todos  los  negogios  y  causas  en  sus 
reales  nombres,  y  las  cartas  pa- 
tentes  a  sellar  con  su  real  sello  que 
os  mandaron  dar  para  ello,  y  vos 
hizieron  merged  de  la  justiyia  fivil  y 
criminal,  alta  y  basa,  con  mero  y 
misto  imperio,  como  mas  largo  todo 
esto  y  otras  cosas  se  amuestra  por 
los  dichos  privilegios  y  cartas  de 
merged  que  he  visto. 


“Parege  por  una  gddula  de  Sus 
Altezas,  que  fue  fecha  en  Medina,  el 
ano  de  noventa  y  siete,  que  fizieron 
merged  a  Vuestra  Senoria  de  todos 
los  gastos  que  se  habian  fecho  en 
esta  negogiagidn,  y  de  los  otros  que 
se  hazian  en  el  anuada  que  levastis, 
y  que  non  fu^sedes  obligado  a  con- 
tribuir  ny  pagar,  salvo  en  los  gastos 
que  se  hiziesen  despues  que  llega- 
sedes  a  la  ysla  Espanola,  de  manera 
que  todo  el  gastado  fasta  estonges  os 
dan  por  libre. 


XVI. 

opinion,  and  all  said  that  it 
was  a  mockery  and  that  God  never 
had  placed  land  there;  so  that  they 
will  not  make  discoveries  in  com¬ 
parison  with  your  Lordship,  unless 
they  go  or  can  go  where  you  have 
not  gone:  further,  all  this  is  not 
done  nor  can  they  do  it  without  en¬ 
tering  the  said  Admiralship  and 
going  to  lands  or  sea  which  you  have 
discovered;  so  that  in  all  that  is 
discovered  and  which  shall  be  dis¬ 
covered  from  now  henceforth,  you 
have  your  pre-eminence  of  Admiral 
on  the  sea  and  on  land  that  of  Vice¬ 
roy  and  Governor-General  and  you 
are  to  provide  for  the  offices  by  vir¬ 
tue  of  the  powers  of  their  High¬ 
nesses  and  you  are  to  expedite  all 
the  affairs  and  causes  in  their  Royal 
names,  and  you  are  to  seal  the  letters 
patent  with  their  Royal  seal  which 
they  ordered  given  you  for  that  pur¬ 
pose,  and  they  granted  you  the 
privilege  of  civil  and  criminal  just¬ 
ice,  high  and  low,  wdth  sovereign 
and  judicial  power,  as  all  this  and 
other  things  are  shown  more  at 
length  by  the  said  privileges  and 
letters  of  grace  which  I  have  seen. 

“It  appears  by  a  cedula  of  their 
Highnesses  which  was  made  in  Me¬ 
dina  in  the  year  ’97  that  they 
granted  the  privilege  to  your  Lord- 
ship  of  all  the  expenses  which  had 
been  incurred  in  this  affair,  and  of 
the  other  expenses  which  were  in¬ 
curred  in  the  fleet  which  you  took 
over  and  that  you  were  not  obliged 
to  contribute  to  them  nor  pay,  ex¬ 
cept  in  the  matter  of  the  expenses 
which  were  incurred  after  you  had 
reached  the  island  of  Espanola,  so 
that  all  the  expenditure  up  to  that 
time  they  gave  you  freely, 


VOL.  III. — 14. 


210 


Christopher  Columbus 


ny  Vuestra  Senoria  ha 
de  pidir  cosa  alguna  de  lo  que  fasta 
estonjes  se  habia  traydo. 

‘  ‘  Diz  Vuestra  Senoria  que  lle- 
gastes  alia  a  .xxxi.  de  agosto  del 
aho  de  noventa  y  ocho;  segun  esto, 
se  debe  ver  los  gastos  que  del  dicho 
tiempo  aca  se  han  fecho  en  esta 
governajion  y  negojio,  y  en  ellos  ha 
de  contribuir  y  pagar  a  la  rata, 
segun  que  esta  asentado. 


XVI. 

neither 

must  your  Lordship  ask  anything 
from  what  had  been  brought  over  up 
to  that  time. 

“Your  Lordship  says  that  you 
arrived  there  August  31  of  the  year 
’98:  according  to  this,  the  expenses 
which  have  been  incurred  from  the 
said  time  up  to  the  present  in  this 
government  and  affair  must  be  com¬ 
puted,  and  you  must  contribute  to 
them  and  pay  according  to  the  rate 
which  has  been  agreed  upon. 


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U-^,<,  Ac-  «"  i^YikLlVl- 


2  I  J. 


Christopher  Columbus 


“Parece  por  la  capitulation  del 
senor  almirante  de  Castilla  que  de 
todas  las  ganan^ias  que  el  fiziere  por 
la  mar  d  con  la  flota  de  Sus  Altezas, 
que  le  fizieron  merged  de  la  terjia 
parte  de  todo  ello;  segiin  esto  y  por 
virtud  de  vuestro  asiento,  Vuestra 
Senon'a  ha  de  gozar  d’esta  merged 
en  el  almirantado  de  las  Yndias  que 
ha,  y  goza  y  debe  de  gozar  en  aquel 
de  Castilla,  y  ansi  abriades  de  haber 
la  tergia  parte  de  la  ganangia. 

“  Parege  por  este  asiento  de  Vues¬ 
tra  Sehoria  que  del  provecho  que  se 
ha  habido  y  habrd  d’estas  Yndias, 
que  la  parte  que  a  vos  os  pertenege 
es  por  tres  capitulos,  de  tres  man- 
eras,  y  todos  dize[n]  de  la  ganangia 
que  ha  de  haver  cierta  parte ;  en  esto 
non  puede  haver  engano  ny  hierro, 
porque  todos  tres  van  muy  claros, 
y  pertenege  esto  a  cuenta  en  esta 
manera : 

“  Um  Caballero  arma  una  nao,  y 
diz  a  un  criado  suyo:  ‘va  por  capi- 
tan  d’esta  nao,  y  de  la  ganangia  que 
se  oviere  habrds  la  tergia  parte’;  y 
d  otro  dice ;  ‘  va  por  maestre,  y  de  la 
ganangia  habras  la  dezena  parte  ’ ;  y 
d  otro  diz;  ‘va  por  escrivano,  y 
porque  contribuystes  en  esta  arma- 
z6n  la  ochava  parte,  habrds  la 
ochava  parte  de  la  gan[an]gia.’ 

“Partio  la  nao,  y  d  la  buelta  se 
falla  que  gano  diez  ducados;  y  el 
capitdn  diz  al  Caballero:  ‘senor, 
diez  docados  ha  de  ganangia;  man- 
dadme  d  dar  la  tergia  parte  que  me 
prometistes  ’ ;  y  ansi  se  la  da. 


XVI  b. 

“  It  appears  by  the  capitulation  of 
the  Lord  Admiral  of  Castile  that  of 
all  the  profits  which  he  shall  make 
on  the  sea  or  with  the  fleet  of  their 
Highnesses,  they  granted  him  the 
privilege  of  the  third  part  of  the 
whole :  according  to  this  and  by  vir¬ 
tue  of  your  contract,  your  Lordship 
is  to  enjoy  this  privilege  in  the  Ad- 
miralship  of  the  Indies,  which  he 
possesses  and  enjoys  and  is  entitled 
to  enjoy  in  the  Admiralship  of  Cas¬ 
tile,  and  thus  you  are  entitled  to  the 
third  part  of  the  profit. 

“It  appears  by  this  contract  of 
your  Lordship  that  of  the  profit 
which  has  been  received  and  shall 
be  received  from  these  Indies,  that 
the  part  which  belongs  to  you  is  by 
three  titles,  of  three  kinds,  and  they 
all  say  that  you  are  to  have  a  cer¬ 
tain  part  of  the  profit ;  there  cannot 
be  any  deceit  or  error  in  this,  be¬ 
cause  all  are  very  clearly  expressed 
and  this  belongs  to  you  according  to 
this  manner: 

“A  gentleman  arms  a  ship  and 
says  to  one  of  his  servants:  ‘go  as 
captain  of  this  ship,  and  of  the  profits 
which  shall  be  obtained  you  shall 
have  the  third  part’;  and  to  an¬ 
other  he  says:  ‘go  as  master,  and  of 
the  profits  you  shall  have  the  tenth 
part’;  and  to  another  he  says:  ‘go 
as  escribano,  and  as  you  contribute 
the  eighth  part  of  this  armament, 
you  shall  have  the  eighth  part  of 
the  profit.’ 

“The  ship  departed  and  on  the 
return  it  was  found  that  the  profit 
was  ten  ducats:  and  the  captain 
says  to  the  gentleman :  ‘  Lord,  there 
are  ten  ducats  profit ;  order  the  third 
part  which  you  promised  me  to  be 
given  me  ’ :  and  so  it  is  given  to  him. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


215 


des¬ 
puds  viene  el  maestre,  y  diz;  ‘senor, 
diez  docados  se  gand;  mandadme  a 
dar  la  dezena  parte  d’estos  diez 
ducados  que  me  prometistes  ’ ;  y  ansi 
se  la  da.  el  escrivano  diz;  ‘senor, 
diez  ducados  resulto 


XVI  b. 

Then  the  master  comes  and  says: 
‘Lord,  the  profit  was  ten  ducats; 
order  the  tenth  part  of  these  ten 
ducats  which  you  promised  me  to 
be  given  me’:  and  so  it  is  given  to 
him.  The  escribano  says:  ‘Lord, 
ten  ducats  resulted 


2i6 


Christopher  Columbus 


d’esta  armada 
en  que  yo  contribuy  la  ochava  parte ; 
mandadme  dar  la  ochava  parte 
d’estos  diez  docados  ’ ;  y  ansi  se  la  da. 
y  esta  es  la  cuenta  que  se  ha  de 
tener  en  la  parte  de  que  Sus  Altezas 
os  lian  fecho  merged  de  las  cosas  de 
las  Yndias,  y  no  sacar  el  diezmo  y 
despues  de  lo  que  quedare  dar  el 
ochavo,  y  despues  terjio,  porque 
d’esta  guysa  seria  la  cuenta  errada, 
porque  cada  capitulo  d’estos  tres 
fabla  claro  que  aya  de  haber  de  la 
gananfia  yierta  parte. 

“  En  lo  del  gasto  d’esta  negoji- 
afion  my  parecer  es,  pues  que  Nues- 
tro  Senor  ha  dado  en  ellas  con  que 
se  puede  pagar  los  gastos  que  se 
fizieren,  que,  si  plaz  a  Sus  Altezas, 
que  debeys  de  ser  contento  que  estos 
gastos  se  paguen  del  oro  6  qualquera 
otra  cosa  de  valor  que  alia  oviere,  y 
que  de  la  ganan^ia  y  resto  que 
quedare  linpio  Sus  Altezas  manden 
que  ayas  vuestra  parte. 

“Una  provision  he  visto  de  Sus 
Altezas  en  vuestras  escrituras,  en 
que  mandan  que  non  se  intenda  en 
cosa  alguna  tocante  a  las  Yndias  sin 
Vuestra  Senoria,  6  persona  que 
tenga  su  poder. 

“Otra  provision  he  visto,  que  non 
se  Hebe,  ny  vaya  nada  a  las  Yndias 
sin  firma  vuestra  y  de  la  persona  que 
Sus  Altezas  tubieren  en  Calls,  y  asi- 
mesmo  que  todo  lo  que  se  trusiere 
de  las  Yndias  sea  con  su  firma  y  del 
tenyente  de  los  senores  contadores 
mayores,  y  de  otra  guysa  que  sea 
tornado  la  tal  cosa. 


XVIb. 

from  this  fleet, 
to  which  I  contributed  the  eighth 
part;  order  the  eighth  part  of  these 
ten  ducats  to  be  given  me  ’ ;  and  so 
it  is  given  to  him.  and  this  is  the 
account  which  should  be  taken  of 
the  part  which  their  Highnesses  have 
granted  to  you  of  the  things  of  the 
Indies,  and  they  are  not  to  deduct 
the  tenth  and  then  from  what  re¬ 
mains  give  the  eighth  and  then  the 
third,  because  in  this  manner  the 
account  will  be  wrong,  because  each 
title  of  these  three  says  clearly  that 
you  are  to  have  a  certain  part  of 
the  profit. 

“In  the  matter  of  the  expense  of 
this  affair,  my  opinion  is  that,  since 
our  Lord  has  given  enough  so  that 
the  expenses  which  are  incurred  can 
be  paid,  if  it  pleases  their  Highnesses 
you  must  be  content  that  these  ex¬ 
penses  be  paid  from  the  gold  or 
whatever  other  thing  of  value  shall 
be  possessed  there,  and  that  of  the 
profit  and  residue  which  remains 
clear,  their  Highnesses  can  order 
that  you  have  your  part. 

“I  have  seen  a  provision  of  their 
Highnesses  in  your  writings  in  which 
they  order  that  nothing  relating  to 
the  Indies  shall  be  agreed  upon 
without  your  Lordship,  or  a  person 
possessing  your  authority. 

“I  have  seen  another  provision 
that  nothing  shall  be  taken  to  nor 
go  to  the  Indies  without  your  signa¬ 
ture  and  the  signature  of  the  person 
whom  their  Highnesses  shall  have  in 
Cadiz ;  and  likewise  that  everything 
which  shall  be  brought  from  the 
Indies  shall  be  with  your  signature 
and  that  of  the  representative  of  the 
Lords,  the  Chief  Auditors,  and  if 
done  otherwise  that  such  thing  may 
be  seized. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


217 


"Una  bula  del  Santo  Padre  he 
visto  en  vuestras  escrituras,  y  en 
ella  como  fuestes  y  soys  aquel  que 
descobristes  y  ganastes  estas  Yn- 
dias,  como  criado  de  Sus  Altezas 
&c. 


XVI  b. 

‘‘I  have  seen  a  Bull  of  the  Holy 
Father  in  your  writings,  and  in  it 
how  you  were  and  are  the  one  who 
discovered  and  acquired  these  In¬ 
dies,  as  the  servant  of  their  High¬ 
nesses,  etc. 


XVI  c. 


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2  20 


Christopher  Columbus 


“Parefe  por  los  privilegios  y  car¬ 
tas  de  merjed  de  Vuestra  Senoria, 
como  dicho  es,  que  de  todo  lo  que  se 
ha  adentro  los  h'mites  d’este  almir- 
antado,  que  ha  de  haber  la  teryia 
parte  por  el  privilegio  del  senor  al- 
mirante  de  Castilla,  y  el  ochabo  y 
diezmo  por  su  asunto,  y  si  Sus 
Altezas  hazen  merged  en  las  Yndias 
sin  salvar  lo  voestro,  regibis  agra- 
bio;  y  esto  es  ansi  en  la  hazienda 
como  en  los  ofigios,  porque  fizieron 
merged  a  Vuestra  Senoria  de  todos, 
y  esto  se  intende  ansi  en  los  que 
dizen  a  descobrir  como  el  resto, 
porque  sobre  el  descobrir  de  las 
Yndias  se  tomb  el  asiento,  y  firmo  la 
capitulagion  y  escrituras,  y  en  la  ora 
que  descobristes  la  primera  ysla  fue 
descobierto  las  Yndias,  y  complistes 
vuestro  asiento,  y  el  Santo  Padre 
did  bula  de  donagion  a  Sus  Altezas 
de  las  Yndias,  y,  a  consgiengia, 
estando  Vuestra  Senoria  privado  de 
sus  ofigios,  Sus  Altezas  serian  obli- 
gados  a  todo  dano  y  menoscabo  que 
por  ello  veniese. 


“Senores:  yo  non  demando 
nada,  y  todo  esto  que  va  aqui 
dicho,  todo  lo  remito  y  pongo 
en  las  reales  manos  de  la  reyna 


XVI  c. 

“It  appears  by  the  privileges  and 
letters  of  grant  of  your  Lordship,  as 
has  been  said,  that  of  all  there  is 
within  the  limits  of  this  Admiral- 
ship,  you  are  to  have  the  third  part 
according  to  the  privilege  of  the 
Lord  Admiral  of  Castile,  and  the 
eighth  and  tenth  for  your  share,  and 
if  their  Highnesses  grant  favours  in 
the  Indies  without  reserving  your 
share,  that  you  receive  offence;  and 
this  applies  in  the  property  as  well 
as  in  the  offices,  because  they 
granted  the  favour  of  everything  to 
your  Lordship,  and  this  is  under¬ 
stood  the  same  in  those  which  speak 
of  discovery  as  in  the  rest,  because 
the  contract  was  made  regarding  the 
discovery  of  the  Indies  and  the  cap¬ 
itulation  and  writings  were  signed 
and  in  the  hour  when  you  discov¬ 
ered  the  first  island,  the  Indies  were 
discovered,  and  you  fulfilled  your 
contract,  and  the  Holy  Father  gave 
a  Bull  of  donation  of  the  Indies  to 
their  Highnesses,  and  in  conscience, 
your  Lordship  being  deprived  of  your 
,  offices,  their  Highnesses  would  be 
obligated  for  all  damage  and  loss 
which  should  arise  by  such  means. 

“Lords:  I  do  not  demand 
anything,  and  all  this  which  is 
contained  here  I  remit  and 
place  in  the  royal  hands  of  the 
Queen, 


22  1 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


nuestra  sen  ora:  mys  privi- 
legios  y  cartas  dare  a  Vuestras 
Mercedes,  cada  que  los  qui- 
seren. 

“Otro  privilegio  he  visto  en  vues¬ 
tras  escrituras  de  mayorazgo,  de 
vuestros  oficios  de  visrey  y  de  al- 
mirante  y  de  governador  general  y 
de  todos  vuestros  bienes  en  don 
Diego  vuestro  fijo  d  en  quien  vos 
quiserdes,  y  que  nada  d’esto  se 
pueda  perder  por  debda  ny  delito  ny 
otro  caso,  salvo  por  crimen  de  lege 
majestati. 

“  Informagion  de  mis  privi- 
legios  y  mercedes.” 


XVI  c. 

our  lady :  my  privi¬ 
leges  and  letters  I  tvill  give  to 
your  Worships,  each  one  of 
them  that  you  shall  desire. 

“I  have  seen  another  privilege  in 
your  writings  of  Majorat,  of  your 
offices  of  Viceroy  and  of  Admiral 
and  of  Governor-General  and  of  all 
your  property  in  Don  Diego,  your 
son,  or  in  whomever  you  desire,  and 
that  nothing  of  this  can  be  lost  by 
debt  or  crime  or  other  cause,  save 
by  crime  of  lese-majeste. 

“  Information  regarding  my 
privileges  and  grants.” 


222  Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XVII.  LETTER  AYRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  THE 

SPANISH  SOVEREIGNS 

We  have  not  hesitated  to  call  Christopher  Columbus  a  con¬ 
summate  seaman/  the  first  sailor  of  his  or  of  any  other  time. 
It  is  not  merely  that  he  made  the  most  memorable  voyage  ever 
made  by  man,  but  because  he  navigated  all  seas  with  skill,  pru¬ 
dence,  daring,  and  success.  He  was  a  scientific  sailor.  He 
studied  the  seasons,  the  planets,  the  winds,  the  tides,  the  atmo¬ 
sphere,  the  flight  of  birds,  the  habits  of  fish,  things  over  the 
sea,  things  on  the  sea,  things  under  the  sea.  He  was  familiar 
with  the  coasts  known  to  man  and,  partly  by  instinct  and 
partly  by  the  employment  of  his  skill,  he  made  his  way  in 
safety  along  shores  never  known  and  reported  by  any  sailor  un¬ 
til  his  day. 

In  the  following  letter  we  are  in  communion  with  Columbus, 
the  sailor.  He  is  not  making  parade  of  his  knowledge.  The 
Sovereigns,  as  they  had  done  before  on  many  occasions,  and 
notably  in  the  spring  of  1497,  have  required  of  him  a  disserta¬ 
tion  on  the  question  of  navigating  to  the  new  Indies.  The 
point  of  his  discourse  is  that  knowledge  renders  navigation  com¬ 
paratively  safe.  Knowledge  reveals  what  probably  will  happen, 
and  then  caution  and  skill  snatch  safety  out  of  storm  and  vio¬ 
lence.  The  good  sailor  can  read  the  stars,  the  skies,  the  sea. 
He  predicts  the  coming  tempest.  He  divines  the  hidden  reef. 
He  adjusts  his  sheets  to  the  coming  wind.  In  this  letter  the 
Admiral  illustrates  his  lesson  by  familiar  navigations.  All  Span¬ 
ish  travellers,  from  the  Sovereigns  to  the  meanest  sailor,  had 
gone  by  sea  from  Cadiz  to  Naples.  If  this  journey  was  under¬ 
taken  in  the  winter,  after  coming  through  the  straits,  the  vessel 
kept  its  course  along  the  coast,  never  quite  losing  sight  of  land, 
passing  Cape  Creux,  the  most  easterly  point  of  land  in  Spain, 
and  so  into  the  Gulf  of  Lyons,  where  favourable  winds  drove  it 
to  the  islets  of  Pomegue  and  Ratoneau,  and  so  on  to  the  Hyeres 
Islands,  whence  it  made  its  way,  still  hugging  the  coasts,  along 
the  side  of  Italy  to  Naples.  If  the  journey  was  made  in  summer, 
'■^he  vessel,  emboldened  by  the  promise  of  fair  weather,  put  out 
to  sea  for  the  island  of  Sardinia,  and  so  to  its  Italian  harbour 
beneath  the  shadow  of  Vesuvius. 

'  See  chapter  ci. 


223 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

Columbus  then  reminds  the  Sovereigns  that  no  one  pilot 
may  be  expected  to  know  all  courses.  The  pilot  who  can  safely 
conduct  a  ship  from  the  Guadalquivir  to  Fuenterrabia  in  the 
Bay  of  Biscay  may  not  take  a  ship  to  Lisbon.  The  pilot  who 
goes  to  the  Eastern  countries  by  way  of  the  south  may  be 
entirely  unfitted  to  sail  ships  to  Flanders.  And  this  leads  the 
Admiral  to  refer  to  the  intimate  correspondence  by  water  be¬ 
tween  Spain  and  the  Low  Countries.  By  the  month  of  January 
the  Bay  of  Biscay  becomes  so  wild  from  the  resistless  winds  that 
prudent  navigators  have  returned  to  their  own  countries.  Yet, 
a  skilful  sailor,  watchful  of  conditions,  quick  to  seize  a  moment 
when  the  wind  lulls,  may  escape  and  finish  his  journey,  par¬ 
ticularly  should  he  avail  himself  in  an  emergency  of  some  wel¬ 
coming  French  or  English  port  on  the  way.  Then  the  Admiral 
becomes  reminiscent.  He  recalls  a  time  early  in  the  year  1497 
when  the  Sovereigns,  the  gallant  Prince  Juan,  the  vSpanish 
(iourt, — all  were  anxiously  awaiting  the  ship  which  was  to  bear 
them  a  new  Princess;  but  the  ship  came  not  and  fear  was  in 
every  heart.  Then  the  Sovereigns  appealed  to  Columbus,  and 
he  told  them  where,  by  the  blowing  of  the  wind  and  the  prob¬ 
able  course,  he  thought  the  ships  to  be,  and  predicted  their 
safe  arrival  within  a  day  or  two.  And  his  prophecy  was  ful¬ 
filled.  The  ships,  indeed,  had  been  where  he  said  they  were, 
driven  by  winds  which  he  knew  and  on  courses  which  he  knew, 
to  a  neighbouring  English  harljour.  It  was  a  triumph  for  Co¬ 
lumbus  which  history  has  not  hitherto  recorded. 

The  year  1496  might  well  be  called  the  year  of  Spanish 
alliances.  The  Spanish  Sovereigns  arranged  tw^o  marriages 
with  Maximilian,  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  whereby  the  one 
united  the  Emperor’s  daughter  to  Don  Juan,  Prince  of  the 
Asturias,  heir  to  the  Crown  of  Spain;  and  the  other  united  the 
Spanish  Princess,  Joanna,  to  Philippe  le  Beau,  the  son  and  heir  of 
Maximilian.  Another  Spanish  Princess,  Catalina,  who  has  gone 
down  into  English  history  as  Catharine  of  Aragon,  was  affianced 
to  Arthur,  Prince  of  Wales,  son  and  heir  of  Henry  VH.  of  Eng¬ 
land.  It  was  in  August,  1496,  that  a  mighty  fleet  of  vessels 
gathered  in  the  port  of  Laredo  in  the  Ba}^  of  Biscay  to  escort  the 
Princess  Joanna  to  Flanders  for  her  marriage  to  Philip.  The 
fleet  was  under  command  of  Don  Fadrique  Enriquez,  the  Ad¬ 
miral  of  Castile,  and,  according  to  the  Curate  of  Los  Palacios, 


224  Christopher  Columbus 

consisted  of  130  vessels,  one  more  in  number  than  the  Spanish 
Annada  of  the  second  Philip’s  time.  Peter  Martyr  makes  this 
fleet  to  number  1 10  ships,  2  great  caracks  or  Genoese  transports, 
and  108  cavcatcB.^ 

This  magnificent  fleet  had  a  double  errand, — a  precious 
freight  to  take  over  to  the  Low  Countries,  and  a  still  more  im¬ 
portant  freight  to  bring  into  Spain.  Six  months  passed  before 
the  Princess  Margaret  of  i\ustria  was  landed  on  Spanish  soil. 
This  young  girl  had  been  in  her  infancy  affianced  to  King  Charles 
VIII.  of  France,  but  the  engagement  was  broken  in  the  interests 
of  Anne  of  Brittany,  to  the  chagrin  of  Maximilian.  Even  now 
she  was  but  seventeen  years  of  age, — a  woman  in  mind,  in  heart, 
and  something  more  than  a  girl  in  experience.  That  she  had 
wit  is  clear  from  the  distich  she  composed,  as  if  an  epitaph, 
when,  in  the  midst  of  the  violent  storm  which  nearly  over¬ 
whelmed  the  sliip  on  which  she  was,  she  wrote : 

“Ci  gist  Margot,  la  gentil  damoiselle 
Qu’a  deux  maris,  et  encore  est  pucelle.” 

“Here  lies  Mafgaret,  fair  and  unafraid! 

Two  husbands  has  she,  yet  dies  a  maid.” 

The  Court  was  at  Burgos  early  in  March,  1497,  awaiting  news 
of  the  expected  fleet.  Days  passed,  and  the  ships  came  not. 
Then  the  Court  was  moved  southward — away  from  the  coast — 
to  Soria,  and  the  Sovereigns  were  about  to  follow,  when  a  letter 
reached  them  from  Columbus,  saying  that  if  the  fleet  had 
started. from  Flanders  on  a  certain  Wednesday,  the  weather  was 
such  as  to  cause  the  ships  to  put  in  to  the  Isle  of  Wight  (Huict) 
on  Thursday  or  Friday,  and  from  the  conditions  of  wave  and 
wind,  the  Admiral  predicted  that  the  fleet  would  enter  the  port 
of  Laredo  on  the  following  Monday.  The  words  of  the  sailor 
weighed  with  the  Sovereigns,  and,  with  the  young  Prince,  they 
changed  their  purpose  and  went  to  Laredo,  where  the  predic¬ 
tion  was  fulfilled,  and  promptly  on  the  succeeding  Monday  one 
of  the  fleet  appeared  in  the  harbour  of  Laredo.  Truly,  the 
Admiral  of  the  Indies  was  the  first  pilot  of  his  time. 

^  “Claffis  ingens,  qua  duae  erant  onerariae  naues  genuenfes  (quas  appellant  Car- 
racas)  octoque  fupra  centum  alias  caueatae  inftruif,  vt  aiunt  hominu  decern  milia 
armatorum,  quia  per  Gallica  littora  facturi  erant  iter,  ex  cantabris  vafconibus 
montanis  deliguntur,  duascum  filianoctesin  mari  regina  exegit.” — Espistola  CLXIX. 


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No.  X\NI.  Holograph  Letter  of  Columbus,  Signed.  Addressed  to  the  Spanish  Sovereigns, 
Dated  Granada,  February  6,  1502.  [National  Archives  at  Madrid.] 


22S 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XVII. 


T  ranslitcration 

‘  'muy  a  Itos  y  muy  poderosos  reyes 
y  senores// 

“  Yo  querria  ser  cabsa  de  plaser  y 
holgura  a  Vuestras  Altezas  que// 
no  de  pesadumbre  y  hastio  mas 
como  se  la  aficzion  y//  deleyte  que 
tienen  a  las  cosas  nuevas  y  dalgun 
ynterese//  dire  de  vnas  y  otras  com- 
pliendo  con  su  mandamiento  a-// 
quello  que  agora  me  venga  ala  me- 
moria  y  cierto  non//  judguen  dellas 
por  el  desalino  mas  por  la  intinzion/ / 
y  buen  deseo  ya  que  en  todo  lo  que 
fuere  del  servizio  de  Vuestras  Al¬ 
tezas//  non  he  de  deprender  de 
ningun  otro  lo  que  yo  se  fazer  por// 
my  mesmo  que  sy  me  faltaren  las 
fuerzas  y  las  fati-//gas  me  ryndieren 
non  desfallezera  en  my  anyma//  la 
voluntad  como  el  mas  obligado  y 
debdor  que  soy.// 


“Los  navegantes  y  otras  gentes 
que  tractan  por  la  mar  tie-// 


T  ranslation 

XVII. 

“Most  High  and  Powerful  Sover¬ 
eigns  and  Lords; 

“I  would  like  to  be  the  cause  of 
pleasure  and  contentment  to  your 
Highnesses  and  not  of  trouble  and 
disgust;  but  as  I  know  the  eager¬ 
ness  and  delight  felt  by  your  High¬ 
nesses  in  things  which  are  new  and 
of  some  interest,  in  compliance  with 
your  command,  I  will  speak  of  both, 
telling  what  I  recall  at  the  present 
time,  and  certainly  you  will  not 
judge  my  statements  by  their  care¬ 
lessness  but  by  my  good  intention 
and  desire.  In  everything  which 
will  be  for  the  service  of  your  High¬ 
nesses,  I  am  not  obliged  to  take  from 
any  other  person  what  I  know  how 
to  do  myself,  for  if  my  strength  fails 
me  or  fatigues  overcome  me,  the 
purpose  which  is  in  my  mind  to 
serve  your  Highnesses  as  your  most 
obliged  and  dutiful  servant  will  not 
be  weakened. 

“Sailors  and  other  people  who 
trade  upon  the  sea  always  have 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


229 


nen 

syenpre  mayor  conoszimiento  de  las 
partidas  particulares//  del  mundo 
donde  vsan  y  fazen  sus  contracta- 
ciones  mas  con-//tinuo  y  por  esta 
cadavnodestossabemejor  deloque// 
vee  cada  dia  que  no  lo  otro  que 
viene  de  anos  ha  anos  y//  asy  resze- 
bimos  con  delectazion  la  relazion 
que  ellos  mes-//nios  nos  fazen  de  lo 
quevieron  y  collejieroncomocierto// 
allegamos  mas  grande  ensenanza  de 
aquello  que  de-//prendemos  por 
nuestra  propia  espirenzia.// 

“Si  resconozemos  el  mundo  ser 
esperico  segun  elsentir//  de  muchos 
escriptos  que  ansy  lo  afirman  o  que 
la  scienzia//  nos  faga  asentar  otra 
cosa  con  su  auctoridad  no  se  deve// 
entender  que  la  templanza  sea  ygual 
en  un  clyma  porque  la//  diversydad 
es  grande  asy  en  la  mar  como  en  la 
tierra — //El  sol  syenbra  su  ynflu- 
enzia  y  la  tierra  la  reszibe//  segun 
las  concavidades  o  montahas  que 
son  formadas//  en  ella  y  bien  que 
harto  hayan  scripto  los  antiguos 
sobre// 


XVII  a. 

a 

better  knowledge  of  the  particular 
parts  of  the  world  where  they  go 
and  have  most  frequent  commercial 
dealings  than  others:  and  for  that 
matter,  each  one  of  us  knows  better 
in  regard  to  what  he  sees  each  day 
than  the  other  who  comes  at  inter¬ 
vals  of  many  years;  and  so  we  re¬ 
ceive  with  delight  the  relation  which 
such  persons  make  to  us  in  regard  to 
the  places  they  have  seen  and  ob¬ 
served,  the  same  as  we  certainly  de¬ 
rive  the  most  knowledge  from  what 
we  ourselves  experience. 

“Whether  we  admit  that  the 
world  is  a  sphere  according  to  the 
understanding  of  many  writers  who 
affirm  it  to  be  so,  or  whether  the 
authority  of  science  causes  us  to 
come  to  a  different  conclusion,  it 
must  not  be  understood  that  the 
temperature  is  equable  in  a  clime, 
because  the  diversity  is  great,  upon 
tlie  sea  as  well  as  on  the  land.  The 
sun  exercises  its  influence  and  the 
earth  feels  it  according  to  the  de¬ 
pressions  or  mountains  which  are 
formed  upon  its  surface,  and  so  the 
ancient  writers  have  written  at  great 
length  upon  this  subject. 


XVII  b 


231 


Christopher  Columbus 


esto  como  plinio  que  dize 
que  debaxo  del  norte  ay  tan//  suave 
templanza  que  la  gente  que  ally  esta 
jamas  se  muere//  salvo  por  enfada- 
miento  o  aborrimiento  de  vida  que 
se  des-//pefia-  y  voluntariamente  se 
matan.// 

“nos  vemos  aquy  en  espana  tanta 
diversydad  de//  templanza  que  non 
esmenester  el  testimonio  sobre// 
esto  de  ninguna  antiguedad  del 
mundo.  vemos  a-//qui  en  granada 
la  syerra  cubierta  de  nyeve  to-//do 
al  ano  ques  senal  de  grand  frio  y  al 
pie  desta//  syerra  son  las  alpuj  arras 
donde  es  sienpre  sua-//visima  tem¬ 
planza  syn  demasiado  calor  ny  frio 
y//  asy  como  esenesta  provinzia 
esen  otras  har-//tas  en  espana 
que  se  deja  de  dezir  por  la  prolixi- 
dad//  dellas.  digo  que  en  la  mar 
acaesze  otro  tanto  y  en  es-//pezial 
en  las  comarcas  de  las  tierras  y  desto 
se  in  ma-//yor  conozimiento  los  que 
continuo  ally  tractan  que  non  los// 
otros  que  tratan  en  otras  partes.// 


XVII  b. 

As  for 

instance,  Pliny,  who  says  that  under 
the  North  [pole]  there  is  such  a  mild 
temperature  that  the  people  there 
never  die,  unless  through  weariness 
or  abhorrence  of  life  they  precipi¬ 
tately  and  voluntarily  kill  them¬ 
selves. 

“We  experience  here  in  Spain 
such  a  diversity  of  temperature, 
that  the  testimony  of  no  authority 
in  the  world  is  needed  in  regard  to 
this  matter.  Here  in  Granada  we 
see  the  mountain  ranges  covered 
with  snow  all  the  year,  which  is  an 
indication  of  great  cold:  and  at  the 
foot  of  this  mountain  range  are  the 
Alpuj  arras  where  there  is  always  a 
very  mild  temperature,  neither  too 
hot  nor  too  cold.  And  as  it  is  in 
this  province,  so  it  is  in  very  many 
others  in  Spain,  which  I  do  not 
enumerate  on  account  of  prolixity. 
I  say  that  on  the  sea  the  same  thing 
happens  and  especially  in  the  vicin¬ 
ity  of  land.  And  this  is  known 
much  better  by  those  who  continu¬ 
ally  trade  in  those  places  than  by 
others  who  trade  in  other  regions. 


233 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


“  En  el  verano  en  landaluzia  por 
muy  cierto  se  tiene//  cada  dia  des¬ 
pues  de  ser  el  sol  altillo  la  virazon 
ques//  viento  que  sale  del  poniente 
esta  vien  muy  suave  y  du-//ra  hasta 
la  Noche  tarde  asy  como  esta  vira¬ 
zon  conti-//nua  en  aquel  tiempo  en 
esta  region  ansy  continua  otros// 
vientos  en  otras  partes  y  en  otras 
regiones  diferentes.// 

“  El  verano  y  el  ynvierno  los  que 
andan  continuo  de  cadiz//  a  napoles 
ya  saben  cuando  pasan  por  la  costa 
de  Catalunya//  segund  la  sazon  el 
viento  que  ban  de  hallar  en  ella  y 
asy//  mesmo  cando  pasan  por  el 
golfo  de  narbona  estos  que  ban  de// 
yr  de  cadiz  a  napoles  si  es  tienpo  de 
ynvierno  van  a  vista  de  cabo//  de 
creo  en  catalunya  por  el  golfo  de 
narbona  entonzes  vien-//ta  muy 
rezio  y  las  vezes  las  naos  conviene  le 
obedezcan  y//  corran  por  fuerza 
basta  berueria  y  por  esto  van  mas 
al  cabo//  creo  por  sostener  mas  la 
bolina  y  cobrar  las  pomegas  de// 
marsella  o  las  yslas  de  eres  y  despues 
-jamas  se  desa-//barcan  de  la  costa 
basta  llegar  donde  quier.  Si  de 
Cadiz//  ovieren  de  yr  a  napoles  en 
tienpo  de  verano  navegan  por  la// 


XVII  b. 

“In  tbe  summer  in  Andalusia  it 
is  considered  that  surely  each  day 
after  tbe  sun  gets  quite  bigb,  a  very 
mild  breeze  wbicb  is  called  tbe  ‘  vira¬ 
zon’  blows  from  tbe  west  and  lasts 
until  late  in  tbe  evening.  And  in 
tbe  same  manner  that  tins  ‘  virazon  ’ 
prevails  at  that  time  in  this  region, 
other  breezes  prevail  in  other  places 
and  other  different  regions. 

“Those  who  travel  frequently 
from  Cadiz  to  Naples  in  summer 
and  winter  know  the  kinds  of  winds 
they  must  encounter  according  to 
tbe  season  when  they  go  along  the 
coast  of  Catalonia  and  when  they 
cross  the  gulf  of  Narbona.  Those 
who  are  obliged  to  travel  from  Cadiz 
to  Naples,  if  it  is  in  winter,  go  in 
sight  of  Cape  Creo  in  Catalonia, 
through  the  gulf  of  Narbona;  then 
there  is  a  strong  wind  and  it  is  con¬ 
venient  for  the  ships  to  obey  it,  and 
it  takes  them  forcibly  as  far  as  Ber- 
neria:  and  on  this  account  sailors 
go  as  near  as  possible  to  Cape  Creo 
so  as  to  get  the  greatest  possible 
benefit  from  these  winds  and  gain 
the  Pomegas  of  Marseilles  or  the 
islands  of  Eres,  and  then  they  never 
leave  the  coast  until  they  reach  the 
place  for  which  they  are  bound.  If 
they  are  obliged  to  go  from  Cadiz  to 
Naples  in  summer  they  sail  along 
the 


34 


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hH 

> 


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235 


Ik 


Christopher  Columbus 


236 


costa  de  berueria  hasta  cerdena  ansy 
como  esta  dicho/ /  de  la  otra  costa  de 
la  tramotana  para  estas  navegazi- 
ones//  ay  hombres  senalados  que  se 
an  dado  tanto  a  ello  que  co-//noszen 
todos  estos  caminos  y  que  tempor- 
ales  pueden  esperar  se-//gu.nd  la 
sazon  del  afio  en  que  fueren.  Vul- 
garmente  a  estos//  tales  llamos  py- 
lotes  ques  tanto  como  en  la  tierra 
ada-//lid  que  bien  que  uno  sepa 
muy  bien  el  camino  daquy  a  fuent// 
rabia  para  llevar  una  hueste  no  lo 
sabe  daqui  a//  lisbona.  esto  mysmo 
acaesze  en  la  mar  que  unos  son// 
pylotos  de  flandes  y  otros  de  levante 
cada  uno  dela  tierra//  donde  mas 
usa.// 


“El  tracto  y  transyto  despana  a 
flandes  mucho  se  continua  gran-// 
des  marineros  ay  que  andan  a 
este  vso  en  flandes  en  el  mes//  de 
enero  estan  todas  las  naos  despecha- 
das  para  volver  a  sus//  tierras  y  en 
este  mes  de  raro  soele  que  no  haya 
algunos  esty-//rones  de  brysa  ques 
lernordeste  y  nor  nordeste  estos// 
vientos  a  este  tienpo  no  vienen 
amorosos  salvo  salvajes// 


XVII  c. 

coast  of  Berneria  as  far  as  Sar¬ 
dinia  and  then  in  the  manner  de¬ 
scribed  along  the  other  coast  on  the 
north.  There  are  celebrated  men 
who  make  these  voyages  and  who 
have  gone  so  many  times  that  they 
know  all  these  routes  and  what 
storms  can  be  expected,  according 
to  the  time  of  year  at  which  they  go. 
Commonly  speaking,  we  call  those 
men  pilots,  which  is  the  same  as  a 
commander  or  chief  on  land :  and 
although  a  commander  may  know 
the  road  very  well  from  here  to 
Fuenterrabia  so  as  to  be  able  to  con¬ 
duct  an  army,  he  may  not  know  it 
from  here  to  Lisbon.  The  same 
thing  happens  upon  the  sea,  that 
some  are  pilots  of  Flanders,  and 
others  for  the  east,  each  one  best 
fitted  for  the  places  with  which  he 
is  most  familiar. 

“The  traffic  and  passing  to  and 
fro  between  Spain  and  Flanders  is 
continuous  and  there  are  great 
sailors  engaged  in  this  business.  In 
Flanders  in  the  month  of  January, 
all  the  ships  are  despatched  to  re¬ 
turn  to  their  countries  and  in  this 
month  it  rarely  happens  that  there 
are  not  some  winds  from  the  east- 
north-east  and  north-north-east. 
These  winds  at  this  season  do  not 
blow  pleasantly,  but  are  fierce 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


237 


y  fries  y 

fasta  peligrosos  la  distanyia  del  sol  y 
la  calidad//  de  la  tierra  son  cabsa 
que  se  enjedre  esto.  estas  brysas  no 
son//  estabiles  bien  que  asy  no  yer- 
ren  el  tienpo.  los  que  navegan  co 
ellas//  son  personas  que  se  ponen  a 
ventura  y  lo  mas  de  las  vejes  He-// 
gan  con  la  mano  en  los  cabellos.  a 
estos  sy  la  brisa  les  fal-//  ta  y  les 
haze  fuerga  otro  viento  ponen  se  en 
los  puertos  de//  franzia  o  yngal- 
terra  hasta  que  venga  otra  marea 
que  puedan//  salyr  de  los  puertos// 

“la  gente  de  la  mar  es  cobdiziosa 
de  dyneros  y  de  volver  asu//  casa  y 
todo  lo  aventuran  syn  esperar  aver 
quel  tienpo  sea  fir-//me.  cativo 
como  estaba  en  cama  en  otra  tal 
ocasion  dixe//  a  Vuestras  Altezas 
lo  que  pude  de  mayor  seguridad 
desta  navegazione  que//  em  despues 
de  ser  el  sol  en  tauru  y  renegar  de 
fazer  esta//  partida  en  la  fuerza  y 
mas  peligroso  de  ynvierno.  Sy  los// 
vientos  ayudan  muy  corto  es  el 
transito  y  non  se  debe  de//  partir 
hasta  tener  buena  certeza  del  viaje  y 
de  aca//  se  puede  judgar  dello  ques 
cuando  se  viere  estar// 


XVII  c. 

and 

cold  and  even  dangerous.  The  dis¬ 
tance  from  the  sun  and  the  condition 
of  the  land  are  the  causes  to  which 
this  is  due.  These  winds  are  not 
steady,  although  even  then  the  bad 
weather  cannot  be  avoided.  Those 
who  navigate  there  are  persons  who 
do  so  at  a  risk  and  most  of  the  time 
they  do  so  at  a  loss.  These  men,  if 
they  do  not  experience  a  favourable 
wind  and  another  wind  forces  them 
out  of  their  course,  enter  the  ports  of 
France  or  England  until  the  winds 
change  so  they  are  able  to  leave  the 
ports. 

“People  who  follow  the  sea  are 
greedy  for  money  and  desirous  of 
returning  to  their  homes,  and  they 
risk  everything  without  waiting  for 
settled  weather.  Sick  as  I  was  in 
bed  on  another  such  occasion,  I  told 
your  Highnesses  what  I  could,  for 
the  greater  safety  of  this  voyage, 
which  took  place  after  the  sun  was 
in  Taurus:  and  it  was  dangerous  to 
make  the  departure  in  the  depth 
and  most  dangerous  time  of  winter. 
If  the  winds  are  favourable,  the 
passage  is  very  short  and  the  start 
should  not  be  made  until  it  is 
certain  that  it  is  safe  to  undertake 
the  voyage:  and  this  assurance  of 
safety  can  be  obtained  here,  as  it  is 
when  it  is  seen  that 


XVIId, 


239 


240 


Christopher  Columbus 


el  gielo  muy 
claro  y  salir  el  viento  de  la  estrella 
de  la//  tramotana  y  durar  algunos 
dias  syenpre  en  aquella  alegria// 
Saben  bien  Vuestras  Altezas  lo 
que  aconteszio  el  ano  de  nouenta  y 
syete//  cuando  estaban  en  burgos  en 
tal  congoxa  por  quel  tienpo  per-// 
severaba  crude  y  se  sugedian  los 
estirones  que  de  enfadados//  e  yban 
a  soria  y  partida  toda  la  corte  un 
sabado  que-//daron  Vuestras  Al¬ 
tezas  para  partir  lunes  de  manana 
y  aun  gierto  pro-//posito  en  aquella 
noche  en  un  escripto  mio  que  envie 
a//  Vuestras  Altezas  dezia  tal  dia 
coinenzo  a  ventar  el  viento.  El 
otro//  dia  no  partira  la  flota  aguar- 
dando  sy  el  viento  se  afirma.//  par¬ 
tira  el  miercoles  y  el  jueves  o  viernes 
sera  tant  avant//  como  la  ysla  de 
huict  y  s}^  no  se  meten  en  ella  seran 
en//  laredo  el  lunes  Cjue  viene  o  la 
razon  de  la  marineria//  es  toda  per- 
dida.  este  escripto  mio  con  el  deseo 
de  la  ve-//nida  de  la  prinzesa  movio 
a  Vuestras  Altezas  a  mudar  de 
proposito//  de  no  yr  a  soria  y  espir- 
mentar  la  opinion  del  marynero// 
y  el  lunes  remaneszio  sobre  laredo 
una  nao  que  refuso// 


XVII  d. 

the  sky  is  very 
clear  and  the  wind  blows  from  the 
North  Star  and  remains  several  days 
continuously  in  that  favourable  di¬ 
rection.  Y our  Highnesses  will  know 
what  happened  in  the  year  ’97  when 
you  were  in  Burgos  in  such  anxiety 
of  mind,  because  at  that  time  the 
weather  continued  bad  and  there 
was  a  succession  of  violent  storms; 
so  that,  becoming  exasperated,  your 
Higlmesses  were  going  to  Soria,  and 
all  the  Court  having  departed  on 
Saturday,  your  Highnesses  remained 
in  order  to  start  Monday  morning 
and  it  was  your  fixed  purpose  to 
do  so.  That  night  your  Highnesses 
received  a  letter  which  I  sent  and  in 
which  I  said :  ‘  The  wind  commenced 
to  blow  on  such  a  day.  The  fleet 
will  not  have  started  the  next  day, 
waiting  for  the  wind  to  become  set¬ 
tled.  It  will  have  left  Wednesday, 
and  Thursday  or  Friday  will  be  al¬ 
most  off  the  island  of  Huict  and  if  it 
does  not  stop  there  it  will  be  at  La¬ 
redo  the  coming  Monday,  or  all  the 
sailors’  reckonings  count  for  noth¬ 
ing.  ’  This  writing  of  mine ,  together 
with  your  desire  to  see  the  Princess, 
caused  your  Highnesses  to  abandon 
your  intention  of  going  to  Soria  and 
to  test  the  opinion  of  the  sailor.  On 
Monday  a  vessel  appeared  off  Laredo 
which  had  refused 


241 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


de  entrar  en 
huit  porque  tenia  pocos  bastimen- 
tos.// 

“niuchos  son  los  juzios  y  fueron 
syenpre  en  la  mar  y  en  la//  tierra  en 
semej antes  casos  y  agora  han  de  ser 
muchos  los/ /  que  hayan  de  navegar 
alas  yslas  descobiertas  y  sy  el//  ca- 
mino  es  ya  conoszido  los  que  ayan 
de  tractar  y  contractar/ /  con  la  per- 
fizion  de  los  ystrumentos  y  el  apare- 
jar  de  las  naos//  habran  mayor 
conozimiento  de  las  cosas  y  de  las 
tierras//  y  de  los  vientos  y  de  las 
epocas  mas  convenybles  para//  sus 
usos  y  mas  espirenzia  para  la  seguri- 
dad  de  sus//  personas. 

“la  santatrenydad  guardea  Vues- 
TRAS  Altezas  como  deseo  y  menes- 
ter//  habemos  con  todos  sus  grandes 
estados  y  senorios.  de  gra-//nada  a 
seys  de  hebrero  de  mill  y  quinientos 
y  dos  anos.// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

:Xpo  Ferens.” 


XVII  g. 

to  enter  Huict,  on 
account  of  scarcity  of  provisions. 

“There  are  many  opinions  in  simi¬ 
lar  cases  and  always  were,  on  sea 
and  on  land,  and  now  there  will  be 
many  among  those  who  are  to  navi¬ 
gate  to  the  islands  discovered;  and 
if  the  route  thereto  is  already  known 
those  who  are  to  engage  in  business 
and  trade,  through  the  perfecting  of 
the  instruments  and  the  equipment 
of  the  vessels  will  obtain  a  greater 
knowledge  of  the  things  and  of  the 
lands  and  of  the  winds  and  the  times 
most  suitable  for  their  purposes  and 
best  adapted  for  the  safety  of  their 
persons. 

“May  the  Holy  Trinit}^  guard 
your  Highnesses  as  I  desire  and  as 
we  need,  with  all  your  great  States 
and  realms. 

“From  Granada,  February  6, 
1502. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
:Xpo  Ferens.” 


VOL.  III.— 16. 


242 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XVIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 

NICOLO  ODERIGO 

The  individual  to  whom  this  letter  is  addressed  was  Nieolo 
Oderigo,  Ambassador  from  the  Republic  of  Genoa  to  the  Span¬ 
ish  Court.  He  was  not  long  in  Spain  on  the  occasion  of  the 
embassy.  The  secret  instructions  given  him  are  dated  April 
16,  1501,  and  from  them  we  learn  that  his  diplomatic  errand 
was  special  in  its  character  and  was  caused  by  the  treatment 
accorded  Genoese  vessels  in  the  Mediterranean  by  the  Cata¬ 
lonians  and  the  seamen  of  the  Balearic  Islands.  The  letter  in¬ 
dicates  that  by  this  time  he  had  returned  to  Genoa,  and  this  is 
confirmed  by  subsequent  instructions  dated  in  April,  1502,  in 
which  a  second  embassy  to  Spain  is  contemplated  for  him.  He 
had  been  Ambassador  to  France  in  1495,  once  again  headed 
an  important  embassy  to  the  Court  of  Francis  I.  in  1515.  When 
the  latter,  a  little  later,  entered  Italy,  Nieolo  Oderigo  went  to 
meet  him  in  behalf  of  the  Doge  Ottaviano  Fregoso  and  the 
people  of  Genoa.  He  appears,  from  a  letter  addressed  to  Colum¬ 
bus  by  the  Directors  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George  in  Genoa  under 
date  of  December  8,  1502,  to  have  been  a  lawyer  and  a  jurist, 
and  probably  knew  the  principles  of  international  law.  We  do 
not  know  when  Columbus  began  his  acquaintance  with  Nieolo 
Oderigo,  but  there  seems  to  have  been  a  singularly  rapid 
friendship  developed  between  the  two,  for  in  the  succeeding 
letter  written  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George,  we  find  the  Admiral 
saying,  “  Signor  Nieolo  Oderigo  knows  more  about  my  own 
affairs  than  I  do  myself.”  However  this  may  be,  we  know  that 
two  copies  of  the  famous  Codex,  or  Book  of  Privileges,  prepared 
by  the  Admiral  were  sent  to  Nieolo  Oderigo  by  the  hand  of 
Francesco  Rivarol  or  di  Rivarola,  a  banker  in  Seville,  but  a 
native  of  Genoa.  We  have  already  met  with  this  character,  and 
the  reader  will  remember  that  he  equipped  a  fleet  without  due 
authority  to  go  to  the  New  World,  and  was  fined  therefor  on 
February  4,  1500.  On  March  19,  1501,  we  find  him  petitioning 
for  exemption  from  taxation  on  the  ground  that  he  was  still  a 
citizen  of  the  Republic  of  Genoa.  It  is  said  he  was  one  of  a 
small  coterie  of  Genoese  who  aided  Columbus  in  equipping  ves¬ 
sels  for  his  fourth  voyage  in  1502.  In  a  letter  written  by  Queen 
Isabella,  July  5,  1503,  Rivarol  is  mentioned  in  connection  with 


243 


The  H  andwriting  of  Columbus 

the  expedition  of  Juan  de  la  Cosa  to  Uraba.  When,  on  his 
return  from  his  last  voyage,  the  Admiral  desired  to  lodge  funds 
in  the  hands  of  his  son,  Don  Diego,  then  at  Court,  he  sent  him 
on  December  21,  1504,  a  letter  of  credit  endorsed  by  Francesco 
di  Rivarola.  Beyond  these  allusions  to  Rivarol,  we  know 
nothing  of  him.  We  discover,  however,  that  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  life  Columbus  was  resuming  relations  with  his  native 
land,  never  quite  out  of  his  mind.  We  recall  the  provision  he 
made  in  his  Majorat,  and  in  the  letter  following  this  we  will  see 
his  generous  thought  for  the  city  which  gave  him  birth.  It  is 
strange  that  Columbus,  in  corresponding  with  his  fellow-country¬ 
man,  Oderigo,  writes  in  Spanish  and  not  in  Italian.  But  it  is 
still  more  strange  in  the  subsequent  letter  to  the  Bank  of  St. 
George  that  he  should  still  employ  the  foreign  tongue.  We  may 
account  for  the  use  of  Spanish  in  writing  Nicolb  Oderigo,  as  the 
latter  doubtless  was  familiar  with  Spanish,  but  surely  the  Italian 
tongue  was  the  natural  medium  when  addressing  the  powerful 
Genoese  corporation. 

In  our  chapter  Ixxxxix.,  The  Book  of  Privileges,  we  have 
spoken  of  the  copies  forwarded  Oderigo  by  the  hands  of  Riv¬ 
arol.  The  subsequent  history  of  these  precious  books  is  there 
related  at  length. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Senor  Juan  Luis  of  this  letter  is  iden¬ 
tical  with  Gian  Luigi  Fieschi,  a  friend  of  Oderigo ’s,  and  that 
Senora  Catalina  was  his  wife.  She  is  said  by  Harrisse,  follow¬ 
ing  the  Marquis  Staglieno,  to  have  been  a  daughter  of  Gian 
Maria  del  Cavetto. 

We  see  that  even  before  his  departure  this  fourth  voyage 
is  undertaken  in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity,  and  thus  we  are  not 
surprised  when,  the  land  of  the  New  World  first  appearing  to 
his  sight,  he  gave  to  the  island  in  the  Gulf  of  Paria  the  name  it 
has  ever  since  borne — Trinidad. 


244 


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246 


Christopher  Columbus 


Transliteration 


NO. 


“senor 

“la  soledad  en  que  nos  habeys// 
desado  non  se  puede  dezir.  el  libro 
de  niys  escritu-//ras  de  amijer  fran- 
gisco  de  ribarol  para  que  os  le  enbie 
con  otro//  traslado  de  cartas  mesa- 
jeras.  del  recabdo  y  el  lugar//que 
porneys  en  ello  os  pido  por  merged 
que  lo  escriuays//  a  don  diego.  otro 
tal  se  acabara  y  se  os  enbiara//  por 
la  mesma  guisa  y  el  mesmo  miger 
frangisco.  en  ellos//  fallereys  escri- 
tura  nueba.  Sus  altezas  me  prome- 
tieron//  de  me  dar  todo  lo  que  me 
pertenge  y  de  poner  en  posesion//  de 
todo  a  don  diego  como  veyreys.  al 
senor  miger  Juan// 


XVIII. 

Translation 

XVIII. 

‘  ‘  Sir  ; 

“The  loneliness  in  which  you  have 
left  us  cannot  be  described.  I  gave 
the  book  containing  my  writings  to 
Mr.  Francisco  de  Rivarol  that  he  may 
send  it  to  you  with  another  copy  of 
letters  containing  instructions.  I 
beg  you  to  be  so  kind  as  to  write 
Don  Diego  in  regard  to  the  place  of 
security  in  which  you  put  them. 
Duplicates  of  everything  will  be 
completed  and  sent  to  you  in  the 
same  manner  and  by  the  same  Mr. 
Francisco.  Among  them  you  will 
find  a  new  writing  [or  deed].  Their 
Highnesses  promised  to  give  me  all 
that  belongs  to  me  and  to  place  Don 
Diego  in  possession  of  everything,  as 
you  will  see.  I  wrote  to  Senor  Juan 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


247 


luys  y  a  la 

senora  madona  catalina  escriuo.  la 
carta/ /va  con  esta.  yo  estoy  de  par- 
tida  en  nombre  de  la//  santa  trini- 
dad  con  el  primer  buen  tiempo  con 
mucho  atabio//  si  geronimo  de  santi 
esteban  viene  debeme  esperar//  y 
non  se  enb[ara]5ar  con  nada  por  que 
tomar[a]n  del  lo//  que  pudieren  y 
despues  ledesaran  en  bianco,  venga// 
aca  y  el  rey  y  la  reyna  le  recibiran 
fasta  que  yo  venga//  nuestro  seiior 
os  aya  en  su  santa  guardia.  fecha 
a  .xxi.//  de  mar^o  en  sebilla.  1502.// 
“a  lo  que  mandardes.// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

Xpo  Kerens. ” 


XVIII. 

Luis  and  to  Senora  Catalina.  The 
letter  accompanies  this  one.  I  am 
ready  to  start  in  the  name  of  the 
Holy  Trinity  as  soon  as  the  weather 
is  good.  I  am  well  provided  with 
everything.  If  Jeronimo  de  Santi 
Esteban  is  coming,  he  must  await 
me  and  not  embarrass  himself  with 
anything,  for  they  will  take  away 
from  him  all  they  can  and  will 
silently  leave  him.  Let  him  come 
here  and  the  King  and  the  Queen 
will  receive  him  until  I  come.  May 
our  Lord  have  you  in  His  holy  keep¬ 
ing. 

“Done  in  Seville,  March  21,  1502. 

“At  your  command. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

Xpo  Kerens.” 


248 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XVIIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS 
TO  THE  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  BANK  OF  ST.  GEORGE 

Of  all  the  holographs  which  have  come  down  to  us  from 
Columbus,  none  equals  this  in  interest,  not  so  much  because  of  its 
subject-matter  as  for  the  part  it  has  played  in  a  famous  forgery. 

The  financial  institution  known  in  later  times — it  was  not 
until  the  year  1673  that  it  assumed  the  corporate  name  of  Banca 
di  San  Giorgio — as  the  Bank  of  St.  George,  had  its  origin  early 
in  the  fifteenth  century,  when,  as  the  Casa  or  Ufficio  di  Sancto 
Giorgio,  it  was  organised  to  accomplish  collectively  what  vari¬ 
ous  individual  creditors  were  unable  to  accomplish  in  collecting 
from  or  arranging  for  the  payment  by  the  Republic  of  its  obli¬ 
gations.  On  April  27,  1407,  one  general  funded  debt  was  cre¬ 
ated,  covering  the  claims  of  various  classes  of  creditors,  and  for 
the  gradual  liquidation  of  this  debt  certain  revenues  were  set 
apart,  to  be  managed  by  a  corporation  known  as  the  Ufficio  di 
Sancto  Giorgio,  and  to  be  applied  by  it  to  the  payment  of  the 
debt.  No  institution  of  the  Lombards  ever  approached  this 
Bank  of  St.  George  in  wealth,  power,  audacity,  utility,  and 
patriotism.  Growing  out  of  this  special  object  of  its  creation, 
the  great  Bank  prospered,  widened,  increased,  until  it  became 
the  most  powerful  money-holder  of  its  time.  It  issued  letters  of 
credit  for  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  bills  of  exchange  '  on  every 

'  The  oldest  manuscript  bill  of  exchange  known  (we  take  no  account  here  of 
Assyrian  bricks  or  of  the  “flying  money”  of  China)  is  said  to  be  one  issuing  from 
Messina,  and  drawn  on  Marseilles  under  date  of  February  15,  1200.  It  is  pre¬ 
served  among  some  vouchers  and  accounts  belonging  to  the  merchants  Mandouel,  a 
prominent  house  at  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century. 

The  city  of  Genoa  has  boasted  of  possessing  the  oldest  commercial  document 
of  this  character.  The  statement,  however,  is  believed  to  be  inexact.  This  docu¬ 
ment  is  itself  not  in  existence,  but  is  incorporated  in  a  notarial  act  in  the  register 
of  the  Genoese  notary  Lanfranco,  as  reported  by  Giuseppe  Canale,  and  the  recorded 
words  of  the  bill  are  as  follows: 

“Ego  Simon  Rubeus  bancherius  accepi  a  te  Raimundo  de  Podiozandino  libras 
danariorum  Janue  xxxiiii  et  danarios  xxxii  unde  promitto  tibi  vel  tuo  misso,  danti 
michi  hanc  cartam  marcas  viii  boni  argenti  librarum  venalium  de  Montepesulano, 
usque  ad  Pentecostem  proximam,  alioquim  pena  dupli  tibi  promitto.  .  .  . 

“Janue  in  fundico,  sexto  die  aprilis  ante  tertiam,  testes  .  .  .  de  Nervi, 

Oglerius  Patonus  et  Johannes  Sabinus.” 

As  Mr.  Harrisse  points  out,  this  is  a  promissory  note  and  not  a  bill  of  exchange, 
lacking  the  essential  attributes  of  such  a  commercial  instrument,  as  the  third  parties 
and  place  of  exchange  are  not  denominated  in  the  document.  In  the  text  of  Canale, 
whose  Storia  civile  e  commerciale  dei  Genouesi  was  printed  at  Genoa  in  1846,  the  name 
of  a  third  party,  Wilhelmus  bancherius  and  of  a  place  Palermo,  appear,  but  as  they 
are  not  found  in  the  notarial  act  it  is  evident  they  were  gratuitously  inserted.  In  any 
event,  the  doeument  preserved  at  Marseilles  antedates  the  document  referred  to  in 
the  notarial  act  preserved  at  Genoa. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  249 

city  in  Europe  passed  over  its  universal  eounters.  Then,  as  now, 
men  stood  aghast  at  the  gigantie  stature  of  this  corporation. 
It  loaned  to  the  Republic  the  means  of  conducting  its  affairs  in 
time  of  peace,  and  in  time  of  war  it  furnished  money  to  equip 
fleets  and  organise  armies.  It  not  only  reeeived  taxes  from  the 
State,  but  it  had  the  power  to  eollect  these  taxes  direetly  itself, 
and  no  eourt  in  the  land  eould  stay  its  hand.  It  reached  out 
into  the  field  of  commerce  and  established  its  eompanies  in 
many  lands,  forming  eentres  of  activity  throughout  the  shores 
reaehed  by  the  Mediterranean.  Maehiavelli  deelared: 

“  E  se  gl’auuenisse,  die  col  tempo  in  ogni  modo  auerra,  che  San  Giorgio 
tutta  quella  Citta  occupasse,  sarebbe  quella  una  Repub.  piu  che  la  Vinitiana 
niemorabile  “And  if  it  should  come  to  pass,  as  in  time  in  all  likelihood 
it  will  come  to  pass,  that  Saint  George  should  cover  the  entire  city,  the 
former  will  present  a  Republic  greater  than  famous  Venice.”  ‘ 

We  have  seen  how  all-eontrolling  to  Columbus  was  his  ulti¬ 
mate  purpose  of  wresting  from  the  Moslem  the  Holy  Sepulehre 
and  the  land  of  Palestine.  This  purpose,  as  a  legaey  with  all 
its  responsibilities,  he  laid  upon  his  heirs  and  sueeessors,  and 
that  his  end  might  be  aecomplished  he  provided  a  trust  fund  to 
be  lodged  and  to  be  accumulated  in  this  sound  Genoese  institu¬ 
tion.  The  gift  of  eorn  for  the  people  was  generous  but  trivial 
in  its  importance  to  the  gigantic  scheme  requiring  millions  upon 
millions  of  maravedis  for  ships  and  armies  in  the  New  Crusade. 
If  money  to  any  great  amount  was  ever  lodged  in  the  Bank  of 
St.  George  by  Columbus  or  his  heirs,  the  faet  is  not  recorded. 
His  charities  were  never  dispensed,  beeause  the  funds  were  never 
deposited  for  that  good  purpose.  Not  a  dueat  was  ever  paid 
into  the  Bank  and  not  a  dueat  was  ever  paid  out  of  the  Bank 
to  mount  a  knight  and  his  squire,  or  to  equip  a  soldier  for  the 
Crusade  against  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem. 

The  Bank  of  St.  George  never  quite  recovered  from  the 
blows  dealt  it  by  the  Austrians  in  1740  and  in  1800  by  the 
Freneh  under  a  Corsican,  whose  family  of  Buona  Parte  boasted 
titles  of  nobility  bearing  the  Republie’s  seals. 

This  letter  was  written  by  Columbus  on  April  2,  1502.  It 
was  forwarded,  not  directly,  but  through  Francesco  di  Rivarola 

^Historic  Florentine,  Firenze,  MDXXXII.,  verso  folio  218. 


250 


Christopher  Columbus 

to  Nicolo  Oderigo,  and  b}"  the  latter  to  the  Governors  or  Protect¬ 
ors — as  they  were  called — of  the  Bank.  It  is  not  known  when 
it  reached  its  destination.  The  Directors  replied  to  the  Admiral 
under  date  of  December  8,  1502,  inclosing  their  letter  in  another 
to  Don  Diego,  the  Admiral’s  son.'  If  the  letter  had  been  re- 

^  “  Preclariilimo  viro  dum  diego  admirati  maioris  maris  oceani  filio  honor- 
andillimo. 

■'Illuftris  et  clariffime  vir  honorandiffime.  La  excelentia  de  lo  armirante  maior 
voftro  padre  per  fua  lettera  data  adi  dui  de  aprile  palTato  et  piu  largamente  per 
relatione  de  lo  fpectabile  mefer  nicolo  de  oderico  ritornato  de  la  legatione  fua  da 
queli  gloriofillimi  re  ne  ha  fatto  intendere  quanta  fia  la  fua  carita  et  optima  volunta 
verfo  quefta  fua  primigenia  patria  del  che  habiamo  recevuto  confolatione  innarala- 
bile  vedendo  etiamdo  quelo  che  in  parole  fcrive  eflere  dimfotrato  in  effccti  per  che 
pare  habia  ordinato  a  voftra  claritudine  che  de  li  fruti  ogni  anno  foi  et  voftri  per  una 
decima  debiate  mandare  in  quefta  cita  a  deputare  a  la  exdebitatione  ho  fia  de  fque- 
anto  de  le  cabelle  de  lo  grano  vino  et  altre  victualie.  Ne  aricomanda  etiamdio  voftra 
claritudine  Ill  che  non  nera  molto  neceflario  perche  fiamo  et  faremo  fempre  in  ogni 
voftra  gloria  et  amplia  claritudine  talmente  difpofti  che  a  quelo  no  fe  po  fare  alcuna 
additione.  vi  pregemo  bene  che  vi  piacia  haveire  a  mente  de  metere  ad  executione 
quelo  che  de  la  decima  lo  voftro  excelentiflimo  padre  ve  ha  ordinato  et  da  noi  fe 
facia  voftra  clarita  tutto  quelo  concepto  lo  quale  importa  lo  grado  et  condicione  de 
cafa  voftra  et  la  gloria  de  voftro  padre  per  lo  quale  et  per  voftra  magnificentia  et 
claritudine  fiamo  in  ogni  tempo  paratiflimi.  La  lettera  che  fcrivemmo  a  effo 
excelentiflimo  voftro  padre  inclufa  in  quefta  ve  piacera  darli  quando  li  fera  la 
comodita  del  tempo  et  la  fua  presentia.  Ex  Genua  MDII  die  viii  decembris.” 

“To  the  Most  Illustrious  Man,  Don  Diego,  Most  Honourable  Son  of  the  High 
Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea. 

“Illustrious  and  Distinguished  and  Most  Honoured  Sir: — His  Excellency,  the 
Admiral  your  father,  by  means  of  his  letter  dated  the  second  day  of  last  April  and 
more  at  length  by  means  of  the  relation  of  the  Honourable  Messer  Nicolb  when  he 
returned  from  his  embassy  to  those  Most  Glorious  Sovereigns,  has  caused  its  to  under¬ 
stand  how  great  is  his  charity  and  good-will  towards  this,  his  first  country.  We 
have  been  inexpressibly  gratified  by  this,  seeing  abso  that  what  he  wrote  in  words  he 
has  demonstrated  in  effect,  as  it  appears  that  he  has  ordered  your  Excellency  to 
send  to  this  city  every  year  one  tenth  of  his  and  your  revenue  to  be  applied  to  the 
discharging  or  reducing  of  the  tax  on  corn,  wine,  and  other  provisions.  He  also  re¬ 
commends  your  Excellency  to  us  which  is  not  very  necessary,  because  we  are  and 
always  shall  be  so  disposed  to  promote  your  glory  and  aggrandisement  that  our  dis¬ 
position  to  that  effect  cannot  be  increased.  We  beg  you  then  to  be  pleased  to  have 
in  mind  the  carrying  into  execution  of  what  your  Most  Excellent  father  has  ordered 
in  regard  to  the  tenth,  and  everything  shall  be  done  by  us  for  your  Excellency  to  the 
extent  which  belongs  to  your  rank  and  the  dignity  of  your  house  and  to  the  glory  of 
your  father,  whom,  as  well  as  your  Excellency  and  Grace  we  are  always  most  ready 
to  serve.  The  letter  enclosed  which  we  have  written  to  your  Most  Excellent  father, 
we  shall  be  pleased  if  you  will  give  him  when  you  have  the  opportunity  and  he  is 
near  you.  From  Genoa  1502,  December  8.” 

“  Illuftri  et  preclariffimo  viro  domino  Chriftoforo  maiori  admirato  maris  oceani 
viffe  regi  et  gubernatori  general!  insularum  et  continentis  affie  et  indiarum  cereniffi- 
morum  regis  et  regine  et  capitaneo  gcnerali  maris  et  confiliario. 

“Illuftris  vir  et  clariffime  amantiffimeque  concivis  et  domine  memorandiffime. 
Per  lo  fpectabile  jureconfulto  meffer  nicolo  de  oderigo  ritornato  da  la  legatione  per 
quefta  excelfa  noftra  comunit4  apreffo  de  quelli  excelentiffimi  et  gloriofiffimi  Re, 
ne  ftata  data  una  lettera  de  voftra  claritudine  la  quale  ne  ha  data  una  confolatione 
fingulariffima  vedendo  per  quella  voftra  excelentia  effere  come  e  confentaneo  ala 
natura  fua  afifectionato  de  quefta  fua  originaria  patria  ala  quale  dimoftra  portare 
fingulare  amore  et  carita  volendo  che  de  la  gracia  la  quale  la  divinia  bonta  fe  dignata 
fare  a  voftra  excelentia  la  patria  antedicta  et  populi  de  quella  debiano  fentire  bona 
comodita  et  fructo  memorabile,  habiando  ordinato  a  lo  preclariffimo  don  diego 
voftro  figiolo  che  de  la  decima  de  ogni  rendita  fua  ogni  anno  debia  in  quefta  citta 
provedere  a  defbitatione  de  la  gabelle  de  grano  vino  et  altre  victualie,  la  qual  coffa 
non  poteria  elTere  piu  caritativa  nec  etiam  piu  memorabile  nec  tendere  a  maior  me- 
moria  de  la  gloria  voftra  la*  quale  in  le  altre  coffe  eft  tanto  grande  et  tanto  fingulare 
quanto  fe  habia  per  alcuna  feriptura  homo  del  mondo  mei  haveire  aquiftato  habi¬ 
ando  per  voftra  propria  induftria  animosita  et  prudentia  ritrovato  tanta  parte  di 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


251 


ceived  promptly  by  the  Bank,  ordinary  business  courtesy  would 
have  suggested  an  earlier  acknowledgment.  However,  when 
the  Chancellor  of  the  Bank  (Antonio  Gallo,  the  same  historian 
to  first  write  the  Columbian  pedigree)  did  receive  the  letter,  he 
performed  a  common  business  act  which  in  time  served  to  detect 
as  arrant  a  piece  of  forgery  as  was  ever  perpetrated.  He  folded 
the  letter  and  passed  it  over  and  through  a  pointed  bit  of  iron 
which  acted  as  a  letter-file.  In  the  course  of  time,  in  one  month 
or  two  months  or  six  months,  whenever  this  particular  iron 
letter-file  became  overburdened,  the  letter  and  its  companion 

quefta  terra  et  globo  del  mondo  inferiore  la  quale  per  tutti  li  antipalTati  fecoli  all 
homini  dc  la  noftra  habita,bile  e  ftata  incognita.  Ma  quefta  tanta  e.xcelentia  voftra 
de  cofli  fingulariffima  gloria  a  dire  lo  vero  ne  pare  molto  piu  memorabile  et  com- 
pleta  eilendo  condita  de  la  humanita  et  benignita  che  demoftrate  haveire  a  quefta 
fua  primogenia  patria  perche  laudemo  cum  infinite  laude  la  voftra  difpofitione  et 
preghiamo  lo  omnipotente  Dio  fe  degne  confcrvarvi  longamente  cum  felicita.  A  lo 
prenominato  don  diego  voftro  preclarilTimo  figliolo  faremo  fempre  tanto  affectionati 
quanto  importa  la  condictione  fua  per  effere  voftro  figiolo  ac  la  excelentia  de  li  facti 
et  gloria  voftra  de  la  quale  quefta  noftra  comune  patria  prende  et  ha  havuto  la  parte 
fua  a  loquale  don  diego  fe  fiamo  offerti  per  lettera  et  coffi  fe  offerimo  a  voftra  ex¬ 
celentia  in  tutto  quello  che  fia  in  noftra  mano  poter  fare  per  honore  et  crefcimento 
de  la  gloriofiffima  cafa  voftra. — Lo  prenominato  meffere  nicolo  ne  ha  narrate  molte 
cofife  de  le  gracie  et  privilegii  voftri  li  quali  ha  portato  qui  tranflati,  del  che  fiamo 
confolatilTimi  et  ve  rifferemo  immortale  gratie  che  de  quclli  ne  habiatc  facti  parte- 
cipi.  Ex  genua  MDII  die  viii  decembris.” 

“To  the  Illustrious  and  Most  Distinguished  Man  Don  Christopher,  High  Ad¬ 
miral  of  the  Ocean-sea,  Vice-Roy  and  Governor  General  of  the  islands  and  con¬ 
tinental  lands  of  the  Indies  and  Captain-General  of  the  seas  and  Counsellor  of  the 
Most  Serene  King  and  Queen. 

“  Illustrious  Man  and  most  Distinguished  and  Beloved  Fellow  Citizen  and  ever- 
to-be-remembered  Lord : 

“By  means  of  the  Honourable  jurist,  Messer  Nicolb  Oderigo,  who  has  returned 
from  his  Embassy  from  this  our  Commonwealth  to  your  Most  Excellent  and  Most 
Glorious  Sovereigns,  we  have  received  a  letter  from  your  Excellency  which  has  grati¬ 
fied  us  exceedingly,  seeing  from  it  the  affection  entertained  by  your  Excellencv,  as 
in  keeping  with  your  nature,  for  this  your  original  country  towards  which  you  show 
that  you  bear  a  singular  love  and  charity,  by  desiring  that  the  aforesaid  country 
and  its  people  should  feel  the  benefits  of  the  favour  which  the  Divine  Goodness  has 
deigned  to  show  to  your  Excellency:  hav'ing  ordered  the  Most  Illustrious  Don  Diego, 
your  son,  to  provide  every  year  by  means  of  the  tenth  of  his  revenue  for  the  discharg¬ 
ing  of  the  tax  on  corn,  wine  and  other  provisions,  than  which  nothing  could  be  more 
charitable  or  more  memorable  or  tend  to  the  greater  remembrance  of  your  glory, 
which  in  other  things  is  as  great  and  as  remarkable  as  has  ever  been  recorded  of  any 
other  man  in  the  world,  having  by  your  own  industry,  energy,  and  prudence  dis¬ 
covered  such  a  part  of  this  earth  and  globe  of  the  Antipodes,  which  throughout 
all  the  past  centuries  has  been  unknown  to  the  men  of  our  inhabited  world.  But 
this  great  excellence  of  your  most  remarkable  glory,  to  tell  the  truth,  appears  much 
more  memorable  and  complete,  being  accompanied  by  the  humanity  and  benignity 
which  you  show  that  you  possess  for  this,  your  first  country,  on  which  account  we 
magnify  with  infinite  praises  your  disposition  and  we  pray  the  omnipotent  God  to 
deign  to  preserve  you  in  happiness  for  many  years.  As  to  the  aforesaid  Don  Diego, 
your  Most  Illustrious  Son,  we  shall  always  hold  him  in  the  affection  to  which  his 
condition  as  your  son  entitles  him,  as  well  as  on  account  of  the  excellency  of  your 
deeds  and  of  your  glory,  of  which  this,  our  common  country,  takes  and  has  received 
its  part.  We  have  offered  to  Don  Diego  by  letter,  and  so  we  offer  ourselves  to  your 
Excellency,  to  do  everything  which  may  be  in  our  hands  for  the  honour  and  exalta¬ 
tion  of  your  most  glorious  house.  The  aforesaid  Messer  Nicolb  has  narrated  to  us 
many  things  of  your  graces  and  privileges  of  which  he  has  brought  us  copies  and  by 
which  we  are  extremely  gratified  and  address  to  you  our  everlasting  thanks  for  those 
in  which  you  have  made  us  participants.  From  Genoa,  is 02,  December  8.” 


252  Christopher  Columbus 

pieces  were  joined  together  in  a  bundle  called  a  filza,  by  a  con¬ 
venient  string  or  braided  cord  passing  through  the  holes  made 
by  the  iron  file,  and  after  being  labelled  Foliatium  A podisiarum 
Antonio  Gallo  de  1502  (File  of  Vouchers  of  Antonio  Gallo  for  the 
Year  1502)  were  stored  away  in  the  recesses  of  the  Bank. 

Here  lay  this  precious  letter  of  Columbus  for  years,  for 
generations,  for  centuries.  We  cannot  say  its  sleep  was  abso¬ 
lutely  undisturbed,  because  in  the  year  1614,  Girolamo  Bordoni, 
the  Milanese  printer,  published  a  new  edition  of  the  Historie 
of  Ferdinand  Columbus,  and  in  it  quotes  this  original  letter 
of  gift  declaring  he  took  it  Ex  Registj'o  Litter  arum  Q.  D.  Antonii 
Gain  Viri  Ex  Cancellariis  Comperarum  S.  Georgii.  There  are 
known  other  instances  in  which  the  letter  has  been  taken  from 
the  file,  opened,  and  read. 

Sometime  during  the  first  week  in  August  of  the  year  1829, 
Signor  Antonio  Lobero,  the  Archivist  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George, 
while  rummaging  among  the  old  files,  came  across  this  letter. 
He  copied  it  and  sent  the  copy  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 
The  municipal  authorities  learned  of  this,  and  as  they  already 
possessed  the  Codex,  or  Book  of  Privileges,  and  the  two  letters 
addressed  to  Oderigo,  they  asked  that  their  Hall  might  become 
the  repository  of  these  relics. 

Accordingly,  in  December,  1829,  this  letter  was  transferred 
to  the  Municipal  Palace  at  Genoa,  where  it  is  at  this  day  pre¬ 
served  in  the  little  marble  monument  called  the  Custodia,  to¬ 
gether  with  a  crystal  locket  containing  some  alleged  particles  of 
the  dust  to  which  the  body  of  the  great  Discoverer  had  been 
reduced.  In  1857,  Armanino,  a  celebrated  Genoese  litho¬ 
grapher,  took  a  tracing  of  this  letter,  from  which  tracing  another 
was  reproduced  at  Havana  in  1857;  and  in  1868  it  was  again 
reproduced  by  photography.  Still  another  photograph  was 
subsequently  made  and  is  for  sale  at  Genoa.  This  last  can  be 
identified  by  its  size — 138  mms.  by  98  mms.  The  original,  as  we 
measure  it  from  the  top  of  the  cross  to  the  end  of  the  letter  p  in 
the  signature,  is  291.70  mms.,  while  the  folio  is  215.70  mms.  in 
width. 

Henry  Harrisse,  the  distinguished  historian  of  America, — 
cui  etas  nostra  multum  debet, — some  twenty  years  ago,  or,  to 
be  exact,  on  October  17,  1883,  was  at  work  in  the  Paris  Na- 


253 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

tional  Library,'  when  he  met  an  Italian,  fluent  in  his  French, 
who  told  him  he  was  preparing  a  history  of  Columbus  based  on 
documents  hitherto  uncited  and  unknown,  among  which  was  a 
holograph  letter  then  in  his  possession.  Naturally,  this  inter¬ 
ested  Mr.  Harrisse,  who  requested  that  he  might  see  it.  The 
Italian  declined  to  show  him  the  original,  which  he  said  was  not 
in  a  fit  condition  to  exhibit,  but  produced  a  photograph  of  it. 
This  was  at  once  recognised  by  Mr.  Harrisse  as  apparently  an 
exact  counterfeit  of  the  letter  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George,  our  let¬ 
ter  No.  XVIIII.  When  Mr.  Harrisse  announced  his  opinion  that 
this  was  only  a  copy,  the  Italian  smiled,  and,  saying  that  he  had 
it  from  a  priest,  intimated  that  it  might  have  been  obtained  from 
the  archives  at  Genoa  by  unlawful  means.  Promising  to  bring 
at  another  day  the  original  of  the  photograph,  the  Italian  de¬ 
parted  from  the  Library,  and  Mr.  Harrisse  never  saw  him  again. 
He  had  the  satisfaction,  however,  of  learning  subsequently  that 
the  man  had  been  a  fugitive  from  justice  in  Genoa,  where,  on 
September  6,  1882,  he  had  been  condemned  to  prison  for  theft 
and  other  crimes.  In  December,  1885,  the  man  was  delivered 
by  the  French  authorities  to  the  Italian  Government,  and  thus 
returned  to  imprisonment  in  the  Sant  Giuliano  Persiceto. 

In  Februarv,  1887,  Mr.  Harrisse  received  a  communication 
to  the  effect  that  an  autograph  letter  of  Christopher  Columbus 
was  for  sale  in  Chicago  for  50,000  francs,  and  later  in  New  York 
for  $2000.  Upon  inquiry  it  was  disclosed  that  this  was  the 
same  letter  which  the  Italian  had  in  Paris  in  1883.  The  pos¬ 
sessor  of  the  letter  of  1887  openly  acknowledged  it  was  iden¬ 
tical  with  that  possessed  by  the  Italian  in  1883. 

The  forger  of  this  letter — for  we  can  easily  prove  it  to  be  a 
forgery — suffered  from  a  broken  continuity  between  skill  and 
knowledge, — the  dread  of  the  forger  and  the  safety  of  the  pub¬ 
lic.  Possessing  himself  of  one  of  the  lithographs  made  in  1856, 
the  forger  assumed  that,  in  the  time  of  the  original  letter,  vel¬ 
lum  and  not  paper  was  used.  Accordingly,  he  procured  a  sheet 
of  vellum  and  transferred  to  it  an  exact  copy  of  the  lithograph. 

’  American  visitors  to  the  reading  room  of  the  Bibhotheque  Nationale  will  do 
well  to  gaze  at  desk  17,  at  which  has  been  done  much  of  the  work  of  this  indefatigable 
writer,  easily  the  foremost  of  .American  historians.  Seventy-five  historical  works 
relating  to  the  early  historv’  of  America  have  come  from  his  pen.  and  yet  no  American 
library  embraces  the  half  thereof.  It  is  a  commentary  on  the  reward  of  labour. 


254 


Christopher  Columbus 

Here  he  lacked  knowledge,  not  only  as  to  the  material  used 
for  correspondence  in  the  sixteenth  century,  but  in  the  well 
known  chirographical  fact  that  no  man  will  naturally  write  a 
certain  number  of  words  exactly  alike  on  two  separate  pieces 
of  paper.  Yet  in  this  Paris-New  York-Chicago  letter,  not  only 
was  every  word  exactly  similar  in  its  minutest  characters  to 
those  corresponding  words  and  characters  found  in  the  1856 
lithograph,  but  it  religiously  reproduced  an  egregious  and  fatu¬ 
ous,  yet  necessary,  blunder  in  the  said  lithograph.  If  the 
reader  will  examine  the  letter  here  reproduced,  in  an  exact  fac¬ 
simile  made  by  photography  of  the  original  in  the  Custodia  at 
Genoa,  he  will  find  on  the  twelfth  line  certain  marks  indicating 
the  presence  in  the  original  of  two  holes.  These  holes  are  the 
marks  left  by  the  iron  file  when  it  pierced  the  letter  as  it  re¬ 
ceived  it  from  the  hand  of  Antonio  Gallo  in  1502.  The  forger 
never  saw  this  original,  and  therefore  he  had  no  knowledge  of 
the  holes.  But  the  lithographer  of  1856  did  possess  this  know¬ 
ledge,  and,  wishing  to  improve  the  appearance  of  the  original, 
he  concealed  the  holes,  and  on  his  stone  cut  what  he  conceived 
to  be  the  missing  characters  made  by  the  said  holes.  The  Paris- 
New  York-Chicago  letter  has  no  holes,  and  exactly  reproduces 
the  lithograph  of  1856.  It  has  been  affirmed  that  Columbus 
was  in  the  habit  of  making  two  transcripts  of  his  letters,  for¬ 
warding  one  and  keeping  the  other  as  a  record.  He  certainly 
did  make  copies  of  some  letters  and  some  documents.  But  if 
he  made  two  copies  of  this  letter  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George  on 
April  2,  1502,  one  on  paper  and  one  on  vellum,  is  it  probable  he 
would  have  sent  the  cheap  and  common-paper  copy  to  his  dis¬ 
tinguished  correspondent,  the  magnificent  and  lordly  Ufficio  di 
Sancto  Giorgio,  and  retained  the  costly  and  rare  vellum  copy 
for  himself?  And  is  it  within  the  range  of  possibility  that  he 
would  have  written  twenty-five  lines,  counting  the  mark  of  the 
cross  and  the  signature,  making  each  letter  of  each  word  of  one 
copy  with  exactly  the  same  characters,  the  same  dimension,  the 
same  shading,  and  placing  it  in  exactly  the  same  relative 
position  as  the  same  letter  in  the  other  copy!  Only  a  skilled 
forger  can  do  that.  What  object  could  Columbus  have  had  in 
himself  perpetrating  a  forgery  of  one  of  his  own  letters  on  an 
expensive  piece  of  sheep-skin,  and  then  prophetically  retaining 
it  for  the  benefit  of  some  American  collector! 


255 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

The  Italian  forger  may  be  free  or  in  prison,  but  the  fruit  of 
his  pen  is  wandering  up  and  down  the  land  seeking  a  buyer  and 
a  home.  We  might  commute  the  sentence  of  an  utterer  of 
false  bank-notes  if  he  were  contrite  of  heart,  and  no  harm  could 
come  from  a  shorter  prison  service;  but  on  him  who  would 
forge  a  letter  of  Christopher  Columbus  we  would  confer  all  the 
preliminary  pains  of  the  forever-lost.' 

'  As  the  author  writes  there  lies  on  his  desk  the  correspondence  between  the 
holder  if  not  the  actual  owner  of  the  Columbian  forgery  and  a  bookseller  in  New 
York.  And  also  there  lies  on  his  desk  a  letter  from  the  same  correspondent  who,  in 
January,  1900,  was  still  the  holder  of  the  letter,  offering  that  piece  for  a  ridiculously 
small  sum,  not  any  longer  as  a  genuine  Columbus  holograph,  but  as  a  literary  curi¬ 
osity,  which  it  certainly  is.  Thus  a  bit  of  vellum  which  has  caused  some  discussion, 
a  little  jealousy,  and  a  variety  of  mixed  sentiments,  has  found  its  proper  classifica¬ 
tion  after  twenty  uneasy  years. 


XVIIII. 


Va  '!'•  X'- 

^  vs  V  j  s^' 

-1., 

.  '*  i  I  ' 

\  ^  '  S  (^  <  JS. 

^ 't  -  i 

■  N^'  M 

f  \  ^  A 

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\  \ 


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'•  v'  '  ’*•.*' 

*V‘V"- 


'  •?s»*f  .Vrtl 


'*r-ry^  0»’**' 

.’» '  W'  ■.  .- 


*■  '  ■'^  ' 


i  -•; rf.c. t ' 


Seville,  April  2,  ij02.  [Municipal  Palace  at  Genoa.] 


Christopher  Columbus 


158 


NO.  XVIIII. 


T  ransliteration 

“muy  nobles  senores 

“bien  que  el  coerpo  ande  aca.  el 
coragon  esta  all  de  continuo.  nues- 
tra  Senor  me  ha  fecho  la  mayo[r]// 
merged  que  despues  de  dabid  el  ay  a 
fecho  a  nadi.  las  cosas  de  my  in- 
presa  ya  luzen//  y  farian  gran  lum- 
bre  si  la  escuridad  del  gobierno  non 
le  incobriera.  yo  boeluo//  a  las 
yndias  en  nombre  de  la  santa  trini- 
dad  para  tomar  luego.  y  porque 
yo  soy//  mortal  yo  deso  a  don  diego 
my  fijo  que  de  la  renta  toda  que  se 
oviere  que  os//  acuda  ali  con  el 
diezmo  de  toda  ella  cada  vm  ano 
para  siempre  para  en  des-//cuento 
de  la  renta  del  trigo  y  vino  y  otras 
bituahas  comederas  si  este//  diezmo 
fuere  algo  regebildo  y  si  non  regebid 
la  voluntad  que  yo  tengo//  a  este 
fijo  myo  VOS  pido  por  merged  que 
tengays  encomendado.  myger//  ny- 
colo  de  oderigo  sabe  de  mys  fechos 
mas  que  yo  proprio.  yo  el  he// 


T ranslation 

XVIIII. 

“Very  noble  Lords: 

“Although  my  body  is  here,  my 
heart  is  continually  yonder.  Our 
Lord  has  granted  me  the  greatest 
favour  he  has  granted  any  one  since 
the  time  of  David.  The  results  of 
my  undertaking  already  shine,  and 
they  would  make  a  great  light  if  the 
obscurity  of  the  government  did  not 
conceal  them.  I  shall  go  again  to 
the  Indies  in  the  name  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  to  return  immediately.  And 
as  I  am  mortal,  I  desire  my  son 
Don  Diego  to  give  to  you  each  year, 
forever,  the  tenth  part  of  all  the 
income  received,  in  payment  of  the 
tax  on  wheat,  wine,  and  other  pro¬ 
visions.  If  this  tenth  amounts  to 
anything,  receive  it,  and  if  not,  re¬ 
ceive  my  will  for  the  deed.  I  beg 
you  as  a  favour  to  have  this  son  of 
mine  in  your  charge.  Nicolo  de 
Oderigo  knows  more  about  my 
affairs  than  I  myself.  I  have 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


259 


enbiado  el  traslado  de  mys  priu- 
ilegios  y  cartas  para  que  los  ponga// 
en  buen  guardia.  folgaria  que  los 
viesedes.  el  rey  y  la  reyna//  mys 
Senores  me  queren  honrrar  mas  que 
nunca.  la  santa  trinidad//  vues- 
tras  nobles  personas  guarde  y  el 
muy  magnifico  ofifio  acresgiente// 
fecha  en  sebilla  a  dos  dias  de  abril 
de.  1502. 

“el  almirante  mayor  del  mar 
09eano  y  viso  rey  y  governador 
general  de  las  yslas  y  tierra 
firme  de  asia  &  yndias  del  rey  & 
de  la  reyna  mys  senores  y  su 
capitan  general  de  la  mar  y  del 
su  consejo// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  V 

:Xpo  Ferens.” 


XVIIII. 

sent  him  the  copy  of  my  privileges 
and  letters,  that  he  may  place  them 
in  safe  keeping.  I  would  be  glad  if 
you  could  see  them.  The  King  and 
the  Queen,  my  Lords,  now  wish  to 
honour  me  more  than  ever.  May 
the  Holy  Trinity  guard  your  noble 
persons,  and  increase  the  import¬ 
ance  of  your  very  magnificent  office. 
Done  in  Seville,  April  2,  1502. 

“The  High-Admiral  of  the 
Ocean-Sea  and  Vice-Roy  and 
Governor  General  of  the  islands 
and  main-land  of  Asia  and  the 
Indies,  belonging  to  the  King 
and  Queen,  my  Lords,  and  the 
Captain-General  of  the  Sea,  and 
a  Member  of  their  Council. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
:Xpo  Ferens,” 


26o 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XX.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
FATHER  DON  CASPAR  GORRICIO 

This  priest  was  a  devoted  friend  of  Columbus,  but  it  is  not 
certain  that  they  were  in  relations  with  each  other  prior  to  the 
discovery.  Indeed,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  Father  Gas- 
par  was  not  in  Spain  much  before  that  period.  He  published 
at  Seville,  in  1495,  a  little  religious  work  which  was  composed 
in  Italian,  but  was  translated  into  the  Castilian  tongue  by  a 
lawyer,  Juan  Alfonso  de  Logrono.  The  inference  is  that  if 
Father  Gaspar  had  been  long  in  Spain  he  would  not  have  been 
obliged  to  call  in  another  to  render  his  composition  from  the 
Italian  into  the  Spanish  language.  And  yet,  here  again  we 
wonder  why  Columbus,  himself  an  Italian,  should  write  in 
Spanish,  at  best  an  adopted  tongue  and  one  which  Las  Casas 
says  he  employed  imperfectly,  to  a  compatriot  who  also  appears 
to  have  been  an  indifferent  Castilian  scholar. 

Father  Gaspar  Gorricio  was  of  noble  birth.  This  accounts 
for  the  Don  with  which  the  Admiral  punctiliously  generally  pre¬ 
fixed  the  priest’s  name.  As  we  learn  from  the  book  mentioned 
in  the  note,  Gorricio  was  a  native  of  Novara  in  Italy,  and  a 
family  of  that  name  in  the  early  part  of  the  thirteenth  century 
held  a  place  of  importance  in  the  city.  December  6,  1503, 
Father  Gaspar  Gorricio  filled  the  office  of  “  conrrey,”  or  deputy 
attorney,  of  the  monastery,  a  position  to  which  were  committed 
the  civil  cases  of  the  Order.  It  is  then  natural  that  the  Ad¬ 
miral  should  place  in  his  charge  some  of  his  legal  and  compli¬ 
cated  personal  affairs.  Father  Gaspar  basked  somewhat  in  the 
light  of  the  Court,  since  we  find  in  the  letter  to  the  Admiral  to 
him,  under  date  of  February  26,  1501,  that  the  Queen  knew 
him  and  had  lately  written  him  a  letter.  The  semi-professional 
character  of  this  lawyer-priest  accounts  for  his  acting  both  for 
Don  Bartholomew,  the  Adelantado,  and  for  Don  Diego — the 
second  Admiral — on  several  occasions.  In  1508,  the  Adelan¬ 
tado  intrusted  to  his  care  gold  and  jewels.  In  July,  1514,  the 
name  of  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio  appears  as  one  of  the  profess- 

^  This  work  is  entitled:  Contemplaciones  sohre  el  Rosario  de  N.  S.  .  .  .  or- 

denadas  por  Don  Gaspar  de  Gorricio  de  Novaria,  monje  de  Cariuxa:  ^  tornadas  en 
vulgar  castillano  por  el  reverendo  senor  bachiller  Juan  Alfonso  de  Logrono,  canonigo  de 
Sevilla.  Impressa  en  esta  misma  ciudad  por  Meynardo  Ungut  y  Lanjalao  Polono 
en  1495,  July  8. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  261 

ors  of  the  monastery  engaged  in  public  teaching.  Don  Diego 
Columbus,  brother  of  the  Admiral,  died  in  February,  1514,  in 
the  house  of  Don  Francisco  Gorricio,  who  is  thought  to  have 
been  a  brother  of  the  Carthusian  monk.  In  the  work  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  note,  the  letter  or  preface  is  directed  to  the  au¬ 
thor’s  brothers,  Francisco  and  Melchior  Gorricio.' 

This  letter  was  doubtless  written  by  the  Admiral  from  San 
Lucar,  whither  he  had  just  gone  from  Seville  to  look  after  his 
ships.  San  Lucar  de  Barrameda  was  then  an  important  sea¬ 
port  in  Spain  some  eighteen  miles  north  of  Cadiz,  where  the 
river  Guadalquivir  empties  into  the  Atlantic.  He  found  his 
faithful  and  capable  brother  Bartholomew  had  already  removed 
the  ships  to  Puebla  Vieja,  where  they  were  undergoing  the 
necessary  preparation  of  being  caulked  and  tightened  for  their 
long  and  dangerous  voyage  from  which  none,  we  believe,  was 
ever  permitted  to  return. 

The  reference  to  his  memorial  undoubtedly  alludes  to  the 
Book  of  Privileges,  one  if  not  two  copies  of  which  had  already 
been  forwarded  to  Father  Gaspar  for  deposit  in  the  Chest. 

'  The  learned  author  of  the  Raccolta,  Part  I.,  vol.  ii.,  is  in  error  in  supposing 
that  Melchior  Gorricio  ever  exercised  the  art  of  printing.  He  was  a  distinguished 
merchant  and  a  patron  of  printing,  but  he  employed  the  printer  Petrus  Hagenbach 
and  his  Toledo  press  for  his  enlightened  purposes.  In  our  example  of  Gutierrez’s 
Cura  de  la  piedra,  from  the  press  of  Petrus  Hagenbach,  April  4,  1498,  we  read:  Ha 
expendas  de  Melchior  Gorricio  mercador  por  maistre  Pedro  hagenbach  aleman. 

From  this  same  press,  in  1498,  issued  Ccesar:  conimeniarios ;  also  a  cojta  del  muy 
honrado  mercador  Melchior  Gorricio. 


62 


263 


X 


o 


"T- 


X. 


X. 

C3 

<0 


3 


ca 

O 

^  5<. 

E  ^ 

o  ■-; 


I  5 

[-i^  dij 
'*»> 
O 


S  2 

5c  -S 


-S 


o 


C/; 

O 


k; 

o 


264 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“  Reberendo  y  muy  deboto  padre. 

“Si  el  deseu  de  saber  de  vos  me// 
fatiga  ansi  andando  alia  adonde  voy 
como  haze  aqui  recibire/ /  gran  pena. 
las  cosas  de  my  despacho  me  han 
cargado  tanto//  que  he  desado  el 
resto  y  esto  por  hazer  todo  mas 
de  espagio//  el  senor  adelantado  ya 
partio  con  los  nabios  para  despal- 
mar//  en  la  puebla  vieja.  my  par- 
tida  sera  en  nombre  de  la  santa// 
trinidad  el  myercoles  en  la  mahana. 
ala  buelta  veyra//  Vuestra  Reue- 
RENCiA  a  don  diego  y  le  esporna  bien 
en  lo  de  my  memorial//  qve  yo 
deso  del  qual  querria  yo  que  tubie- 
sedes  vm//  treslado.  alia  van  por 
my  arquyta  para  algunas// 


XX. 

T  ranslation 

XX. 

“Reverend  and  Very  Devout 
Father: 

“If  the  desire  to  hear  from  you 
troubles  me  as  much  in  the  places  to 
which  I  am  going,  as  it  does  here, 
I  shall  feel  great  anxiety.  I  have 
been  charged  with  so  many  things 
for  my  expedition,  that  I  have  left 
the  rest:  and  I  have  done  this  in 
order  to  attend  to  everything  more 
at  leisure.  The  Senor  Adelantado 
has  already  left  with  the  ships,  in 
order  to  have  them  calked  at  the 
Puebla  Vieja.  My  departure  will 
take  place  Wednesday  morning  in 
the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity.  On 
his  return,  your  Reverence  will  see 
Don  Diego  and  explain  to  him  thor¬ 
oughly  in  regard  to  a  memorial  of 
mine  which  I  leave,  and  of  which  I 
wish  you  to  have  a  copy.  They  are 
going  there  for  my  small  chest,  to 
obtain  some 


265 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


escri- 

turas.  la  carta  escriuyre  de  my 
mano.  don  diego//  se  la  trahera 
con  mys  encomyendas.  a  eses  de- 
botos//  religiosos  me  encomyendo. 
en especial  al  reberendo  padre  priol// 
que  voy  muy  suyo  y  deseoso  de 
seruile  fecha  a  .iiii  de  abril//  fara 
lo  que  VuESTRA  Reuerencia// 
“mandare.// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens. ” 


XX. 

writings.  I  will  write 
the  letter  with  my  own  hand.  Don 
Diego  will  bring  it  with  my  mes¬ 
sages.  I  commend  myself  to  the 
devout  members  of  your  religious 
house.  Especially  I  would  say  to 
the  Reverend  Prior  that  I  am  very 
much  at  his  disposal  and  am  desir¬ 
ous  of  serving  him.  Done  April  4. 

“I  am  at  the  command 
of  your  Reverence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens.” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


267 


NO.  XXI.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
FATHER  DON  CASPAR  GORRICIO 

The  last  letter,  written  to  Father  Caspar  Gorricio,  left  the 
Admiral  at  San  Lucar  de  Barrameda.  This  famous  port,  which 
witnessed  the  departure  of  Columbus  on  his  fourth  and  last 
voyage,  was  to  say  farewell  some  seventeen  years  later  to  Fer¬ 
dinand  Magellan  as  he  began  his  own  memorable  voyage.  It 
must,  therefore,  have  an  abiding  interest  for  the  student  of 
early  American  history.  Columbus  found  that  his  brother  Bar¬ 
tholomew  had  taken  his  four  ships  to  Cadiz,  to  the  old  town, 
Puebla  Vicja,  where  he  was  engaged  in  fitting  them  for  their 
fateful  journey.  The  Admiral  followed  them,  and  here,  in 
Cadiz,  waited  many  days  for  a  farewell  wind.  The  prevailing 
winds  were  head-winds,  blowing  from  the  south-south-west,  the 
direction  in  which  he  proposed  sailing.  Finally,  the  very  day 
on  which  word  came  to  him  that  over  in  Fez  the  Moors  were 
besieging  the  little  town  of  Arzilla,  occupied  by  the  Portuguese, 
the  wind  shifted  and  the  Admiral  hastened  past  Santa  Caterina, 
across  the  head  of  the  Straits,  past  Cape  Spartel,  some  three  and 
twenty  miles  south-south-west  to  Arzilla.  The  appearance  of 
these  four  ships  frightened  away  the  Moors,  and  when  the  Adel- 
antado  and  the  Admiral’s  son,  Ferdinand,  landed  and  met  the 
Portuguese  governor  of  the  town,  not  a  turbaned  head  was  in 
sight.  The  fleet  went  on  its  way,  reaching  the  island  of  Grand 
Canary  in  which  this  letter  was  written,  probably  on  May  20, 
1502.  The  date  of  the  letter — beyond  the  word  May — is  not 
legible. 

We  do  not  know  what  business  Francesco  di  Rivarola  was 
to  transact  for  the  Admiral  at  Rome.  Perhaps  it  was  to  arouse 
in  Pope  iMexander  VI.  a  desire  for  a  new  crusade  against  the 
Moslem.  If  this  was  his  purpose,  the  errand  of  Francesco  di 
Rivarola  had  been  fruitless,  for  that  Pontiff  was  at  that  moment 
operating  a  crusade  against  the  small  kingdoms  of  Italy. 


IXX 


269 


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Christopher  Columbus 


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o 


NO.  XXI. 


Transliteration 

“  Reuerendo  y  muy  deboto  padre, 
el//  vento  abal  me  detubo  en  cabs 
fasta  que  los  moros  ^ercaron//  a 
arzila  y  con  el  sail  al  socorro  y  fuy 
el  primero//  despues  me  dio  nuestro 
senor  tan  buen  tiempo  que  vine// 
aqui  en  quatro  dias.  agora  sigo 
my  viaje//  en  nombre  de  la  santa 
trinidad  y  espero  del  la//  vitoria. 
acoerdese  Vuestr.\  Reuerenci.\  de 
escriuyr  amenud[o]//a  don  diego  y 
acorede  a  myger  francisco  de  Riba- 
rol  el// 


Translation 

XXI. 

“Reverend  and  Very  Devout 
Father ; 

“The  south-west  wind  detained 
me  in  Cadiz  until  the  Moors  sur¬ 
rounded  Arzilla  and  with  that  wind 
I  started  to  the  rescue  of  the  be¬ 
sieged,  and  was  the  first  to  do  so. 
Our  Lord  gave  me  such  good 
weather  that  I  came  here  in  four 
days.  Now  I  shall  continue  my 
voyage  in  the  name  of  the  Holy 
Trinity  and  I  hope  to  obtain  a  vic¬ 
tory  from  it.  I  trust  your  Rever¬ 
ence  will  remember  to  write  often  to 
Don  Diego  and  will  remind  Mr.  Fran¬ 
cisco  di  Rivarol  of  the 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  271 


nego^io  de  Roma  que  non  le 
escriuo  por  la//  priesa.  al  padre 
priol  y  a  todos  esos  debo-//tos  religi- 
osos  me  encomyendo.  todos  aca// 
estamos  buenos  adios  nuestro  senor 
gra9ias.  fecha/ /  en  gran  canaria 
.  .  .  de  may[o]// 

“fara  lo  que  Vuestra  Reue- 
rencia// 

“  mandare// 

■S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens  ” 


XXI. 

affair  of 

Rome,  as  I  do  not  write  him  on  ac¬ 
count  of  being  in  haste.  I  com¬ 
mend  myself  to  the  Father  Prior 
and  all  the  devout  members  of  your 
religious  house.  All  here  are  well, 
thanks  be  to  God,  our  Lord. 

“  Done  at  the  Grand  Canary  .  .  . 
of  May. 

“I  am  at  the  command 

of  your  Reverence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens.” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


273 


NO.  XXII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS 
TO  FATHER  DON  GASPAR  GORRICIO 

The  reader  will  recognise  the  date  of  this  letter,  July  7, 
1503,  as  that  on  which  the  Admiral  wrote  his  famous  letter  to 
the  Sovereigns,  and  which  is  reproduced  in  this  Work  under  the 
title  Letter  a  Rarissima.  This  letter,  together  with  the  one  to 
the  Sovereigns  and  one  or  more  to  Don  Diego,  were  intrusted 
to  Diego  Mendez  when  he  risked  his  life  in  a  canoe  between 
Jamaica  and  Santo  Domingo  in  his  brave  attempt  to  rescue  the 
Admiral  and  his  followers.  These  were  starving  and  quarrelling 
on  the  shores  of  Jamaica,  and  it  was  nearly  a  year  before  they 
reached  Espahola.  The  letter  to  the  Sovereigns  was  written 
under  the  pressure  of  bodily  infirmity  and  mental  anguish.  Its 
composition  had  left  the  Admiral  physically  incapable  of  writ¬ 
ing  more  at  length  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio.  He  could  only 
say  that  if  his  own  health  and  fortunes  were  proportionate  to 
what  he  had  been  able  to  accomplish  for  the  Royal  Crown  of 
Spain,  he  would  live  at  least  a  hundred  years.  What  great 
thing,  then,  had  he  accomplished?  He  bore  with  him  no  great 
nuggets  of  gold.  The  pearls  he  had  found  in  his  third  voyage 
came  from  far  to  the  southward,  and  not  one  was  gathered  from 
the  waters  of  Veragua.  The  rivers  of  Espanola  were  as  sweet 
as  those  of  Belem.  The  harbours  of  Cuba  were  as  secure  as 
those  of  Bastimentos  and  Puerto  Bello.  The  natives  under  the 
Quibian  were  no  more  warlike  than  those  who  obeyed  Guarionex 
or  the  Ciguayans  themselves.  What,  then,  had  the  Admiral 
done?  He  had  definitely  proven  that  the  regions  he  had  dis¬ 
covered  were  in  a  New  World.  He  had  assured  himself  that 
the  province  of  Ciguare  was  bounded  by  two  separate  oceans, 
and  that  the  lands  of  Asia  were  not  touched  by  this  ocean-sea, 
the  Atlantic,  but  that  they  and  all  the  possessions  of  the  Great 
Khan  lay  farther  over  to  the  westward,  out  into  the  new  ocean, 
whose  waters  bathed  the  other  side  of  Ciguare;  and,  further, 
that  the  shores  about  the  Gulf  of  Paria  were  contiguous  and 
part  of  the  great  Continental  land.  This  was  his  latest  con¬ 
tribution  to  the  Crown  of  Spain. 

VOL.  111.— 18. 


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The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


275 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“  Reuerendo  y  muy  deboto  padre, 
si  my  viaje  fuera  tan  apropriado// 
ala  salud  de  my  persona  y  descanso 
de  my  casa  como//  amuestra  que 
aya  de  ser  acresfentamiento  de  la 
corona  real//  del  rey  &  de  la  reyna 
mys  senores  yo  espereria  de  bebir 
mas//  de  fien  gibileos.  el  tiempo 
non  da  lugar  que  yo  escriua  mas 
largo//  yo  espero  que  el  portador 
sea  persona  de  casa  que  os  dira  por 
palabra//  mas  que  non  se  pueda 
dezir  en  myl  papeles  y  tambien 
suplira  don  diego.//  al  padre  priol 
y  a  todos  esos  religiosos  pido  por 
merged  que  se  acoerden//  de  my  en 
todas  sus  orayiones.  fecha  en  la  ysla 
de  janahica  a  vii//  de  julio  .1503. 
“fara  lo  que  Vuestra  Reue- 
rencia//  mandare.// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

Xpo  Ferens.”// 


XXII. 


Translation 

XXII. 

“Reverend  and  very  Devout 
Father; 

“If  my  voyage  should  be  as  con¬ 
ducive  to  my  personal  health  and 
the  repose  of  my  house  as  it  seems 
likely  to  be  conducive  to  the  aggran¬ 
disement  of  the  royal  Crown  of  the 
King  and  Queen,  my  Lords,  I  might 
hope  to  live  more  than  a  hundred 
years.  I  have  not  time  to  write 
more  at  length.  I  hope  that  the 
bearer  of  this  letter  may  be  a  person 
of  my  house  who  will  tell  you  ver¬ 
bally  more  than  can  be  told  in  a 
thousand  papers,  and  also  Don 
Diego  will  supply  information.  I 
beg  as  a  favour  of  the  Father  Prior 
and  all  the  members  of  your  re¬ 
ligious  house,  that  they  remember 
me  in  all  their  prayers. 

“Done  on  the  island  of  Jamaica, 
July  7,  1503. 

“I  am  at  the  command 
of  your  Reverence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 


;Xpo  Ferens.”// 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  277 


NOS.  XXIII.,  XXIIII.,  AND  XXV.  LETTERS  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER 
COLUMBUS  TO  FRANCISCO  DE  MORILLO 

The  three  following  letters  are  in  the  nature  of  purely  com¬ 
mercial  documents.  Francisco  de  Morillo  is  thought  by  some 
to  have  been  one  of  the  Royal  Treasurers.'  We  are  inclined, 
however,  to  regard  him  rather  as  a  merchant  doing  business  in 
Seville,  and  these  are  orders  on  him  to  pay  out  moneys  in  his 
hands  and  standing  in  the  name  of  the  Admiral,  to  the  several 
persons  whose  names  appear  in  the  letters.  These  letters  were 
all  written  at  San  Domingo  in  Espanola.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  Diego  Mendez,  who  had  effected  his  escape  from  Jamaica 
and  in  due  time  landed  on  Espanola,  had  failed  for  many  months 
in  securing  a  ship  to  send  back  to  the  Admiral  and  his  followers. 
Finally  two  ships,  one  purchased  and  equipped  by  Diego  Men¬ 
dez  on  the  private  account  of  Columbus,  and  another  fitted  out 
by  the  Governor,  reached  the  unfortunates  on  the  coast  of 
Jamaica  and  safely  carried  them  to  Espanola.  On  the  way 
they  were  obliged  to  halt  at  the  island  of  Beata,  and  finally 
reached  the  coast  of  Espanola,  in  the  Bay  of  Villanueva  de 
Yaquimo,  called  by  the  Admiral  Puerto  del  Brasil.  It  is  the 
Jacmel  of  later  times.  Here  occurred  the  incident  in  Letter 
No.  XXV.,  when  Diego  de  Salcedo,  of  the  ship  fitted  out  by  the 
Governor,  paid  fifteen  gold  pesos  for  fifteen  loads  of  bread  to 
feed  the  people  on  board  of  his  ship.  The  Admiral  was  on 
board  the  ship  of  which  Diego  Rodriguez  was  the  master,  and 
to  him  is  to  be  paid  the  money  advanced  for  ship  biscuits,  prob¬ 
ably  at  the  same  time  the  other  ship  purchased  its  supply  at 
the  Puerto  del  Brasil. 

Columbus  arrived  at  San  Domingo  August  13,  1504,  and 
set  sail — never  again  to  see  city,  island,  country,  or  sea  of  the 
New  World — on  September  12,  1504. 

'  The  Treasurer’s  name  seems  to  have  been  Morales. 

This  Francisco  de  Morillo  is  believed  to  have  been  related  to  the  individual  who 
had  part  in  the  Fiscal  trial  in  Seville,  December  g,  1527,  where  he  is  called  El  Ba- 
chiller  Alonso  Morillo,  mercador  de  Sevilla. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


279 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“francisco  de  morillo.  dad  a  diego 
rrodriguez  maestre  de  la  nao  que  se 
llam[a]//  tantos  pesos  de  oro  en  que 
se  montan  diez  y  seis  mill  maravedis 
que  son//  por  quarenta  quintales  de 
vizcocho  que  me  ha  vendido  para// 
la  jente  arrazon  deaquatro  ^ientos 
maravedis  el  quintal//  yten  mas  le 
dad  ocho  ducados  que  son  para  dos 
alnnas//  que  del  conpre  para  las 
velas.//  yten  mas  dad  al  dicho 
diego  rrodriguez  ochenta  pesos// 
doro  que  le  avre  de  dar  de  pasaje  de 
aqui  a  castilla  con//  veinte  y  9inco 
personas  que  an  de  ir  conmigo  los 
quales//  le  dad  todos  y  re^ebi  su 
carta  de  pago  en  las  espaldas  desta// 
fecha  oy  viernes  siete  de  setienbre 
de  quinientos  y  quatro  ahos.// 

Xpo  Ferens.” 


XXIII. 

Translation 

XXIII. 

“Francisco  de  Morillo: 

“Give  to  Diego  Rodriguez,  Mas¬ 
ter  of  the  vessel,  as  he  is  called,  as 
many  gold  pieces  as  are  equivalent 
to  16,000  maravedis,  which  are  for 
40  quintals  of  biscuit,  which  he  has 
sold  me  for  the  crew  at  the  rate 
of  400  maravedis  per  quintal.  Fur¬ 
thermore  give  him  8  ducats  which 
are  for  two  ‘  alnnas’  I  bought  of 
him  for  the  sails.  Furthermore 
give  to  the  said  Diego  Rodriguez  80 
gold  pieces  which  I  must  give  him 
for  his  passage  from  here  to  Castile, 
together  with  that  of  twenty-five 
persons  who  are  to  go  with  me. 
Give  him  all  this  and  take  his  re¬ 
ceipt  upon  the  back  of  this  letter. 

“To-day,  Friday,  September  7, 

1504- 


Xpo  Ferens.” 


IIIIXX 


A/0,  XXIII I.  Holograph  Letter  of  Colimibiis,  Signed,  Addressed  to  Francisco  de  Morillo,  Dated  on  Board  the  Ship  of  Diego 

Rodriguez,  September  8,  1^04.  [Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


28i 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


NO.  XXIIII. 


Transliteration 

“francisco  morillo.  dad  a  rodrigo 
viscayno  jinquenta  y  seys  reales// 
que  son  por  ocho  botas  que  se  com- 
praron  para  la  caravela  a  rason  de// 
seyte  rreales  cada  vno  son  tres  pesos 
y  medio.// 

“Ytem  pasad  a  francisco  nino 
quarenta  y  dos  rreales  que  son  por 
quatro  botas  y//  y  tres  fexes  de  aras 
y  bynbres.  son  por  todos  noventa 
y  ocho//  reales  fecho  en  la  nao  de 
diego  Rodrigues  a  ocho  de  setiembre 
de  .MDIIII.// 

“son  dos  pesos  y  medio  y  vn 
tomin.// 


Translation 

XXIIII. 

“Francisco  Morillo: 

“Give  to  Rodrigo  Viscayno,  56 
reales  which  are  for  8  ‘  botas  ’  [butts 
to  contain  wine  or  other  liquids] 
which  were  bought  for  the  caravel 
at  the  rate  of  7  reales  each.  This 
makes  three  pesos  and  a  half. 

“Also  hand  Francisco  Nino  42 
reales  which  are  for  four  ‘  botas  ’  and 
three  ‘fexes  de  aras  y  bynbres.’ 
This  makes  in  all  98  reales. 

“Done  on  the  ship  of  Diego  Rod¬ 
riguez,  September  8,  1504. 

“There  are  two  pesos  and  a  half 
and  one  ‘tomin.’ 


Xpo  Ferens.’’ 


Xpo  Ferens.’’ 


[Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


The  Handwriting  of  Columl^us 


283 


NO. 

T  ranslitcration 

“francisco  morillo.  dad  a  diego 
de  salsedo  quinse  pesos  de  oro  por 
sanches  [sic]//  de  quinse  cargas  de 
pan  quel  tomo  enel  puerto  del  brasyl 
para  dar//  de  comer  a  la  gente  que 
venya  enel  caravelon  de  que  el  era 
capitan//  quando  veniamos  de  Ja- 
mayca.  fecha  .ix  de  setiembre  de 
.MDIIII.// 


XXV. 

Translation 

XXV. 

“Francisco  Morillo; 

“  Give  to  Diego  de  Salsedo  15  gold 
pesos  for  fifteen  loads  of  bread  which 
he  took  in  the  port  of  Brazil  as  food 
for  the  people  who  came  on  the  cara¬ 
vel  of  which  he  was  Captain,  when 
we  were  coming  from  Jamaica. 
“Done  September  g,  1504. 

Xpo  Ferens.” 


Xpo  Ferens.” 


] 

j 


I 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  285 

NO.  XXVI.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
DON  DIEGO,  HIS  SON 

While  this  letter  is  dated  November  21,  sine  anno,  it  was 
certainly  written  in  1504,  shortly  after  the  Admiral’s  return 
from  his  last  voyage.  We  know  it  was  subsequent  to  the  events 
of  his  fourth  voyage,  for  he  speaks  of  the  Porras  rebellion.  We 
know  it  was  previous  to  his  information  of  the  Queen’s  death, 
for  he  includes  her  in  his  protestations  of  loyalty  to  her  service, 
and  he  only  knew  of  her  death  as  he  was  writing  on  December 
3,  1504.  This  letter  is  one  of  the  witnesses  that  there  was  no 
great  quarrel  between  Don  Juan  Rodriguez  de  Fonseca,  the 
head  of  the  Indian  Department,  and  Columbus.  Many  writers 
have  magnified  those  differences  of  opinion  as  to  management 
and  those  petty  disagreements  which  are  bound  to  arise  be¬ 
tween  two  executors  of  the  same  bureau  into  irreconcilable 
feuds,  in  which  Fonseca  is  always  represented  as  an  enemy  and 
a  persecutor  of  the  Admiral.  Even  the  letter  dated  May  24, 
1501,  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio,  in  which  the  Queen  is  said  to 
have  urged  a  reconciliation  between  Columbus  and  the  Bishop, 
does  not  suggest  anything  but  a  temporary  misunderstanding. 
As  we  have  before  remarked,  there  is  a  disagreement  among 
historians  as  to  the  date  when  Fonseca  became  Bishop  of  Pal- 
encia.  He  succeeded  in  this  position  the  friend  of  Columbus, 
Diego  de  Deza,  who  had  been  promoted  to  be  Archbishop  of 
Seville.  To  one  of  these  two  men  the  Admiral  is  alluding  under 
the  title  of  Bishop  of  Palencia.  We  submit  that  the  tone  of  the 
reference  is  much  more  adapted  to  Fonseca,  who  had  it  in  his 
power  to  remedy  the  Admiral’s  grievances  and  to  order  that 
the  agreement  and  concessions  granted  Columbus  by  the  Sove¬ 
reigns  be  fulfilled.’ 

The  good  priest  and  faithful  friend,  Diego  de  Deza,  had  in¬ 
fluence  enough  at  Court  to  obtain  almost  any  favour,  but  he 
performed  no  managerial  or  business  functions  such  as  are  to 
be  inferred  in  this  reference.  If  we  assume,  then,  that  the 
mention  of  the  Bishop  of  Palencia  was  at  this  time  intended  to 
mean  Don  Juan  de  Fonseca,  surely  the  testimony  of  Columbus 
himself  as  to  their  relations  must  be  accepted.  He  says:  “The 

'  This  view  is  not  without  embarrassment,  as  we  will  see  when  we  discuss  the 
letter  to  Don  Diego  Columbus,  dated  December  21,  1504. 


286 


Christopher  Columbus 

Lord  Bishop  of  Palencia  has  shown  me  favour  and  has  desired 
that  I  should  be  honoured. 

The  Admiral  is  justly  indignant  at  both  the  Porras  brothers, 
the  Governor  Ovando,  and  the  Treasurer  Morales.  The  Porras 
brothers  had  been  guilty  of  a  form  of  rebellion  closely  allied  to 
mutiny.  Francisco  de  Porras  had  been  named  by  the  Admiral 
as  captain  of  the  ship  Santiago  de  Palos;  and  Diego  de  Porras, 
the  other  brother,  had  been  appointed  auditor  of  the  fleet.  These 
appointments  were  not  the  original  choice  of  the  Admiral,  but 
had  been  made  at  the  instance  of  the  Treasurer  Morales.  The 
conduct  of  the  brothers  on  the  island  of  Jamaica  was  without 
excuse.  We  can  imagine  that  the  mental  and  physical  condi¬ 
tion  of  the  Admiral  at  this  time  might  not  continually  inspire 
confldence  in  the  critical  situation  in  which  the  expedition  found 
itself.  But  in  the  magnificent  and  resourceful  Lieutenant 
Bartholomew  Columbus,  a  strong  arm  was  left  the  wretched 
explorers.  Under  these  circumstances  rebellion  was  beyond  par¬ 
don.  Diego  Porras  and  the  other  disobedient  subjects  were  set 
at  liberty,  but  Captain  Porras  was  delivered  to  Ovando,  who  in 
turn  delivered  him  to  the  officials  of  the  Indian  Department 
in  Spain,  accompanied  by  no  charges  or  records  of  his  sins. 
Naturally,  he,  too,  was  set  free.  The  acquittal  of  an  accused 
sometimes  leaves  the  accuser  in  an  embarrassing  situation,  and 
Columbus  felt  that  not  only  a  slight  had  been  put  upon  him,  but 
that  the  charge  of  insubordination  of  an  under  officer  had  been 
shifted  to  one  of  incapacity  on  the  part  of  the  leader.  From 
the  Treasurer  Morales,  patron  of  the  Porras  brothers,  not  much 
of  justice  or  courtesy  might  be  expected,  although  Don  Diego  is 
instructed  to  appeal  to  him.  To  the  head  of  the  Department, 
to  Don  Juan  de  Fonseca,  the  Bishop  of  Palencia,  who  wished  to 
do  him  honour,  he  might  in  confidence  look  for  the  recognition 
of  his  rights.  However,  the  Admiral  now  alludes  to  much  more 
weighty  matters.  The  brave  people  who  went  with  Columbus 
on  this  last  voyage  must  be  paid.  They  had  been  three  sum¬ 
mers  from  their  homes.  They  had  suffered  and  had  been  in 
many  perils.  If  their  sacrifices  were  not  considered  and  proper 
remuneration  made  them,  where  should  the  Indian  Department 
look  for  adventurers  and  colonisers?  It  was  policy  as  well  as 
justice  to  pay  the  members  of  that  exploring  expedition  just 
returned  from  marvellous  dangers.  Columbus  is  mindful  of  the 


287 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

necessity  for  carrying  to  the  New  World  a  reasonably  large 
population,  to  the  end  that  gold  may  be  secured.  Standing  by 
itself,  it  is  not  a  pleasing  spectacle  to  hear  this  old  and  broken 
man  crying  for  gold,  gold,  gold.  But  we  remember  that  every 
shining  particle  of  the  metal  is  to  be  employed  in  his  great  de¬ 
sign  of  a  new  Crusade  and  the  recovery  of  the  land  of  Palestine. 
The  lines  of  greed  disappear  from  his  face  and  we  see  thereon 
the  look  of  love,  charity,  and  loyalty. 


289 


A  o.  A  A  \  I.  Holograph  Letter  of  Columbus,  Signed,  Addressed  to  his  Son  Diego,  Dated  Seville,  November  21 

[Archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  at  Madrid.] 


290 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XXVI. 


Trafislitcration 

“  muy  caro  fijo.  Rejeby  tu  carta 
con  el  correu.  fezistes  bien//  de 
quedar  alia  a  remediar  algo  y  a  en- 
tender  ya  en  nuestros//  negojios. 
el  Senor  obispo  de  palen^ia  sienpre 
des  que  yo  vine//  a  castilla  me  ha 
faborefido  y  deseado  my  honrra. 
agora  es//  de  le  suplicar  que  les 
plega  de  entender  en  el  remedio  de 
tantos//  agrabios  my  os  y  que  el 
asiento  y  cartas  de  merged  que  sus 
altezas  me  hizieron//  que  las  man- 
den  cumplir  y  sastifazer  tantos 
danos  y  sea  gierto  que  si  esto// 
hazen  sus  altezas  que  les  multipli- 
quera  la  hazienda  y  grandeza  en 
increyble//  grado  y  non  le  paresca 
que  quarenta  mil  pesos  de  oro  sean 
saluo//  representagion  que  se  pudia 
hauer  muy  mayor  cantidad  si  sata- 
nas//  non  lo  esturbara  en  me  em- 
pidir  my  desifio  porque  quando  yo 
fuy  sacado//  de  las  yndias  tenia  en 
filo  para  dar  soma  de  oro  incomper- 
able  a  quarenta//  mil  pesos,  yo 
fago  juramento  y  esto  sea  para  ty 
solo  que  de  las  mergedes  que// 


Translation 

XXVI. 

“  Very  dear  son ; 

“I  received  your  letter  bv  the 
courier.  You  did  well  in  remaining 
yonder  to  remedy  our  affairs  some¬ 
what  and  to  employ  yourself  now  in 
our  business.  Ever  since  I  came  to 
Castile,  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Palencia 
has  shown  me  favour  and  has  de¬ 
sired  that  I  should  be  honoured. 
Now  he  must  be  entreated  that  it 
may  please  him  to  occupy  himself  in 
remedying  my  many  grievances  and 
in  ordering  that  the  agreement  and 
letters  of  concession  which  their 
Highnesses  gave  me,  be  fulfilled  and 
that  I  be  indemnified  for  so  many 
damages.  And  he  may  be  certain 
that  if  their  Highnesses  do  this, 
their  estate  and  greatness  will  be 
multiplied  to  them  in  an  incredible 
degree.  And  it  must  not  appear 
to  him  that  forty  thousand  pesos  in 
gold  is  more  than  a  representation  of 
it,  because  they  might  have  had  a 
much  greater  quantity  if  Satan  had 
not  hindered  it  by  impeding  my  de¬ 
sign;  ,  for,  when  I  was  taken  away 
from  the  Indies,  I  was  prepared  to 
give  them  a  sum  of  gold  incompar¬ 
able  to  forty  thousand  pesos.  I 
make  oath  and  this  may  be  for  thee 
alone,  that  the  damage  to  me  in  the 
matter  of  the  concessions 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


291 


sus 

altezas  me  tienen  fechas  en  my 
parte  me  alcanja  el  dano  diez  cuen- 
tos  cadano// y  que  jamas  se  pueden 
rehazer.  ved  que  parte  sera  o  es  la 
que  toca  a  sus  altezas//  y  non  lo 
sinten.  yo  escriuo  a  su  merged  y 
me  trabajare  de  partir//  para  alia, 
la  llegada  y  el  resto  es  en  las  manos 
de  nuestro  senor.  su  misericor- 
dia//  es  infinita.  lo  que  se  haz  y 
esta  para  hazer  diz  San  agostin  que 
ya  esta  fecho//  antes  dela  criagion 
del  mundo.  yo  escriuo  tanbien  a 
estotros  senores  que  diso  la  carta// 
de  diego  mendez  en  su  merged  me 
encomienda  con  las  nuebas  de  my 
yda  como  dise//  ariba.  que  gierto 
estoy  con  gran  temor  porque  el  frio 
tyene  tanta  ynimistad//  con  esta 
my  enfermedad  que  habre  de  que- 
dar  es  el  camino.// 

“  Plugome  mucho  de  oyr  tu  carta 
y  de  lo  que  el  rey  nuestro  senor  diso 
por  el  qual  le  besariad[es]//  las 
reales  manos.  es  gierto  que  yo  he 
seruido  a  sus  altezas  con  tanta  dili- 
gengia  y  amor//  como  y  mas  que 
por  ganar  el  parayso  y  si  en  algo  ha 
abido  falta  habra  sido//  por  el  im- 
posible  o  por  non  alcangar  my  saber 
y  fuergas  mas  adelante.  dios// 
nuestro  senor  en  tal  caso  non  quer 
de  las  personas  saluo  la  voluntad// 


XXVI. 

their  High¬ 
nesses  have  made  to  me,  amounts  to 
ten  millions  each  year,  and  never 
can  be  made  good.  You  see  what 
will  be,  or  is,  the  injury  to  their 
Highnesses  in  what  belongs  to  them, 
and  they  do  not  perceive  it.  I  write 
at  their  disposal  and  will  strive  to 
start  yonder.  My  arrival  and  the 
rest  is  in  the  hands  of  our  Lord.  His 
mercy  is  infinite.  What  is  done  and 
is  to  be  done,  St.  Augustine  says  is 
already  done  before  the  creation  of 
the  world.  I  write  also  to  these 
other  Lords  named  in  the  letter  of 
Diego  Mendez.  Commend  me  to 
their  mercy  and  tell  them  of  my  go¬ 
ing  as  I  have  said  above.  For  cer¬ 
tainly  I  feel  great  fear,  as  the  cold 
is  so  inimical  to  this,  my  infirmity, 
that  I  may  have  to  remain  on  the 
road. 

I  was  very  much  pleased  to  hear 
the  contents  of  your  letter  and  what 
the  King  our  Lord  said,  for  which 
you  kissed  his  royal  hands.  It  is 
certain  that  I  have  served  their 
Highnesses  with  as  much  diligence 
and  love  as  though  it  had  been  to 
gain  Paradise,  and  more,  and  if  I 
have  been  at  fault  in  anything  it  has 
been  because  it  was  impossible  or 
because  my  knowledge  and  strength 
were  not  sufficient.  God,  our  Lord, 
in  such  a  case,  does  not  require  more 
from  persons  than  the  will. 


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294 


Christopher  Columbus 


5'o  lebe  de  aqui  dos  hermanos  que 
se  dizen  porres  a  ruego  del  senor 
tesoyrero  morales,  el  vno//  fue  por 
capitan  y  el  otro  por  contador. 
ambos  sin  abilidad  destos  cargos. 
&  yo  con  atrebimiento//  de  suplir 
por  ellos  por  amor  de  quien  me  los 
dio.  alia  se  tornaron  mas  vanos  de 
lo//  que  eran.  muchas  jibilidades 
les  relebe.  que  non  hiziera  a  vm 
pariente  y  que  eran//  tales  que 
meregian  otro  castigo  que  reprehen¬ 
sion  de  boca.  en  fin  llegaron  a  tanto 
que  avm/ /  que  yo  quisera  non  pudia 
escusar  de  non  llegar  alo  que  fue.  las 
pesquisas  haran  fee//  si  yo  miento. 
alcaronje  en  la  ysla  de  Janayca.  de 
que  fuy  yo  tan  marabillado  como// 
si  los  rayos  del  sol  causaran  tenie- 
bras.  yo  estaba  ala  muerte  y  me 
martirezaron//  cinco  meses  con 
tanta  crueldad  sin  causa,  en  fin  yo 
los  tube  a  todos  presos  y  [luejgo// 
los  di  por  fibres  saluo  al  capitan  que 
yo  traya  a  sus  altezas  preso.  vna 
suplicayion//  que  me  hizieron  con 
juramento  que  con  esta  te  embio  te 
dira  largo  desto  bien  que  las  pes¬ 
quisas  son//  las  que  fablan  largo  las 
quales  y  el  escriuano  vienen  en  otro 
nabio  que  yo  espero  de  dia  en  dia// 
este  preso  prendio  el  gobernador  en 
Santo  domingo.  su  cortesia  le  con- 
stringo  a  fazer  esto//  yo  tenia  en  my 
instrucion  vm  capitulo  en  que  sus 
altezas  mandaban  que  todos  me 
obedejiesen  y//  que  tubiese  yo  la 
justicia  9ibil  y  criminal  sobre  estos 
todos  que  fueron  conmigo  mas  non 
aprobecho//  con  este  el  qual  diso 
que  non  se  entendia  en  su  termino. 
embiole  aca  a  estos  senores  que 
tienen  cargo  de  las// 


XXVI  b. 

At  the 

request  of  the  Treasurer  Morales,  I 
left  two  brothers  in  the  Indies,  who 
are  called  Porras.  The  one  was 
captain  and  the  other  auditor. 
Both  were  without  capacity  for 
these  positions ;  and  I  was  confident 
that  they  could  fill  them,  because  of 
love  for  the  person  who  sent  them  to 
me.  They  both  became  more  vain 
than  they  had  been.  I  forgave 
them  many  incivilities,  more  than  I 
would  do  with  a  relation  and  their 
offences  were  such  that  they  merited 
another  punishment  than  a  verbal 
reprimand.  Finally  they  reached 
such  a  point  that  even  had  I  de¬ 
sired,  I  could  not  have  avoided 
doing  what  I  did.  The  records  of 
the  case  will  prove  whether  I  fie  or 
not.  They  rebelled  on  the  island  of 
Jamaica,  at  which  I  was  as  much 
astonished  as  I  would  be  if  the  sun’s 
rays  should  cast  darkness.  I  was  at 
the  point  of  death,  and  they  mar¬ 
tyrised  me  with  extreme  cruelty 
during  five  months  and  without 
cause.  Finally  I  took  them  all  pris¬ 
oners,  and  immediately  set  them 
free,  except  the  captain  whom  I  was 
bringing  as  a  prisoner  to  their  High¬ 
nesses.  A  petition  which  they  made 
to  me  under  oath  and  which  I  send 
you  with  this  letter  will  inform  you 
at  length  in  regard  to  this  matter, 
although  the  records  of  the  case  ex¬ 
plain  it  fully.  These  records  and 
the  Notary  are  coming  on  another 
vessel  which  I  am  expecting  from 
day  to  day.  The  Governor  in  Santo 
Domingo  took  this  prisoner.  His 
courtesy  constrained  him  to  do  this. 
I  had  a  chapter  in  my  instructions  in 
which  their  Highnesses  ordered  all 
to  obey  me  and  that  I  should  exer¬ 
cise  civil  and  criminal  justice  over 
all  these  who  were  with  me:  but 
this  was  of  no  avail  with  the  Gover¬ 
nor,  who  said  that  it  was  not  under¬ 
stood  as  applying  in  his  territory. 
He  sent  the  prisoner  to  these  Lords 
who  have  charge  of  the 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  295 


yndias  sin 

pesquisa  ny  pro^eso  ny  escrito. 
ellos  non  le  reyebieron  y  se  van  suel- 
tos.  non  me//  marabillo  si  nuestro 
senor  castiga.  ellos  fueron  alia  con 
sus  barbas  de  poya  verguenya.  ri- 
baldaria  tal//  ny  traycion  tan  cruel 
se  oyo  nunca.  yo  escriuy  desto  a 
sus  Altezas  con  la  otra  carta  y  que 
non  era  razon//  que  consintiesen 
este  agrabio.  tanbien  escriuy  al 
senor  tesoyrero  que  le  pedia  por 
meryed  r^ue  non//  diese  sentenyia  en 
palabras  que  estos  les  disesen  fasta 
oyrme.  agora  sera  bien  que  se  le 
acoerdes//  de  nuebo.  non  sey  como 
oxan  de  yr  delante  del  con  tal  im- 
presa.  yo  lo  escriuo  a  el  otra  vez  y 
le//  embio  el  traslado  del  juramento 
como  a  ty  fago  y  otretanto  al  dotor 
an  ulo  y  licenciado  yapata  en  su// 
meryed  de  todos  me  encomienda 
con  aljiso  que  my  partida  para  alia 
sera  brebe.// 

“folgara  yo  en  ver  carta  de  sus 
altezas  y  saber  que  mandan.  de- 
beslo  de  procurar  si  vierdes  el  re- 
medio//  tanbien  de  me  encomendar 
al  senor  obispo  y  a  Joan  lopez  con  la 
memoria  de  my  enfermedad  y//  del 
galardon  de  mys  seruicios.// 

“  Estas  cartas  que  van  con  esta 
debes  de  leer  por  te  conformar  con 
la  fabla  dellos.//  a  diego  mendez 
agradesco  su  carta,  non  le  escruio 
por  que  sabra  de  ti  todo  y  por  my 
mal  que  me  causa//  carbajal  y 


XXVI  b. 

Indies  with¬ 
out  inquiry  or  record  or  writing. 
They  did  not  receive  him  and  both 
brothers  go  free.  It  is  not  wonder¬ 
ful  to  me  that  our  Lord  punishes. 
They  went  there  with  shameless 
faces.  Such  wickedness  or  such 
cruel  treason  were  never  heard  of.  I 
wrote  to  their  Highnesses  about  this 
matter  in  the  other  letter  and  said 
that  it  was  not  right  for  them  to 
consent  to  this  offence.  I  also  wrote 
to  the  Lord  Treasurer  that  I  begged 
him  as  a  favour  not  to  pass  sentence 
on  the  testimony  given  by  these 
men  until  he  heard  me.  Now  it 
will  be  well  for  you  to  remind  him  of 
it  anew.  I  do  not  know  how  they 
dare  to  go  before  him  with  such  an 
undertaking.  I  have  written  to  him 
about  it  again  and  have  sent  him 
the  copy  of  the  oath,  the  same  as  I 
send  to  you  and  likewise  to  Doctor 
Angulo  and  the  Licentiate  Zapata. 
I  commend  myself  to  the  mercy  of 
all  with  the  information  that  my  de¬ 
parture  yonder  will  take  place  in  a 
short  time. 

“  I  would  be  glad  to  receive  a  let¬ 
ter  from  their  Highnesses  and  to 
know  what  they  order.  You  must 
procure  such  a  letter  if  you  see  the 
means  of  so  doing.  I  also  commend 
myself  to  the  Lord  Bishop  and  to 
Juan  Lopez,  with  the  reminder  of 
my  illness  and  of  the  reward  for  my 
services. 

“You  must  read  the  letters  which 
go  with  this  one  in  order  to  act 
in  conformity  with  what  they  say. 
Acknowledge  the  receipt  of  his  letter 
to  Diego  Mendez.  I  do  not  write 
him  as  he  will  learn  everything  from 
you,  and  also  because  my  illness 
prevents  it. 

“  It  would  be  well  for  Carvajal  and 


296 


Christopher  Columbus 


gero- 

nimo  en  tal  tiempo  estubieran  bien 
en  la  corte  y  fablar  en  nnestros  fecho 
con  estos  senores  y  con  e[l]/  /  secre- 
tario.  fecha  en  Sebilla  a  .xxi  de 
nouiembre.// 

“tu  padre  que  te  ama 
mas  que  a  si 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens./” 


XXVI  b. 

Jeronimo  to  be  at  the  Court  at  this 
time,  and  talk  of  our  affairs  with 
these  Lords  and  with  the  Secretary. 
“Done  in  Seville,  November  21. 
“Your  father  who  loves 
you  more  than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens./” 


> 


29S 


The  Handwriting; 

O 


of  Columbus 


299 


“yo  tome  a  escriuir  a  sus  altezas 
suplicandoles  que  mandasen  apro- 
ber  de  la  paga  desta  gente  que// 
fueron  comigo  porque  son  pobres  y 
anda  en  tres  anos  que  desaron  sus 
casas.  las//  nuebas  que  les  trahen 
son  mas  que  grandes.  ellos  ban 
pasado  infinitos  perigos  y  trabajos// 
yo  non  quise  robar  la  tierra  por  non 
escandelizale  porque  la  razon  quer 
que  se  pueble//  y  estonjes  se  habra 
todo  el  oro  ala  mano  sin  escandalo. 
fabla  dello  al  secretario//  y  al  senor 
obispo  y  a  Joan  lopez  y  aquien  ver- 
des  que  conbiene.//  ”  ' 


XXVI  c. 

“I  wrote  again  to  their  High¬ 
nesses  entreating  them  to  order  that 
these  people  who  went  with  me 
should  be  paid,  because  they  are 
poor  and  it  is  three  years  since  they 
left  their  homes.  The  news  which 
they  bring  is  more  than  extraor¬ 
dinary.  They  have  endured  infinite 
dangers  and  hardships.  I  did  not 
wish  to  rob  the  country,  so  as  not 
to  cause  scandal,  because  reason  ad¬ 
vises  its  being  populated  and  then 
gold  will  be  obtained  freely  without 
scandal.  Speak  of  this  to  the  Secre¬ 
tary  and  to  the  Lord  Bishop  and  to 
Juan  Lopez  and  to  whomever  you 
think  it  is  advisable  to  do  so.” 


'These  last  fifteen  lines  form  the  post-scriptnm  of  No.  XXVI. 


300 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XXVII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 

DON  DIEGO 

If  his  last  letter  is  identified  as  written  in  the  year  1504, 
this  one,  likewise  sine  anno,  belongs  to  the  same  period.  Don 
Diego  was  with  the  Court  at  Medina  del  Campo,  or  at  least  the 
letter  doubtless  was  addressed  to  him  in  that  town,  as  the  Ad¬ 
miral  did  not  yet  know  of  the  Queen’s  death.  It  is  the  purpose 
of  the  Admiral  to  go  to  the  Court.  His  bodily  infirmities  are 
heavily  weighing  upon  him,  and  he  contemplates  travelling  in 
a  litter.  It  was  the  gout,  to  which  disease  the  Admiral  had  long 
been  a  victim,  which  now  prevented  his  putting  his  feet  to  the 
ground  or  bearing  even  a  portion  of  his  weight  upon  the  stirrup. 
Bartholomew  Columbus,  the  Adelantado,  is  also  suffering  with 
a  less  grievous  disease,  but  scarcely  less  acute  in  its  power  for 
administering  pain.  The  conduct  of  the  Porras  brothers  is  still 
troubling  the  spirit  of  Columbus,  and  he  is  anxious  that  his 
friends  should  be  at  Court  in  order  to  counteract  the  influences 
of  those  evil  but  powerfully  protected  men. 

There  are  in  this  letter  two  expressions  difficult  to  under¬ 
stand.  In  the  original,  immediately  preceding  the  word  Para- 
lipomenon  (Book  of  Chronicles),  part  of  a  word  is  gone,  the 
paper  being  torn  at  that  point.  Navarrete  suggests  that  the 
missing  word  may  have  been  miento,  the  last  three  letters  being 
eto  or  ento.  The  passage  would  then  read: 

“If  I  lie,  the  Paralipomenon  and  the  Book  of  Kings  and  the  Antiquities 
of  Josephus  with  very  many  others  will  tell  what  they  know  of  this.” 

Again,  the  Admiral  says : 

“  .  .  .  porque  si  voy  con  andas  sera  creo  por  la  plata ” :  “because 

if  I  go  in  a  litter,  I  believe  it  will  be  by  La  Plata.” 

Here  Navarrete  thinks  we  are  to  interpret  La  Plata  as  the  old 
Roman  roadway  leading  from  Merida  to  Salamanca.  The  two  long 
lines  of  white  stones  laid  down  by  the  Romans  for  their  carts 
and  chariots  might  well  have  led  to  calling  the  road  La  Plata. 

Several  characters  are  here  introduced,  one  or  two  of  whom 
we  have  before  met.  These  are  the  two  Carvajals,  Alonzo  San¬ 
chez  de  Carvajal,  Alderman  or  Governor  of  Baeza;  and  Fer¬ 
dinand  de  Carvajal,  afterwards  Alcalde  of  the  city  of  San 
Domingo.  Alonzo  Sanchez  de  Carvajal  was  the  business  man 


301 


The  H  andwriting  of  Columbus 

or  factor  of  the  Admiral.  He  was  with  Columbus  on  his  second 
voyage,  and  when  the  Admiral,  in  April,  1494,  departed  from 
Espahola  to  explore  Cuba,  he  was  left  as  one  of  the  five  govern¬ 
ing  directors  in  Isabella.  The  following  year,  April,  1495,  he 
returned  to  Spain  bearing  letters  to  the  Sovereigns  from  Colum¬ 
bus.  He  was  also  one  of  the  third  expedition,  and  when  the 
Admiral  decided  at  the  Canaries  to  divide  his  fleet,  taking  three 
ships  with  him  and  sending  three  directly  to  Espahola,  Alonzo 
Sanchez  de  Carvajal  was  made  captain  of  one  of  these  three. 
In  the  celebrated  Roldan  rebellion,  Carvajal  acted  as  an  inter¬ 
mediary  between  the  Admiral  and  the  leader  of  the  maleontents, 
and  in  this  capacity  aided  Columbus  in  executing  a  splendid 
coup  in  reconciling  a  brave  and  desperate  adventurer,  and  giv¬ 
ing  employment  to  his  restless  sword  on  his  own  side  against 
other  enemies.  That  this  Carvajal  had  a  standing  on  his  own 
account  is  evident  from  a  Royal  Cedula,  dated  September  27, 
1501,  in  which  the  Sovereigns  order  the  municipality  of  Baeza 
to  continue  paying  him  his  stipends  as  Mayor,  notwithstanding 
his  absence  in  the  New  World,  as  it  was  by  the  will  of  the  Sove¬ 
reigns  that  he  was  in  the  Indies. 

When  Columbus  compiled  the  Book  of  Privileges,  he  caused 
four  copies  to  be  made,  three  on  vellum  and  one  on  paper,  and 
this  last  was  intrusted  to  Carvajal,  as  the  agent  of  the  Admiral, 
that  he  might  know  the  terms  of  agreements  and  the  rights, 
powers,  and  privileges  granted  his  master  by  the  Spanish  Sove¬ 
reigns.  The  factor  does  not  seem  to  have  been  confined  in  his 
agency  to  the  American  affairs  of  the  Admiral,  for  we  find  him 
managing  his  affairs  in  Spain.  In  November,  1503,  Alonzo 
Sanchez  de  Carvajal  was  again  in  Spain,  engaged  in  securing  to 
Columbus  those  revenues  long  since  due  him  as  his  share  of  the 
profits  arising  from  the  Royal  partnership.  And  now  we  find 
him  at  the  Court  in  the  interests  of  Columbus,  whose  affairs 
sadly  needed  influence  and  protection. 

With  the  brave  Diego  Mendez  we  already  have  acquaintance, 
and  we  never  hear  his  name  but  we  say  a  word  of  deserved 
praise.  He  was  the  hero  of  the  fourth  voyage,  and  his  daring 
canoe  journey  across  the  stormy  gulf  between  Jamaica  and  Es- 
panola  will  never  be  forgotten.  The  picture  of  a  canoe — a  log 
of  wood  dug  into  the  semblance  of  a  boat — was  the  central 
symbol  of  the  coat-of-arms  granted  him.  He,  too,  was  at  Court 


302 


Christopher  Columbus 

in  the  interests  of  Columbus,  but  his  testimony  could  have  little 
weight  regarding  the  rebellion  of  the  Porras  brothers,  as  that 
event  occurred  subsequent  to  his  departure  from  Jamaica. 
However,  he  had  been  long  on  the  same  expedition,  and  must 
have  known  the  general  bearing  of  those  men  in  their  relations 
toward  the  Admiral. 

The  Jeronimo  of  this  letter  is  identified  with  Jeronimo,  or 
Xeronimo  de  Aguero,  a  friend  of  Columbus,  and  then  and  after¬ 
wards  a  property-owner  in  San  Domingo.  In  his  Will,  Diego 
Mendez  describes  his  property  as  being  opposite  a  piece  of  land 
possessed  in  San  Domingo  by  Xeronimo  de  Aguero.  He  had 
a  share  in  the  repartimiento  made  by  Pero  Ibanez  de  Ibarra 
and  Rodrigo  de  Albuquerque,  and  he  is  described  as  a  “  citizen 
and  alderman  of  the  said  city.”  In  his  letter  to  Don  Diego 
dated  December  13,  1504,  the  Admiral  commends  Jeronimo  to 
his  son  and  associates  him  in  the  desert  of  honour  with  Carvajal 
and  Mendez.  When  Don  Diego  Columbus,  the  second  Admiral 
of  the  Indies,  made  his  Will  in  1509,  in  the  twenty-ninth  clause 
he  assigns  to  Jeronimo  de  Aguero  and  Fernando  del  Valdes  the 
sum  of  400,000  maravedis. 

Martin  de  Gamboa  seems  to  have  been  a  messenger  em¬ 
ployed  by  the  Admiral.  It  is  said  his  family  followed  the  pro¬ 
fession  of  courier,  and  that  the  business  was  hereditary, 
descending  in  its  employment  from  father  to  son.  We  find  him 
established  in  the  Indies  in  the  year  1510,  and  allusion  is  made 
to  him  in  a  Royal  letter  under  date  of  June  15,  1510,  and  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  General  Treasurer.  He  had  a  share  in  the  repar¬ 
timiento  of  Puerto  de  Plata,  a  settlement  on  the  north  side  of 
Espanola,  and  nearly  opposite  the  city  of  San  Domingo,  where 
he  had  a  residence.  It  is  said  by  some  writers  that  the  Gamboa 
employed  in  1568  by  Cardinal  di  Granville  to  carry  important 
despatches  from  Rome  to  the  Duke  of  Alba  in  the  Low  Coun¬ 
tries  was  a  descendant  of  this  Martin  de  Gamboa. 

In  the  Archives  of  the  Indies  there  are  several  allusions  to 
Juan  Lopez  as  an  Accountant,  and  in  an  order  for  payment  from 
the  Queen,  under  date  of  April  9,  1503,  he  is  called  her  Secre¬ 
tary.  It  is  from  a  book  of  records  kept  by  him  that  we  learn  of 
a  payment  of  40,000  maravedis  granted  Bartholomew  Colum¬ 
bus  in  the  year  1494,  when  he  went  out  to  join  his  brother. 
In  another  record,  taken,  as  the  Raccolta  says,  “  from  the  books 


303 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

of  accounts  of  Juan  Lopez,”  we  read  of  the  confirmation  in 
1497  of  the  appointment  by  Columbus  of  Bartholomew  to  be 
Adelantado.  In  the  list  of  persons  to  whom  letters  were  brought 
in  January,  1505,  from  Flanders  by  M.  de  Beyre,  Ambassador 
from  Philip  I.,  was  Juan  Lopez,  Aceountant.  In  a  Cedula  from 
King  Ferdinand,  under  date  of  April  ii,  1505,10  fulfilment  of 
the  will  of  the  late  Queen  Isabella,  the  sum  of  5500  ducats 
was  ordered  paid  to  Juan  or  Xoan  Lopez.  Herrera  says  that 
on  the  death,  in  1507,  of  Ximeno  de  Briviesca,  Accountant  of 
the  Casa  de  Contratacion  of  Seville,  he  was  sueceeded  by  Juan 
Lopez  de  Recalde.  It  is  not  certain  that  these  two  names 
belong  to  the  same  individual,  but  it  is  not  unlikely.  Signor  de 
Lollis  seems  to  think  that  one  argument  militating  against  the 
identity  is  that  Juan  Lopez  de  Recalde  was  resident  at  Seville 
in  his  position  of  Aceountant,  while  the  Juan  Lopez  referred  to 
in  this  letter  was  at  the  Court,  following  it  from  place  to  jjlace. 
In  a  Royal  Cedula  dated  Segovia,  August  25,  1505,  the  docu¬ 
ment  is  vised  by  Secretary  Juan  Lopez.  This  would  suggest  a 
different  personality  from  the  Sevillian  Accountant.  It  is  seen, 
moreover,  that  on  April  5,  1505,  an  order  was  made  on  the 
officials  of  the  Casa  de  Contratacion  for  2500  ducats  to  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Juan  Lopez,  Secretary,  to  pay  the  ex¬ 
penses  of  the  fourth  and  last  voyage  of  Columbus;  and  while 
this  sum  was  consigned  to  Juan  Lopez,  it  was  to  be  placed  at 
the  disposition  of  the  officials  of  the  Casa  dc  Contratacion,  one 
of  whom  was  Juan  Lopez  de  Recalde.  However,  the  position 
of  Secretary  or  Accountant  to  the  Casa  dc  Contratacion  may 
not  have  carried  with  it  an  official  connection  responsible  for 
the  distribution  of  actual  cash.  The  editor  of  the  Raccolta 
rather  holds  to  the  opinion  that  our  Juan  Lopez  was  Juan  Lopez 
de  Lazarraga,  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  Royal  Household,  of 
whom  Oviedo  speaks  in  his  Batallas  y  Qitincuagcnas :  “  Nearly 
all  of  the  greater  part  of  all  the  affairs  of  most  importance 
depended  on  the  Secretary  i\ccountant,  Juan  Lopez  de  Lazar¬ 
raga  in  Castile,  who  was  a  hidalgo,  a  native  of  the  Province  of 
Guipuzcoa,  of  pleasant  disposition  and  appearance.”' 

*  It  is  reported  of  Juan  Lopez  de  Lazarraga,  that  he  was  so  afflicted  by  his  per¬ 
sonal  loss  in  the  death  of  the  Queen,  his  mistress,  that  he  fell  a-sighing,  so  acquiring 
the  habit  of  this  deep  and  unnatural  expression  of  the  breath,  that  his  internal  organs 
were  affected  in  such  manner  that  his  health  gave  way,  and  he  literally  ended  his  life 
sighing. 


.^04 


305 


Christopher  Columbus 


306 


NO. 

Transliteration 

“muy  caro  fijo.  Regeby  tus  car¬ 
tas  de  .XV  deste.  despues  te  es- 
criu}^/  oy  son  ocho  dias  con  vm 
correo  y  a  otros  hartos  y  las  cartas 
te  embie  abiertas//  porque  las  vie- 
sedes  y  bistas  las  diesedes  yerradas. 
bien  que  esta  my//  enfermedad  me 
tribule  tanto  toda  via  aderego  my 
yda.  mucho  quisera//  la  repuesta 
de  sus  altezas  y  que  la  procurarades 
y  tanbienque  proveyeran  a  la  paga// 
[des]ta  gente  pobre  que  ban  pasado 
increybles  trabajos  y  les  tray  do  tan 
altas//  nuebas  de  que  deben  dar  in- 
finitas  gracias  a  dios  nuestro  sefior 
y  estar  dellas  tan//  alegres.  si  yo 
ento  el  paralipemenon  y  el 
libro  de  los  reys  y  Josepio//  de  an- 
tiquitatibus  con  otros  hartos  diran 
lo  que  desto  saben.  yo  espero  en 
nuestro//  senor  de  partir  esta  se- 
mana  que  viene  ny  por  esto  deues  de 
dexar  de//  escriuir  mas  amenudo. 
de  Carbajal  y  de  Jeronimo  non  he 
sabido.  si  ali//  estan  dale  mys  en- 
comiendas.  el  tiempo  es  tal  que 
Carbajal  ambos  debieran  estar// 
[es]  la  corte  si  la  enfermedad  non  los 
estorba.  a  diego  mendez  da  mys// 


XXVII. 

T  ranslation 

XXVII. 

“Very  dear  Son: 

“I  received  your  letters  of  the 
1 5th  of  this  month.  It  is  eight  days 
since  I  wrote  you  and  sent  the  letter 
by  a  courier.  I  enclosed  unsealed 
letters  to  many  other  persons,  in 
order  that  you  might  see  them,  and 
having  read  them,  seal  and  deliver 
them.  Although  this  illness  of  mine 
troubles  me  greatly,  I  am  preparing 
for  my  departure  in  every  way.  I 
would  very  much  like  to  receive 
the  reply  from  their  Highnesses  and 
wish  you  might  procure  it :  and  also 
I  wish  that  their  Highnesses  would 
provide  for  the  payment  of  these 
poor  people  who  have  passed  through 
incredible  hardships  and  have 
brought  them  such  great  news  that 
infinite  thanks  should  be  given  to 
God,  our  Lord,  and  they  should  re¬ 
joice  greatly  over  it.  If  I 
the  Paraliponienon  and  the  Book  of 
Kings  and  the  Antiquities  of  Jose¬ 
phus  with  very  many  others  will 
tell  what  they  know  of  this.  I 
hope  in  our  Lord  to  depart  this 
coming  week,  but  you  must  not 
write  less  often  on  that  account.  I 
have  not  heard  from  Carbajal  and 
Jeronimo.  If  they  are  there,  com¬ 
mend  me  to  them.  The  time  is  such 
that  both  Carbajals  ought  to  be  at 
Court,  if  illness  does  not  prevent 
them.  My  regards  to  Diego  Men¬ 
dez. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


307 


mys  encomiendas  creo  yo  que  valdra 
tanto  su  verdad  y  diligen^ia//  como 
las  mentiras  de  los  porres.  el  porta- 
dor  desta  es  martin//  [d]e  ganboa  y 
con  el  escriuo  a  Juan  lopez  y  embio 
creheenfia.  ved  la  carta//  [3^]  des¬ 
pues  se  le  b[u]elua.  si  me  escriues 
vayan  las  cartas  a  luys  de//  soria 
porque  me  [as]  embie  al  camino 
donde  yo  fuere  porque  si  voy//  con 
andas  sera  creo  por  la  plata.  Nues- 
tro  senor  te  aya  en  su  santa  guar- 
dia//  tu  tyo  ha  estado  muy  malo  y 
esta  de  las  quesadas  y  de  los  dientes. 
fecha// 

“en  sebilla  a  .xxviii  de  no- 
biembre. 

“tu  padre  que  te 

ama  mas  que  a  sy. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens./” 


XXVII  a. 

I  believe  that  his  truth  and 
efforts  will  be  worth  as  much  as  the 
lies  of  the  Porras  brothers.  The 
bearer  of  this  letter  is  Martin  de 
Gamboa.  I  am  sending  by  him  a 
letter  to  Juan  Lopez  and  a  letter  of 
credit.  Read  the  letter  to  Lopez 
and  then  give  it  to  him.  If  you 
write  me,  send  the  letters  to  Luis  de 
Soria  that  he  may  send  them  wher¬ 
ever  I  am,  because  if  I  go  in  a  litter, 
I  believe  it  will  be  by  La  Plata. 
May  our  Lord  have  you  in  His  holy 
keeping.  Your  uncle  has  been  very 
sick  and  is  now,  from  trouble  with 
his  jaws  and  with  his  teeth. 

“Done  in  Seville  November  28. 

“Your  father  who  loves  you 
more  than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens./” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  309 

NO.  XXVIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 

DON  DIEGO,  HIS  SON 

It  is  Still  a  question  in  this  letter  of  the  Admiral’s  going  to 
Court  in  a  litter,  but  the  roads  and  weather  are  still  delaying 
him.  The  gout  holds  him  in  sueh  a  painful  grasp  that  he  can 
use  his  hands  only  at  night. 

The  Court  was  at  Medina  del  Campo  or  Segovia,  and  Colum¬ 
bus  was  at  Seville.  It  will  give  us  a  slight  clue  to  the  time 
occupied  between  the  two  places  by  the  fast  courier  service,  if 
we  recall  that  one  week  before  the  Admiral  had  started  a  courier 
from  Seville  to  go  to  Don  Diego  at  the  Court,  and  that  now,  on 
the  expiration  of  these  seven  or  eight  days,  he  believed  his 
messenger  was  already  on  his  return  journey. 

The  unsettled  affairs  of  the  Admiral  are  greatly  troubling 
him.  His  thirds,  his  eighths,  his  tenths  are  still  unpaid,  if 
not  absolutely  unrecognised.  It  was  by  a  Royal  Cedula,  dated 
April  10,  1495,'  that  the  Sovereigns  opened  the  Indies  to  the 
world, — that  is,  to  the  world  of  Spain.  Under  this  warrant  any 
person  could  go  to  Espanola  or  to  the  Indies,  dig  for  gold,  and 
trade  in  merchandise.  One  third  of  the  gold  found  was  to 
belong  to  the  finder,  and  two  thirds  to  the  Sovereigns.  One 
tenth  of  all  the  profits  arising  from  bartering  was  to  belong  to 
the  Sovereigns,  the  remainder  to  the  person  engaging  in  trade. 
There  was  nothing  in  all  this  for  Christopher  Columbus,  the 
Discoverer  and  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea.  He  is  not  absolutely 
ignored  in  this  Cedula,  and  in  a  sense  the  Sovereigns  may  be 
trying  fairly  to  recognise  him,  although  not  to  the  extent  of  his 
rights.  They  provide  that  for  ever}^  seven  ships  so  going  to 
the  Indies  on  private  account,  Christopher  Columbus  is  en¬ 
titled  to  load  and  equip  one  entire  vessel  in  which  to  trade. 
When  these  grievances  became  unbearable  and  complaints  were 
made  by  the  Admiral  to  the  vSovereigns,  they  issued,  June  2, 
1497,  another  Royal  Cedula,  which  maybe  interpreted  as  with¬ 
drawing  the  open  privilege  given  to  the  citizens  of  Spain  in  the 
former  document.  The  reader  will  remember  that  it  was  be¬ 
tween  these  two  periods,  and  just  previous  to  the  date  of  the 
second  Cedula,  that  Americus  \"espucius  was  employed  in  his 

^  For  the  Spanish,  see  Navarrete,  vol.  ii.,  p.  165.  For  the  translation  in  full  of 
this  Cedula,  sec  the  Author’s  The  Continent  0}  America,  p.  65. 


310  Christopher  Columbus 

famous  first  voyage,  which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  the  con¬ 
tinent.  The  Sovereigns  sa}^  that  the  Admiral  complains  that  the 
first  privilege  was  in  prejudice  of  his  rights;  and,  in  the  Cedula 
of  June  2,  1497,  they  say  they  intend  to  recognise  and  confirm 
his  contracts,  rights,  and  grants,  and  that  whatsoever  thing  is 
done  contrary  to  these  shall  be  under  penalties.  But  seven  and 
a  half  years  have  gone  by  since  these  fine  words  were  uttered  by 
the  Sovereigns,  and  the  Admiral’s  share  of  the  revenues  has  not 
yet  been  given  him.  Therefore  he  writes  Don  Diego,  his  son, 
bidding  him  be  diligent  in  their  affairs,  and  first  to  secure  the 
administration  of  the  Indies  that  the  second  step  may  be  more 
readily  taken,  which  is  the  adjustment  of  their  revenues.  The 
executive  in  the  New  World  might  well  secure  a  third,  an 
eighth,  a  tenth,  before  the  remainder  was  transmitted  to  the 
Sovereigns.  And  to  this  end  he  admonishes  his  son  to  familiar¬ 
ise  himself  with  the  letter  written  by  the  Sovereigns  March  14, 
1502,  in  which  they  promise  to  confirm  his  privileges  and  to 
transmit  to  Don  Diego,  his  son  and  heir,  and  to  his  successors, 
all  the  Admiral’s  rights,  grants,  titles,  and  privileges. 

The  Admiral,  apparently  with  his  mind  considering  the  ques¬ 
tion  of  succession  to  his  estates,  interrupts  his  theme  for  a 
moment  to  beg  Don  Diego  to  love  and  cherish  his  brother  Fer¬ 
dinand.  He  speaks  fondly  and  favourably  of  the  latter’s  dis¬ 
position,  and  what  father  ever  had  a  son  under  his  own  eyes  in 
more  trying  circumstances  ?  All  through  the  distressing  scenes 
on  the  coast  of  Veragua  and  the  island  of  Jamaica,  when  all 
were  in  peril  from  the  sea,  when  rebellion  threatened  them,  when 
starvation  itself  was  stalking  no  great  distance  from  their  camp, 
Ferdinand  Columbus  bore  himself  like  a  man  and  a  soldier, — 
brave,  helpful,  considerate,  hopeful.  He  was  worthy  his 
parentage. 

And  then  the  mind  of  the  Admiral  returns  to  thirds  and 
eighths  and  tenths.  These  concessions,  he  repeats,  belonged  to 
him  by  grants  from  the  Sovereigns,  and  Don  Diego  is  told  he 
will  find  them  in  the  Book  of  Privileges.  The  reader  will  notice 
that  this  is  the  title  given  that  volume  of  collected  documents 
by  the  Admiral  himself, — el  libro  de  los  privilegios.  Again  Co¬ 
lumbus  commends  himself  and  his  affairs  to  the  Bishop  of 
Palencia  and  to  the  Lord  Chamberlain.  We  still  think  that 
none  other  than  Juan  Rodriguez  de  Fonseca  is  intended.  The 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  31 1 

reference  farther  along  in  the  letter,  regarding  the  appointment 
of  certain  bishops  '  for  the  Indies,  is  to  be  referred  to  the  Lord 
Bishop  of  Palencia.  Now,  Diego  de  Deza  would  have  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  appointment  of  these  bishops,  while 
Juan  de  Fonseca  would  have  had  all  to  do  with  such  appoint¬ 
ments.  The  latter  certainly  was  not  in  the  Indian  Department 
at  Seville  at  this  moment,  but  at  the  Court,  and  this  fact  was 
known  to  the  Admiral. 

The  Senor  Camerero,  Lord  Chamberlain,  to  whom  the  Ad¬ 
miral  sends  his  greetings,  can  be  none  other  than  Juan  Cabrero, 
whose  name  is  united  with  that  of  Diego  de  Deza  as  the  two 
individuals  influencing  and  inducing  the  Catholic  Sovereigns  to 
accept  the  project  of  Columbus.  It  will  be  seen  in  the  letter 
dated  December  21,  1504,  that  the  Admiral  divided  the  glory  of 
having  favoured  the  undertaking  between  Diego  de  Deza  and 
the  Lord  Chamberlain.  Las  Casas  names  this  last  as  among 
the  most  faithful  and  constant  of  the  promoters  of  the  project 
proposed  by  Columbus,  and  mentions  an  autograph  letter  writ¬ 
ten  by  the  Admiral  to  the  Sovereigns  in  which  is  used  the  iden¬ 
tical  expression  of  obligation  to  these  two  patrons,  Deza  and 
Cabrero,  jointly: 

“In  a  letter  written  by  his  hand,  by  Christopher  Columbus,  I  saw  that 
he  said  to  the  King  that  the  aforesaid  [former  ?]  master  of  the  Prince,  the 
Archbishop  of  Seville,  Friar  Diego  de  Deza,  and  the  said  Chamberlain, 
Juan  Cabrero,  had  been  the  cause  of  the  possession  of  the  Indies  by  the 
Sovereigns.’’ 

Juan  Cabrero,  an  Aragonese  gentleman,  was  appointed 
Chamberlain  to  the  King  in  the  year  i486,  about  the  time 
Christopher  Columbus  arrived  in  Spain,  and  this  position  he 
held  until  his  death  a  year  or  two  before  that  of  Ferdinand,  his 
master.  Oviedo,  in  his  Batallas  y  Qiiincuagenas ,  speaks  of  him 
as  a  gentle  knight,  valiant  with  his  lance,  a  favourite  with  the 
Court,  affectionate  and  loyal  to  his  Sovereign,  who  kept  him  in 

'  The  bishops  of  whom  it  is  here  a  question  of  appointing  for  Espanola  were 
Doctor  Pedro  de  Deza,  nephew  of  Diego  de  Deza,  who  was  to  go  to  the  province  of 
Xaragua,  in  the  south  part  of  the  island:  the  Franciscan  Garcia  de  Padilla  for  the 
province  of  Baynua  in  the  north,  and  the  licentiate  Alonso  Manso,  canon  of  Sala¬ 
manca,  for  the  province  of  La  Vega  and  the  interior  of  the  island.  Their  election  had 
been  considered  in  Consistory,  November  15,  1504,  but  the  Queen’s  death  interrupted 
the  matter,  and  it  was  not  again  resumed.  However,  in  1511,  Padilla  and  Deza  were 
given  bishoprics  in  Espanola,  and  Alonso  Manso  was  made  Bishop  of  Puerto  Rico. 


312  Christopher  Columbus 

his  Secret  Council  and  Council  of  State.  He  had  an  active  part 
in  the  siege  of  Granada,  and  in  1498  he  assisted  in  Saragossa, 
at  the  recognition  of  the  Prince  Don  Michele,  son  to  the  King  of 
Portugal,  as  successor  in  the  kingdom  of  Aragona. 

One  of  the  strangest  scenes  in  Spanish  history  was  that 
enacted  in  the  little  town  of  Benavente  on  June  28,  1506,  when 
the  King  called  into  his  room  Juan  Cabrero  to  witness  his 
secret  declaration  that  the  formal  instrument  he  was  about  to 
execute,  giving  to  his  daughter  Joanna,  and  to  her  husband, 
Philippe  le  Beau,  the  sovereignty  of  Castile,  was  not  his  free  and 
lawful  act,  but  was  enacted  by  him  by  necessity  to  prevent 
civil  war.'  In  a  Royal  Cedula,  dated  April  ii,  1505,  he  is  men¬ 
tioned  in  connection  with  the  receipts  by  the  King  of  2500 
ducats,  forming  a  portion  of  his  revenues  from  the  Indies. 
Again,  on  April  23,  1505,  he  is  directed  to  pay  Juan  de  Oquina 
the  balance  due  for  the  hire  of  one  of  the  vessels  of  the  fourth 
Columbus  expedition. 

When,  in  May,  1508,  a  Royal  grant  was  made  to  Americus 
Vespucius  and  the  pilot,  Juan  de  la  Cosa,  the  execution  of  the 
grant  was  confided  to  Juan  Cabrero.  Again,  in  1509,  when  Don 
Diego,  the  second  Admiral,  was  going  to  the  Indies  as  Governor, 
King  Ferdinand  imposed  upon  him,  among  other  conditions,  the 
obligation  of  giving  to  “  Mosen  Cabrero,^  Chamberlain  of  the 
Sovereigns,  one  of  the  best  Caciques  of  the  island  together  with 
his  Indians,”  as  an  act  of  gratitude  to  one  of  the  greatest  bene¬ 
factors  of  his  father.  That  this  order  was  not  immediately  ful¬ 
filled  is  apparent  from  a  subsequent  letter,  dated  January  27, 
1510,  in  which  the  King  reproves  Don  Diego  for  not  having  thus 
favoured  Cabrero.  This  order  evidently  was  regarded,  for  on 
July  3,  1510,  King  Ferdinand  thanks  Don  Diego  for  having 
given  Cabrero  one  hundred  Indians  as  slaves,  and  directs  that 
another  lot  of  one  hundred  should  be  confided  to  the  care  of  a 
person  to  be  designated  by  the  same  Cabrero.  Thus  the  King 
appears  to  have  been  more  solicitous  for  the  debts  of  gratitude 
due  from  the  Admiral  to  his  protectors  and  promoters  than  for 

'  This  statement  rests  on  the  single  authority  of  Zurita,  the  official  historian. 
Peter  Martyr  does  not  mention  the  event,  nor  need  we  wonder.  While  Martyr  had 
access  to  the  Court  and  was  au  fait  in  its  mysteries,  this  instrument  of  kingly  du¬ 
plicity  was  likely  to  be  known  to  only  the  chosen  few  of  the  Secret  Council,  and 
doubtless  to  only  faithful  Aragonese  and  Catalonians. 

*  The  title  Mosen  was  an  ancient  Aragonese  term  for  Sir. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  313 

his  own  Royal  obligations  to  the  Admiral.  We  have  already 
spoken  of  the  re partimicnto  operated  in  Espahola  by  Pero 
Ibanez  de  Ibarra  and  Rodrigo  de  Albuquerque  in  November, 
1504,  and  a  large  share  in  this  stood  in  the  name  of  Juan  Ca- 
brero.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  days  his  eyes  were  darkened  so 
that  he  could  not  see,  and  the  King,  mindful  of  his  i)ast  ser¬ 
vices,  preserved  for  him  in  his  Council  a  position  comfortably 
within  his  powers.  In  the  Sovereign’s  Will,  made  at  Burgos  in 
1512,  the  King  names  Cabrero  as  his  executor.  At  some  time 
in  the  year  1514  or  1515,  the  Chamberlain  died,  as  appears  from 
a  memorial  addressed  by  his  nephew,  Martin  Cabrero,  to  the 
King,  in  which  the  uncle  is  said  to  be  now  with  God:  and  the 
King  himself  died  on  January  23,  1516.  There  was  in  the  suc¬ 
ceeding  Spanish  reign  another  Doctor  Juan  Cabrero,  also  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Royal  Council,  and  who,  in  1524,  was  sent  by  the 
Emperor  Charles  V.  as  Aml^assador  to  the  King  of  Portugal  on 
affairs  connected  with  the  Moluccas.' 

Francisco  Pinelo,  the  father  of  the  messenger  bearing  to 
Don  Diego  the  present  letter,  was  an  Italian  by  birth,  and  had  a 
goodly  share  in  the  glory  attending  the  great  discovery.  He  was 
the  Treasurer  of  the  Hermandad  from  1491  to  1493,  and  was 
associated  with  Luis  de  Santangel  in  securing  for  the  enter¬ 
prise  the  loan  of  the  i  ,000,000 maravedis  for  equipping  the  expe¬ 
dition.  Zuniga  names  Pinelo  as  a  native  of  Genoa  and  a  member 
of  a  well-known  Genoese  family, — the  Pinelli,  after  whom 
was  named  one  of  the  twenty-eight  taverns  of  the  city.  We 
notice  the  numerous  and  influential  Italians,  for  the  most  ])art 
Genoese,  residing  in  Spain  at  the  time  of  Columbus,  and  some¬ 
how  the  apparent  loneliness  of  Columbus  in  the  days  preceding 
his  discovery  loses  something  of  its  severity.  When  he  raised 
his  eighth  of  the  cost  of  the  expedition,  we  imagine  more  than 
the  Duke  of  Medinaceli  gave  him  financial  aid,  and  that  part  of 
this  came  from  his  compatriots.  In  several  of  the  documents  of 
the  time  relating  to  Seville  and  preserved  in  that  city,  Fran¬ 
cisco  Pinelo  is  called  Senator  curator  eequitatis  in  ponderibns, 

'  Herrera  takes  particular  pains  to  distinguish  these  two  characters  from  each 
other,  and  the  editor  of  the  Kaccolia,  exercising  the  privilege  of  the  after-writer, 
gently  admonishes  Henry  Harrisse  for  having  assumed  in  his  Christophe  Colonib, 
vol.  i.,  p.  377,  that  the  Spanish  historian  had  confounded  the  two. 

^  The  money  returned  the  treasury  of  the  Hermandad  was  1,140,000  maravedis, 
but  we  believe  the  140,000,  or  a  portion  thereof,  represented  th<^  interest  account. 


314  Christopher  Columbus 

supervisor  of  weights  and  measures.  He  had  an  important 
part  likewise  in  equipping  the  second  expedition  under  Colum¬ 
bus,  and  either  in  his  personal  or  official  character  guaranteed 
the  loan  of  the  Duke  of  Medina-Sidonia. 

There  is  a  strange  and  not  altogether  cheerful  connection 
between  this  character  and  a  perspective  event  in  the  life  of 
Columbus  which  happily  never  really  came  to  pass.  In  this  and 
preceding  letters  reference  is  made  to  the  necessity  for  the 
Admiral  to  appear  at  Court.  He  was  to  make  no  palfreyed 
journey.  His  feet  could  not  press  the  stirrup  irons.  In  this 
plight  he  speaks  of  going  in  a  litter.  But  this  was  not  a  gaily 
caparisoned  palanquin  from  whose  opened  sides  the  Admiral 
might  bow  his  recognition  as  he  passed,  for  he  himself  admits 
in  this  particular  letter  that  he  is  a  person  of  consequence. 
No,  the  proposed  litter  of  Columbus  was  a  funeral  bier.  The 
Lord  Cardinal,  Don  Diego  Hurtado  de  Mendoza,  the  first  Duke 
of  Infantado,  had  been  one  of  the  most  powerful  nobles  of  Spain. 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella  incorporated  into  a  dukedom  certain 
possessions  belonging  aforetimes  to  the  Infantes  of  Spain,  and 
these  estates  they  presented  to  their  favourite.  But  he  was 
mortal,  and  when  he  died  something  of  the  pageantry  of  his‘ 
life  attended  his  obsequies.  A  splendid  catafalque  was  con¬ 
structed,  solemn  in  its  mourning,  on  which  the  body  of  the 
Cardinal  was  borne  to  its  tomb.  This  mortuary  carriage  be¬ 
longed  to  the  Cathedral  of  Seville,  and  it  is  probable  that  Co¬ 
lumbus  requested  its  loan  for  his  intended  journey.  However 
this  may  be,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Chapter  of  the  Holy  Church 
of  Seville,  held  on  November  26,  1504,  the  following  minute  was 
entered : 

“This  day  [November  26,  1504],  their  Worships  ordered  that  there 
should  be  loaned  to  the  Admiral  Columbus  the  mortuary  bier  in  which  was 
qarried  the  body  of  the  Lord  Cardinal  Don  Diego  Hurtado  de  Mendoza, 
whom  may  God  have  in  His  keeping,  in  order  that  he  may  go  to  the  Court, 
and  a  guarantee  was  taken  from  Francisco  Pinelo  which  assured  the  return 
of  the  said  bier  to  this  church  in  safety.’’ 

Fortunately  the  pathetic  picture  of  this  broken  man — this 
man  who  had  given  to  Castile  and  Leon  a  New  World — carried 
along  the  La  Plata  road  in  a  funeral  bier,  suggesting  destruc¬ 
tion,  death,  and  decay,  never  was  quite  painted.  The  guarantee 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  315 

of  Francisco  Pinelo  was  not  required.  Before  the  journey  was 
actually  undertaken,  the  gentle  amble  of  the  Andalusian  mule 
was  promised  him  by  the  Sovereigns;  and  thus  in  time,  weak 
but  alive,  cast  down  but  not  destroyed,  the  Admiral  of  the 
Indies  made  his  way  northward  to  Segovia. 


o’*' 


317 


I 


No.  XX]  in.  Holograph  Letter  of  Columbus,  Signed,  Addressed  to  his  Son  Diego,  Dated  Seville,  December  i  [150-/]. 

[Archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  at  Madrid.] 


3i8  Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XXVIII. 


Transliteration 

“muy  caro  fijo.  despues  que 
rejeby  tu  carta  de  .xv  de  nouiem- 
bre  nunca  mas  he  sabido  de  ty// 
quisera  que  me  escriuerades  muy 
amenudo.  cada  ora  quisera  ver  tus 
letras//  la  razon  te  debe  de  dezir  que 
non  tengo  agora  otro  descanso. 
muchos  correos//  vienen  cada  dia  y 
las  nuebas  aca  son  tantas  y  tales  que 
se  me  increspan//  los  cabellos  todos 
de  las  oyr  tan  al  rebes  de  lo  que  my 
anima  desea.  plega//  ala  santa 
trinidad  de  dar  salud  ala  reyna 
nuestra  sehora  porque  con  ella  se 
asiente  lo//  que  ya  va  lebantado. 
otro  correo  te  embie  el  juebes  hizo 
ocho  dias.  ya  debe  estar//  en  ca- 
mino  de  venida.  con  el  te  escriuy  que 
my  partidaeragierta  y  la  esperanja// 
segun  la  espirien9ia  de  la  llegada  alia 
muy  al  contrario  porque  este  mi 
mal//  es  tan  malo  y  el  frio  tanto 
conforme  a  me  lo  faborejer  que  non 
pudia  [ejrrar  de  quedar//  en  alguna 
venta.  las  andas  y  todo  fue  presto, 
el  tiempo  tan  descommunal  que 
pare9[is]//  atodos  que  fuera  inpos- 
ible  apuder  salir  con  lo  que  comen- 
gaba  y  que  mejor  era  curarme//  y 
procurar  por  la  salud  que  poner  en 
abentura  tan  cohosgida  la  persona, 
con  esta[s]//  cartas  te  dise  lo  que 
agora  digo  que  fue  bien  mirado  a  te 
quedar  alia  (en  tal  tiempo)// 


Translation 

XXVIIL 

“Very  dear  son: 

“Since  I  received  your  letter  of 
November  15  I  have  heard  nothing 
from  you.  I  wish  that  you  would 
write  me  more  frequently.  I  would 
like  to  receive  a  letter  from  you  each 
hour.  Reason  must  tell  you  that 
now  I  have  no  other  repose.  Many 
couriers  come  each  day,  and  the 
news  is  of  such  a  nature  and  so 
abundant  that  in  hearing  it,  all  my 
hair  stands  on  end,  it  is  so  contrary 
to  what  my  soul  desires.  May  it 
please  the  Holy  Trinity  to  give 
health  to  the  Queen,  our  Lady,  that 
she  may  settle  what  has  already 
been  placed  under  discussion.  I 
wrote  you  by  another  courier  Thurs¬ 
day,  eight  days  ago.  The  courier 
must  already  be  on  his  way  back 
here.  I  told  you  in  that  letter  that 
my  departure  was  certain,  but  that 
the  hope  of  my  arrival  there,  ac¬ 
cording  to  experience,  was  very  un¬ 
certain,  because  my  sickness  is  so 
bad  and  the  cold  is  so  well  suited  to 
aggravate  it,  that  I  could  not  well 
avoid  remaining  in  some  inn  on  the 
road.  The  litter  and  everything 
were  ready.  The  weather  became 
so  violent  that  it  appeared  impos¬ 
sible  to  every  one  to  start  when  it 
was  getting  so  bad,  and  that  it  was 
better  for  so  well-known  a  person  as 
myself  to  take  care  of  myself  and 
try  to  regain  my  health  rather  than 
place  myself  in  danger.  I  told  you 
in  those  letters  what  I  now  say,  that 
you  decided  well  in  remaining  there 
(at  such  a  time) 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


319 


y  que 

era  razon  comenyar  a  entender  en 
los  negofios  y  la  razon  aiudamucho/ / 
aesto.  pare^eme  que  se  debe  sacar 
en  buena  letra  aquel  capitulo  de 
aquela  carta  que//  sus  altezas  me 
escriuyeron  adonde  dizen  que  con- 
pliran  comigo  y  te  pornan  en  la 
posesion  de  todo//  y  dasela  con  otro 
escrito  que  diga  de  my  enfermedad 
y  como  es  inposible  que  yo  puda 
agora//  yr  abesar  sus  reales  pies 
ymanos  y  que  las  yndias  se  pierden 
y  estan  con  el  fuego//  de  mil  partes 
y  como  yo  non  he  reyebido  ny  recibo 
nada  de  la  renta  que  en  ellas  ha// 
ny  nadi  oxa  de  agebtar  de  requerir 
alia  nada  y  que  bibo  de  enprestado. 
vnos//  dineros  que  alia  ove  ali  los 
gaste  en  trailer  esa  gente  que  fue 
comigo  aca  a  sus  casas//  porque 
fuera  gran  cargo  de  conscienjia  alos 
dexar  y  dezinparalos.  al  sehor 
obispo  de//  palenjia  es  de  dar  parte 
desto  con  de  la  tanta  confianpa  que 
en  su  merced  tengo  y//  ansi  al  senor 
camarero.  crehia  yo  que  carbajal 
y  geronimo  en  tal  sazon  estarian// 
ali.  nuestro  senor'  es  aquel  que 
esta  y  que  le  abiara  como  sabe  que 
nos  conbiene//  carbajal  llego  ayer 
aqui.  yo  le  quise  enbiar  luego  con 
esta  mesma  orden  escusoseme// 
mucho  diziendo  que  su  mujer  esta 
ala  muerte.  veyre  que  vaya  porque 
el  mucho  sabe//  destos  nego^ios. 
tanbien  trabajare  que  vaya  tu  her- 
mano  y  tu  tio  abesar  las  manos// 


XXVIII. 

and  that  it  was 
right  to  commence  occupying  your¬ 
self  with  our  affairs:  and  reason 
strongly  urges  this.  It  appears  to 
me  that  a  good  copy  should  be  made 
of  the  Chapter  of  that  letter  which 
their  Highnesses  wrote  me  where 
they  say  they  will  fulfil  their  prom¬ 
ises  to  me  and  will  place  you  in  pos¬ 
session  of  everything;  and  that  this 
copy  should  be  given  to  them  with 
another  writing  telling  of  my  sick¬ 
ness  and  that  it  is  now  impossible 
for  me  to  go  and  kiss  their  Royal 
feet  and  hands  and  that  the  Indies 
are  being  lost  and  are  on  fire  in  a 
thousand  places,  and  that  I  have 
received  nothing  and  am  receiving 
nothing  from  the  revenues  derived 
from  them,  and  that  no  one  dares  to 
accept  or  demand  anything  there 
for  me,  and  I  am  living  upon  bor¬ 
rowed  funds.  I  spent  the  money 
which  I  got  there  in  bringing  those 
people  who  went  with  me  back  to 
their  homes,  for  it  would  be  a  great 
burden  upon  my  conscience  to  have 
left  them  there  and  to  have  aban¬ 
doned  them.  This  must  be  made 
known  to  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Pa- 
lencia,  in  whose  favour  I  have  so 
much  confidence,  and  also  to  the 
Lord  Chamberlain.  I  believ^ed  that 
Carbajal  and  Jeronimo  would  be 
there  at  such  a  time.  Our  Lord  is 
there  and  He  will  order  everything 
as  He  knows  it  to  be  best  for  us. 
Carbajal  reached  here  yesterday.  I 
wished  to  send  him  immediately 
with  this  same  order,  but  he  excused 
himself  profusely,  saying  that  his 
wife  was  at  the  point  of  death.  I 
shall  see  that  he  goes  because  he 
knows  a  great  deal  about  these 
affairs.  I  will  also  endeavour  to 
have  your  brother  and  your  uncle  go 
to  kiss  the  hands 


XXVIII  b, 


l.vj 


•  '•no 


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sc. 


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321 


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.  s 

^  M 

•H 


Christopher  Columbus 


a  sus  altezas  y  les  dar  cuenta  del 
viaje  si  mis  cartas  non  abastan.  de 
tu  hermano  haz  mucha  cuenta  el// 
tiene  buen  natural  y  ya  desa  las 
mojedades.  diez  hermanos  non  te 
serian  demasiados.  nunca/ /  yo 
falle  mayor  amigo  a  diestro  y  sinies- 
tro  que  mis  hermanos.//  es  de  tra- 
bajar  en  haber  la  gobernagion  de  las 
indias  y  despues  el  despacho  de  la 
renta//  ala  te  dese  vm  memorial  que 
dezia  lo  que  me  pertenje  dellas.  lo 
que  despacharon  a//  carbajal  es 
nada  y  en  nada  se  ha  tornado, 
quien  quera  leba  mercadurias//  y 
ansi  el  ochabo  es  nada  porque  sin 
contribuyr  en  el  puedo  yo  enbiar  a 
mercadear//  sin  tener  cuenta  ny 
compania  con  nadi.  harto  dise  yo 
esto  en  tiempo  pasado  que  la//  con- 
tribuyyion  del  ochabo  vernia  a  nada. 
el  ochauo  y  el  resto  me  pertenege 
por//  ta  razon  de  la  merged  que  sus 
altezas  me  hizieron  como  te  dese 
aclarado  en  el  libro  de  mis//  priuy- 
legios  y  ansi  el  tergio  y  diezmo  del 
qual  diezmo  non  regibo  saluo  el 
diezmo  delo  que//  sus  altezas  regi- 
ben  y  ha  de  ser  de  todo  el  oro  y  otras 
cosas  que  se  fallan  y  se  aquiren  por 
qua[l]-//quera  forma  que  sea  aden- 
tro  ese  almirantado  y  el  diezmo  de 
todas  las  mercadurias//  que  van  y 
bienen  de  alia  sacado  las  custas.  ya 
dise  que  en  el  libro  delos  priuilegios 
esta//  [bien  aclar]  ado  la  razon  desto 
y  del  resto  con  del  juzgado  aqui  en 
sebilla  delas  yndias// 


XXVIII  b. 

of  Their  High¬ 
nesses  and  give  them  an  account 
of  the  voyage  if  my  letters  are 
not  sufficient.  Take  good  care  of 
5mur  brother.  He  has  a  good  dis¬ 
position  and  is  no  longer  a  boy. 
Ten  brothers  would  not  be  too 
many  for  you.  I  never  found  bet¬ 
ter  friends  to  right  or  to  left  than 
my  brothers.  We  must  strive  to 
obtain  the  government  of  the  Indies 
and  then  the  adjustment  of  the  rev¬ 
enues.  I  gave  you  a  memorandum 
which  told  you  what  part  of  them 
belongs  to  me.  What  they  gave  to 
Carbajal  was  nothing  and  has  turned 
to  nothing.  Whoever  desires  to  do 
so  takes  merchandise  there,  and  so 
the  eighth  is  nothing,  because,  with¬ 
out  contributing  the  eighth  I  could 
send  to  trade  there,  without  render¬ 
ing  account  or  going  in  company 
with  any  one.  I  said  a  great  many 
times  in  the  past  that  the  contribu¬ 
tion  of  the  eighth  would  come  to 
nothing.  The  eighth  and  the  rest 
belongs  to  me  by  reason  of  the  con¬ 
cession  which  their  Highnesses  made 
to  me,  as  set  forth  in  the  book  of  my 
Privileges:  and  also  the  third  and 
the  tenth.  Of  the  tenth  I  received 
nothing,  except  the  tenth  of  what 
their  Highnesses  receive:  and  it 
must  be  the  tenth  of  all  the  gold  and 
other  things  which  are  found  and 
obtained,  in  whatever  manner  it 
may  be,  within  this  Admiralship, 
and  the  tenth  of  all  the  merchandise 
which  goes  and  comes  from  there, 
after  the  expenses  are  deducted.  I 
have  already  said  that  in  the  Book 
of  Privileges  the  reason  for  this  and 
for  the  rest  which  is  before  the  Tri¬ 
bunal  of  the  Indies  here  in  Seville,  is 
clearly  set  forth. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


323 


“es  de  trabajar  que  sus  altezas 
respondan  any  carta  y  que  manden 
apagar  esta  gente.  con//  martin  de 
ganboa  habra  quatro  dias  que  yo  le 
tome  a  escriuy  y  veyriades  la  carta// 
de  Juan  lopez  con  la  tuya.// 

“aca  se  diz  que  se  ordena  de  en- 
biar  o  fazer  tres  o  quatro  obispos  de 
las  yndias  y  que//  al  senor  obispo  de 
palenfia  esta  remetido  esto.  despues 
de  me  encomendado  en  su  merged// 
dile  que  creo  que  sera  seruicio  de  sus 
altezas  que  yo  fable  con  el  primero 
que  concluyan  esto.// 

“a  diego  mendez  da  mys  enco- 
miendas  y  bea  esta,  my  mal  non 
consinte  que  escriua//  saluo  de 
noche  porque  el  dia  me  priua  la 
fuerca  delas  manos//  yo  creo  que 
esta  carta  lebara  vm  fijo  de  fran- 
cisco  pinelo.  hazele  buen  allega- 
miento//  porque  haz  por  my  todo 
lo  que  puede  con  buen  amor  y  larga 
boluntad  alegre//  la  carabela  que 
quebro  el  mastel  en  saliendo  de 
Santo  domingo  es  llagada  al  algarbe. 
en  ella//  vienen  las  pesquisas  de  los 
porres.  cosas  tan  feas  con  cruel- 
dad  cruda  tal//  jamas  fue  visto.  si 
sus  altezas  non  las  castigan  non  sey 
quien  sera  osado  yr  fuera//  en  su 
seruicio  con  gente// 


XXVIII  b. 

“We  must  strive  to  obtain  a  reply 
to  my  letter  from  their  Highnesses, 
and  to  have  them  order  that  these 
people  be  paid.  I  wrote  in  regard  to 
this  subject  four  days  ago  and  sent 
the  letter  by  Martin  de  Gamboa,  and 
you  must  have  seen  the  letter  of 
Juan  Lopez  with  your  own. 

“It  is  said  here  that  it  has  been 
ordered  that  three  or  four  Bishops  of 
the  Indies  shall  be  sent  or  created, 
and  that  this  matter  is  referred  to 
the  Lord  Bishop  of  Palencia.  After 
having  commended  me  to  his  Wor¬ 
ship,  tell  him  that  I  believe  it  will 
best  serve  their  Highnesses  for  me  to 
talk  with  him  before  this  matter  is 
settled. 

“Commend  me  to  Diego  Mendez 
and  show  him  this  letter.  My  ill¬ 
ness  permits  me  to  write  only  at 
night,  because  in  the  daytime  my 
hands  are  deprived  of  strength.  I 
believe  that  a  son  of  Francisco 
Pinelo  will  carry  this  letter.  Enter¬ 
tain  him  well  because  he  does  every¬ 
thing  for  me  that  he  can,  with  much 
love  and  a  cheerful  good-will.  The 
caravel  which  broke  her  mast  in 
starting  from  Santo  Domingo  has 
arrived  in  the  Algarves.  She  brings 
the  records  of  the  case  of  the  Porras 
brothers.  Such  ugly  things  and 
such  grievous  cruelty  as  appear  in 
this  matter,  never  were  seen.  If 
their  Highnesses  do  not  punish  it,  I 
do  not  know  who  will  dare  to  go  out 
in  their  service  with  people. 


XXVIII  c. 


24 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


325 


“oy  es  lunes  trabajare  que  parte 
manana  tu  tio  y  tu  hermano.  aco- 
erdate  de  me//  escriuyr  muy  ame- 
nudo  y  diego  mendez  muy  largo, 
cada  dia  ay  aqui  de  alia//  mesa- 
jeros.  nuestro  senor  te  aya  en  su 
Santa  guardia  fecha  en  sebilla  a// 
“primero  de  deziembre. 
tu  padre  que  te 
ama  como  asy. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens./” 


XXVIII  c. 

‘‘To-day  is  Monday.  I  will  en¬ 
deavour  to  have  your  uncle  and 
brother  start  to-morrow.  Remem¬ 
ber  to  write  me  very  often  and  tell 
Diego  Mendez  to  write  at  length. 
Each  day  messengers  go  from  here 
yonder.  May  our  Lord  have  you  in 
His  holy  keeping. 

Done  in  Seville  December  i. 

‘‘Your  father  who  loves 
you  as  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens./” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  327 

NO.  xxviiii.  (including  the  memorandum  no.  xxx).  letter 

WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  DON  DIEGO, 

HIS  SON 

Sometime  between  December  i  and  the  date  of  this  letter, 
December  3,  1504,  the  Admiral,  through  other  sources,  learned 
of  the  death  of  Queen  Isabella,  his  friend  and  patroness.  He 
expresses  astonishment  at  not  having  had  any  letter  from 
Court,  especially  none  from  Don  Diego.  Others  in  Seville,  with 
less  right  of  expectation,  receive  frequent  communications  from 
their  friends  in  Medina  del  Campo  and  Segovia.  Don  Bartholo¬ 
mew,  the  Adelantado,  Ferdinand,  the  son  of  the  Admiral,  and 
Alonzo  Sanchez  de  Carvajal,  are  *soon  to  depart  for  the  Court, 
and  Don  Diego  will  learn  through  them  certain  matters  which 
are  not  openly  discussed  in  the  Department  of  the  Indies  at 
Seville.  He  has  already  drawn  up  his  memorandum,  and  in  it 
he  feelingly  and  piously  pays  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the 
Queen,  whose  funeral  cortege  was  even  then  making  its  perilous 
journey  southward. 

The  abrupt  transition  from  the  death-chamber  of  Queen  Isa¬ 
bella  to  the  treasure-house  of  the  King  will  offend  some  persons. 
“  The  Queen  is  dead,”  says  Columbus;  “  give  me  of  maravedis.” 
For  ourselves  we  believe  we  have  long  since  come  to  understand 
this  man  and  the  juxtaposition  of  piety  and  colonial  affairs  does 
not  seem  so  incongruous.  To  Columbus  the  Queen  was  pledged 
to  the  great  work  of  bringing  the  natives  into  the  Church,  and  to 
the  other  object  of  rapidly  and  skilfully  gathering  gold  for  em¬ 
ployment  in  the  new  Crusade  to  be  undertaken  in  the  name  of 
the  Church  for  the  delivery  into  its  hands  of  the  Holy  Land,  an 
incident  which  Columbus  believed  the  Prophecies  taught  must 
precede  the  millennium.  The  Queen  was  dead,  but  the  King  and 
he  yet  lived.  The  death  of  one  could  not  entirely  dissolve  the 
partnership  of  the  three.  The  great  work  must  go  on,  with  all 
the  greater  speed  and  energy  from  the  lesson  of  mortality  the 
remaining  partners  had  received.  Gold  and  gold  alone  will 
bring  to  Christendom  the  barren  land  of  Palestine. 


XXVIIII. 


O 


g 

s 

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cT^ 

bo  ^ 
.i!o  'T3 


C) 

a 

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~-H 

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G 

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C3 

J<. 


O 

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to" 

rO 


c:^ 


O 


to 

*  ^ 

<0 


ti.'. 


So 

o 

"S 


' — I 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


329 


NO.  XXVIIII. 

T  ransliteration  T  ranslation 

XXVIIII. 


“muy  caro  fijo.  anteyer  te  es- 
criuy  con  persona  de  franjisco 
pinelo  largo  y  con  esta  va  vm  me¬ 
morial  bien//  conplido.  muy  mara- 
billado  estoy  de  non  ver  carta  tuya 
ny  de  otro.  esa  marabilla  tienen 
todos//  los  que  me  conosgen.  todos 
aca  tienen  cartas  &  yo  a  quien  mas 
cumplia  non  las  veo.  era  de// 
tener  sobre  ello  gran  cuydado.  el 
memorial  que  a  riba  dise  abasta  y 
por  esto  non  me//  alargo  mas  en 
esta.  tu  hermano  y  tu  tio  y  car- 
bajal  van  alia,  dellos  sabras  lo  que 
aqui  falta//  nuestro  senor  te  ay  a 
en  su  Santa  guardia.  fecha  en 
sebilla  a  tres  de  deziembre// 

“tu  padre  que  te  ama 
mas  que  asy. 


.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens. ’’ 


“Very  dear  son.  I  wrote  you  at 
length  day  before  yesterday  and  sent 
it  by  Francisco  Pinelo  and  with  this 
letter  I  send  you  a  very  full  memo¬ 
randum.  I  am  very  much  aston¬ 
ished  not  to  receive  a  letter  from  you 
or  from  any  one  else,  and  this  aston¬ 
ishment  is  shared  by  all  who  know 
me.  Every  one  here  has  letters 
and  I,  who  have  more  reason  to  ex¬ 
pect  them,  have  none.  Great  care 
should  be  taken  about  this  matter. 
The  memorandum  of  which  I  have 
spoken  above,  says  enough,  and  on 
this  account  I  do  not  speak  more  at 
length  here.  Y our  brother  and  your 
uncle  and  Carbajal  are  going  yonder. 
You  will  learn  from  them  what  is  not 
said  here.  May  our  Lord  have  you 
in  His  Holy  keeping.  Done  in  Se¬ 
ville,  December  3. 

“Your  father  who  loves  you 
more  than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xjjo  Kerens. ” 


X 


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Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XXX. 


Transliteration 

“memorial  para  ty  muy  caro  fijo 
don  diego  delo  que  al  presente  me 
ocorre  que  se  ha  de  hazer//  lo 
principal  es  de  encomendar  efetuo- 
samente  con  mucha  debogion  el 
anima  de  la  reyna  nuestra  senora  a 
dios//  su  vida  siempre  fue  catolica 
y  Santa  y  prunta  a  todas  las  cosas 
de  su  santo  seruicio  y  por  esto  se// 
debe  creher  que  esta  en  su  santa 
gloria  y  fuera  del  deseu  deste  aspero 
y  fatigoso  mundo.  despues//  es  de 
entodo  y  por  todo  de  se  desbelar  y 
esforjar  en  el  seruicio  del  rey  nues- 
tro  senor  y  trabar  de  le  quitar//  de 
enojos.  so  alteja  es  la  cabega  de  la 
christiandad.  ved  el  proberbio  que 
diz  quando  la  cahega//  duele  todos 
los  miembros  duele.  ansi  que  todos 
los  buenos  christianos  deben  suplicar 
por  su//  larga  vida  y  salud.  y  los 
que  somos  obligados  a  le  seruir  mas 
que  otros  debemos  aiudar  a  esto// 
con  grande  estudio  y  diligenjia.  esta 
razon  me  movio  agora  con  my 
fuerte  mal  a  te  escriuir  esto  que// 
aqui  escriuio  porque  su  alteza  lo 
probea  como  fuere  su  seruicio  y  por 
mayor  complimiento  embio  alia  a 
tu//hermano  que  bien  que  el  sea 
nino  en  dias  non  es  ansi  en  el  en- 
tendimiento  y  embio  a  tu  tio  y  Car¬ 
bajal  porque  si//  este  my  escriuir 
non  abasta  que  todos  con  ty  junta- 
mente  probeays  con  palabra.  por 
manera  que  su  alteza  re^iba  serui¬ 
cio//  a  my  veer  nada  tiene  tanta 
necesidad  de  se  probeer  y  remediar 
como  las  yndias.  alia  debe  agora// 
de  tener  su  alteza 


T  ranslation 

XXX. 

“A  memorandum  for  you,  my 
very  dear  son,  Don  Diego,  of  what 
occurs  to  me  at  the  present  time 
which  must  be  done : — The  principal 
thing  is  to  affectionately  and  with 
great  devotion  commend  the  soul  of 
the  Queen,  our  Lady,  to  God.  Her 
life  was  always  Catholic  and  Holy 
and  ready  for  all  the  things  of  His 
holy  service,  and  for  this  reason  it 
must  be  believed  that  she  is  in  His 
holy  glory  and  beyond  the  desires 
of  this  rough  and  wearisome  world. 
Then  the  next  thing  is  to  be  watch¬ 
ful  and  exert  one’s  self  in  the  service 
of  the  King,  our  Lord,  and  to  strive 
to  keep  him  from  being  troubled. 
His  Highness  is  the  head  of  Christen¬ 
dom.  See  the  proverb  which  says 
that  when  the  head  aches,  all  the 
members  ache.  So  that  all  good 
Christians  should  entreat  that  he 
may  have  long  life  and  health ;  and 
those  of  us  who  are  obliged  to  serve 
him  more  than  others  must  join  in 
this  supplication  with  great  earnest¬ 
ness  and  diligence.  This  reason 
prompts  me  now  with  my  severe  ill¬ 
ness  to  write  you  what  I  am  writing 
here,  that  his  Highness  may  dispose 
matters  for  his  service ;  and  for 
the  better  fulfilment  I  am  sending 
your  brother  there,  who,  although 
he  is  a  child  in  days,  is  not  a  child  in 
understanding;  and  I  am  sending 
your  uncle  and  Carbajal,  so  that  if 
this,  my  writing,  is  not  sufficient, 
they,  together  with  yourself,  can 
furnish  verbal  evidence.  In  my 
opinion  there  is  nothing  so  necessary 
for  the  service  of  his  Highness  as  the 
disposition  and  remedying  of  the 
affair  of  the  Indies. 

“His  Highness  must  now  have 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


333 


mas  de  quarenta 
o.  Lta.  myl  pesos  de  oro.  conosfi 
que  el  gobernador  quando  yo  estaba 
alia  non//  tenia  mucha  gana  de  los 
embiar.  tan  bien  en  la  otra  gente  se 
crehe  que  habra  otros  fiento  y  jin- 
quenta//  mil  pesos  y  las  minas  en 
gran  vigor  y  fuer^a.  la  gente  que 
alia  en  los  mas  son  de  comun  y  de 
poco//  saber  y  que  poco  estiman  los 
casos.  el  gobernador  es  de  todos 
muy  mal  quisto.  es  de  temer  que  e 
[sta]//  gente  non  tomen  algun  rebes. 
si  esto  seguyese  lo  que  dios  non 
quera  seria  despues  malo  de  ado- 
bar// 


XXX. 

there  more  than  40,000  or  50,000 
gold  pieces.  I  learned  when  I  was 
there  that  the  Governor  had  no  de¬ 
sire  to  send  it  to  him.  It  is  believed 
among  the  other  people  as  well  that 
there  will  be  150,000  pesos  more,  and 
the  mines  are  very  rich  and  pro¬ 
ductive.  Most  of  the  people  there 
are  common  and  ignorant  and  care 
very  little  for  the  circumstances. 
The  Governor  is  very  much  hated 
by  all  of  them  and  it  is  to  be  feared 
that  they  may  at  some  time  rebel. 
If  this  should  occur,  which  God  for¬ 
bid,  the  remedy  for  the  matter 
would  then  be  difficult: 


334 


Christopher  Columbus 


y  tan  bien  si  de  aca  o  de  otras 
partes  con  la  gran  fama  del  oro  se 
pusiese  a  vsar  sobre  ellas  de  in- 
justijia//  my  pareger  es  que  sus 
altezas  deben  de  probar  esto  apriesa 
y  de  persona  a  quien  duela  con 
giento  y  jinquenta  o  duzientas// 
personas  con  buen  atabio  fasta  que 
lo  asiente  bien  sin  sospecha  lo  qual 
puede  seer  en  menos  de  tres  meses// 
y  que  se  probea  de  hazer  alia  dos  o 
tres  fuerfas.  el  oro  que  alia  esta  es 
en  grande  abentura  por  que//  es 
ligero  con  poca  gente  de  senoreale. 
digo  que  aca  se  diz  vm  refran  que  al 
caballo  la  vista  de  su  dueno  le// 
ingorda  aca  y  adonde  quera  fasta 
que  el  espiritu  se  aparte  deste  coerpo 
seruire  a  sus  altezas  con  gozo//. 


“a  riba  dise  que  su  alteza  es  la 
cabega  de  los  christianos  y  es  de 
neyesidad  que  se  ocupe  y  entienda 
en  conserualos//  y  las  tierras  a  esta 
causa  dizen  la  gente  que  non  puede 
ansi  prober  de  buen  gobierno  a 
todas  estas//  yndias  y  que  se  pierden 
y  non  dan  el  fruto  ny  le  crian  como  la 
razon  quere,  a  my  veer  seria  su// 
seruicio  que  de  algo  desto  se  descuy- 
dase  con  algi  a  quien  doliese  el  mal 
tratamiento  dellas.// 

“yo  escriuy  a  su  alteza  luego  que 
aqui  liege  vna  carta  bien  larga  llena 
de  negesidades  que  requeren  el// 
remedio  cierto  presto  y  de  brago 
sano.  niguna  repuesta  ny  pro¬ 
vision  sobre  ello  he  visto.//  vnos 
nabios  detiene  en  san  lucar  el  tiempo. 


XXX. 

and  so  it 

would  be  if  injustice  were  used  to¬ 
ward  them,  either  here  or  in  other 
places,  with  the  great  fame  of  the 
gold.  My  opinion  is  that  his  High¬ 
ness  should  investigate  this  affair 
quickly  and  by  means  of  a  person 
who  is  interested  and  who  can  go 
there  with  150  or  200  people  well 
equipped,  and  remain  there  until  it 
is  well  settled  and  without  sus¬ 
picion,  which  cannot  be  done  in  less 
than  three  months:  and  that  an 
endeavour  be  made  to  raise  two  or 
three  forces  there.  The  gold  there 
is  exposed  to  great  risk,  as  there  are 
very  few  people  to  protect  it.  I  say 
that  there  is  a  proverb  here  which 
says  that  the  presence  of  the  owner 
makes  the  horse  fat.  Here  and 
wherever  I  may  be,  I  shall  serve 
their  Highnesses  with  joy,  until  my 
soul  leaves  this  body. 

“Above  I  said  that  his  Highness 
is  the  head  of  the  Christians,  and 
that  it  is  necessary  for  him  to  occupy 
himself  in  preserving  them  and  their 
lands.  For  this  reason  people  say 
that  he  cannot  thus  provide  a  good 
government  for  all  these  Indies, 
and  that  they  are  being  lost  and  do 
not  yield  a  profit,  neither  are  they 
being  handled  in  a  reasonable  man¬ 
ner.  In  my  opinion  it  would  serve 
him  to  intrust  this  matter  to  some¬ 
one  who  is  distressed  over  the  bad 
treatment  of  his  subjects. 

“I  wrote  a  very  long  letter  to  his 
Highness  as  soon  as  I  arrived  here, 
fully  stating  the  evils  which  require 
a  prompt  and  efficient  remedy  at 
once.  I  have  received  no  reply  nor 
have  I  seen  any  provision  made  in 
the  matter.  Some  vessels  are  de¬ 
tained  in  San  Lucar  by  the  weather. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


335 


yo  he  dicho  a  estos  sehores  de  la 
contrata^ion  que  los  deben  man- 
dar//  a  detener  fasta  que  el  rev 
nuestro  sehor  provea  en  ello  o  de 
persona  con  gente  o  de  escrito. 
muy  nefesario//  es  desto  y  sey  lo 
que  digo  y  es  negesidad  que  se 
mande  en  todos  los  puertos  y  se 
mire  con  diligen^ia  que  no//  vaya 
alia  nadi  sin  licencia.  ya  dise  que 
hay  mucho  oro  cogido  en  casas  de 
paja  sin  fortaleza//  y  en  la  tierra 
hartos  descongertados  y  la  inimistad 
deste  que  gobierna  y  el  poco  castigo 
que  se  haz//  y  se  ha  fecho  en  quien 
cometio  manipodios  y  salio  con  su 
traygion  fauorejido. 


si  su  alteza  acoerda  de  pro  [veer]// 
algo  debe  de  ser  luego  porque  estos 
navios  non  rejiban  agrabio.// 


XXX. 

I  have  told  these  gentlemen  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  that  they  must  order 
them  held  until  the  King,  our  Lord, 
makes  provision  in  the  matter, 
either  by  some  person  with  other 
people,  or  by  writing.  This  is  very 
necessary  and  I  know  what  I  say. 
It  is  necessary  that  the  authorities 
should  order  all  the  ports  searched 
diligently,  to  see  that  no  one  goes 
yonder  to  the  Indies  without  licence. 
I  have  already  said  that  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  gold  collected  in  straw 
houses  without  any  means  of  de¬ 
fence  and  there  are  many  disorderly 
people  in  the  country  and  that  the 
Governor  is  hated,  and  that  little 
punishment  is  inflicted  and  has  been 
inflicted  upon  those  who  have  com¬ 
mitted  crimes  and  have  come  out 
with  their  treasonable  conduct  ap¬ 
proved. 

“If  his  Highness  decides  to  make 
some  provision,  it  must  be  done  at 
once,  so  that  these  vessels  may  not 
be  injured. 


XXX  b 


XXX  f, 


337 


Christopher  Columbus 


30 


8 


“yo  he  oydo  que  estan  para  elegir 
tres  obispos  para  enbiar  ala  espan- 
ola.  si  plaz  a  su  alteza  de  me  oyr 
antes//  que  esto  concluyan  que  dire 
con  que  dios  nuestro  sehor  sea  bien 
seruido  y  su  alteza  y  contento// 
yo  me  he  detenido  en  el  prober 
de  la  espahola.//” 


XXX  b. 

“  I  have  heard  that  three  Bishops 
are  to  be  elected  and  sent  to  Espa- 
nola.  If  it  pleases  his  Highness  to 
hear  me  before  concluding  this  mat¬ 
ter,  I  will  tell  in  what  manner  God, 
our  Lord  may  be  well  served  and  his 
Highness  served  and  satisfied. 

“I  have  given  lengthy  considera¬ 
tion  to  the  provision  for  Espanola.” 


339 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

NO.  XXXI.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  DON 

DIEGO,  HIS  SON 

This  letter  is  written  eight  days  after  the  departure  of  the 
brother  and  the  younger  son  of  the  Admiral,  and  of  his  friend 
Carvajal,  the  illness  of  whose  wife  had  prevented  an  earlier  start. 
Don  Ferdinand,  the  son,  carried  the  purse,  and  in  it  were  one 
hundred  and  fifty  gold  ducats ;  and  besides  the  gold  was  a  letter 
of  credit.  We  have  been  taught  to  look  upon  Columbus  in  his 
latter  days  as  bereft  of  friends,  helpless,  and  in  poverty.  Through¬ 
out  this  Work  we  have  endeavoured  to  draw  attention  to  his 
real  situation.  He  certainly  had  ready  money,  itself  a  denial  of 
poverty.  His  gift  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  ducats  did  not 
impoverish  him,  for  he  speaks  of  sending  more  if  he  had  a 
trusty  messenger.  His  credit  is  good,  and  the  Italian  bankers 
at  Seville  did  not  hesitate  to  commend  him  to  their  correspon¬ 
dents  at  the  north.  It  will  be  remembered  that  when  he  died, 
the  household  of  the  Admiral  indicated  generous  provision  and 
elaborate  service,  and  directly  after  we  find  Don  Diego  pos¬ 
sessed  of  considerable  money.  All  things  in  life  are  relative, 
and  it  may  be  that,  compared  to  what  was  his  due,  Columbus 
possessed  but  little.  Compared  to  many  of  his  Sevillian  neigh¬ 
bours,  hidalgos  and  grandees,  we  dare  to  say  his  state  seemed 
fortunate  and  great.  We  must  not  give  weight  to  the  Admiral’s 
words  when,  on  his  last  voyage,  in  pain  of  body  and  in  anguish 
of  spirit,  he  declared  he  had  no  place  to  lay  his  head  and  no 
pence  to  pay  his  tavern  score.  These  expressions,  like  those 
concerning  Cathay,  we  throw  into  the  great  ocean  of  irrespon¬ 
sible  and  unmeaning  words  coming  from  the  mouth  of  man 
since  first  he  learned  to  talk. 

Three  men  are  here  mentioned  by  Columbus  as  able  greatly 
to  help  him  in  adjusting  his  interest  in  the  revenues  from  the 
Indies, — Carvajal,  now  on  his  way  to  Court,  and  Miguel  Diaz 
and  Velasquez,  both  of  whom  are  still  in  Espanola.  These  men, 
Columbus  says,  dare  not  mention  to  Ovando,  the  Governor,  the 
subject  of  his  claims.  It  is  doubtful  if  either  of  these  men  was 
accredited  to  Ovando  by  Columbus  or  his  agents.  Indeed,  they 
were  not  quite  of  the  class  from  which  ambassadors  are  drawn. 
The  one,  Miguel  Diaz,  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  discoverer  of 
the  site,  if  not  the  founder,  of  San  Domingo,  the  capital  of  the 


340 


Christopher  Columbus 

island  of  Espaiiola.  The  other,  Diego  Velasquez,  was  the  colon¬ 
iser  of  the  island  of  Cuba  and  the  founder  of  Havana,  its  beauti¬ 
ful  capital.  Therefore  the  union  of  these  two  men  in  the  affairs 
of  the  Discoverer  is  strange  enough  to  arrest  attention. 

Miguel  Diaz,  an  Aragonese,  had  been  servant  to  Bartholo¬ 
mew  Columbus,  the  Adelantado.  He  was  a  man  of  spirit  withal, 
brave  and  adventurous.  In  a  quarrel  with  another  Spaniard  he 
so  severely  wounded  him  that  he  believed  his  antagonist  to  be 
dead,  and,  to  escape  the  judgment  of  Bartholomew  Columbus, 
then  in  command  in  Espafiola,  he  fled  with  half  a  dozen  of  his 
friends.  They  made  their  way  around  the  eastern  end  of  the 
island,  turning  southward  until  they  came  to  where  the  river 
Ozama  enters  the  ocean.  Here  was  an  Indian  settlement,  over 
which  reigned  a  female  cacique.  And  now  occurred  the  first 
romance  in  the  New  World  in  which  a  European  had  a  part. 
The  native  Princess  fell  violently  in  love  with  the  Spanish  out¬ 
cast,  and  he  was  in  no  wise  indifferent  to  her  advances.  After 
the  manner  of  those  who  live  without  forms,  they  were  espoused, 
and  for  a  time  the  lovers — Spaniard  and  Indian — basked  in  an 
Eden  of  delight.  In  time  the  heat  of  love  became  less  hectic, 
the  colour  of  the  fruit  lost  something  of  its  sheen,  feasts  no 
longer  entertained,  the  quiet  of  the  glade  no  longer  soothed. 
The  Spaniard  longed  for  his  own  people,  for  the  streets  and 
squares  and  taverns  of  Isabella,  for  the  tingle  of  red  wine,  for 
new  velvets,  the  songs  of  Spain,  the  swish  of  the  rapier, — the  old 
life  among  his  kind.  The  first  Indian  woman  to  love  a  Spaniard 
was  possessed  of  wit,  which  is  the  nurse  and  guardian  of  love. 
She  read  his  thoughts,  and  taking  him,  as  all  persuaders  ever 
have  done,  up  to  a  high  place,  she  pointed  to  the  beauties  of  her 
home,  the  safe  harbour,  the  tireless  river,  the  responsive  fields, 
and  the  mines  of  gold.  “Here,”  she  cried;  “here  bring  thy 
people  and  here  found  a  new  city.”  Miguel,  still  the  lover  and 
yet  the  loyal  Spaniard,  hastened  across  the  fields  and  hills  to 
Isabella,  to  find  that  the  wounds  given  his  antagonist  had  not 
been  fatal  and  that  peace  was  within  his  grasp.  His  tale  of  the 
Ozama  village,  of  the  plenitude  of  gold,  aroused  the  Adelantado, 
who  long  had  contemplated,  as  had  the  Admiral,  removing  the 
colony  to  a  more  salubrious  spot.  Bartholomew  and  a  retinue 
accompanied  him  back  to  the  home  of  the  Princess,  and  in  a  few 
months  the  city  of  New  Isabella,  or  San  Domingo,  began  to  rise 


341 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

in  wood  and  brick  and  stone.  The  best  of  the  story  is  the  faith¬ 
fulness  of  the  first  lovers,  for  they  lived  in  harmony,  and  the 
children  and  mother  must  have  been  baptised  into  the  Church, 
as  Oviedo  ever  speaks  of  the  Princess  as  Catalina,  a  Christianised 
name.  Miguel  Diaz  was  Alcalde  of  the  new  city  of  San  Domingo 
and  commander  of  the  fortress  when,  on  the  morning  of  August 
24,  1500,  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla,  with  his  three  warrants 
from  the  Sovereigns,  halted  before  that  small  garrison  and  de¬ 
manded  its  surrender.  The  new  Governor’s  authority  was  de¬ 
nied  by  Miguel  Diaz ;  but  as  the  Alcalde  had  nothing  wherewith 
to  resist  save  his  own  sword  and  a  few  guards,  whose  duty  was 
rather  to  keep  a  few  prisoners  within  than  to  repel  an  invasion 
from  without,  the  defence  was  perfunctory,  and  Bobadilla  had 
small  difficulty  in  entering.  The  new  Governor  could  not  have 
entertained  personal  hostility  toward  Diaz,  for  we  find  the 
administration  licensing  him  to  search  the  island  for  gold.  It 
was  this  same  Miguel  Diaz  who,  in  the  year  1502,  discovered  the 
largest  nugget  of  gold  yet  found, — a  monstrous  block  weighing 
thirty-five  pounds.  He  was  still  in  Espahola  when  this  present 
letter  was  written,  in  1504,  and  still  devoted  to  the  service  of 
the  Admiral.  In  1509,  when  Don  Diego  was  second  Admiral 
and  Governor  of  the  Indies,  he  made  Miguel  Diaz  High  Con¬ 
stable  of  Puerto  Rico,  under  the  Governor  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon. 
A  misunderstanding  arising  between  them,  Diaz  was  sent  back 
to  Espahola  a  prisoner,  but  through  his  patron,  the  second 
Admiral,  he  was  permitted  to  return  and  resume  the  functions 
of  his  office.  When,  on  August  i,  15 1 1,  Bartholomew  Columbus 
made  a  codicil  to  his  Will,  he  recognised  himself  indebted  to  him 
for  the  sum  of  fifty  ducats. 

Diego  Velasquez,  the  other  resident  of  Espahola  on  whom 
the  Admiral  relied  for  promoting  his  interests  in  common  with 
Miguel  Diaz,  had  been  first  servant  to  Columbus  himself  and 
afterwards  to  the  Adelantado.  While  Oviedo  calls  him  a  poor 
hidalgo  of  Spain,  he  made  his  mark  in  the  New  World,  and  his 
career  was  brilliant,  even  if  its  end  was  somewhat  in  darkness. 
When  Ovando  became  Governor,  he  showed  \"elasquez  great 
favour,  and  employed  him  in  the  year  1503  to  subjugate  the 
southern  provinces  of  the  island.  Already,  in  1504,  he  had  be¬ 
come  rich  and  powerful,  and  within  a  few  years  afterward  was 
accounted  one  of  the  wealthiest  subjects  in  the  New  World.  In 


342  Christopher  Columbus 

1511  Don  Diego  Columbus  sent  him  to  Cuba  to  found  a  colony, 
and  this  he  established  after  some  contests  with  the  natives. 
Under  him  were  some  men  destined  to  make  names  for  them¬ 
selves, —  Panfilo  de  Narvaez,  his  nephew  Juan  de  Grijalva, 
and  Hernando  Cortes.  In  the  year  1518,  Velasquez  sent  out  an 
exploring  expedition,  placing  his  nephew  Grijalva  in  charge,  and 
when  they  returned  to  Cuba  they  reported  a  rich  and  beautiful 
country,  which  was  none  other  than  Mexico.  The  report  of  this 
new  land  fired  the  imagination  of  Cortes,  and  without  authority 
from  \"elasquez  he  fitted  out  an  expedition  for  its  conquest. 
Peter  Martyr  pictures  Cortes  and  his  followers  as  halting  be¬ 
tween  consulting  Velasquez,  the  Governor  of  Cuba,  and  under¬ 
taking  the  expedition  without  his  authority,  looking  to  the  King 
in  Spain  for  higher  authority.  The  latter  view  prevailed,  and 
there  began  a  feud  between  Cortes  and  Velasquez  which  led  to 
the  downfall  of  the  latter.  When  Velasquez  sent  an  armed  force 
against  his  former  subordinate,  that  one  had  so  strengthened 
himself  in  New  Spain  and  with  the  Emperor  at  home  that  it  was 
Velasquez  himself  who  was  deposed  from  his  place  of  power  in 
Cuba.  No  sooner  had  power  fled  from  him  than  his  riches  like¬ 
wise  spread  their  wings  and  followed  his  disappearing  honours. 
Peter  Martyr  tells  us,  in  his  Seventh  Decade,  that  he  died  “  brought 
down  to  poverty  from  exceeding  great  riches  and  now  at  length 
dead.”  From  a  stone  tablet  greatly  broken,  the  date  of  his 
death  has  been  assumed  to  be  1522: 

“Hie  jacet  Nobilissimus  Ac  Magnificentissimus  Dominus  Didacus 
Velasquez  insularem  Jucatani  Praeses,  Qui  eas  summo  opere  Debellabit  in 
Honorem  Dei  Omnipotentis  Ac  .  .  .  [here  the  stone  is  broken]  Cui 

Regis  D.  .  .  .  [here  also  the  stone  is  broken]  ivit  in  Anno  Domi 

M.D.XXII.  .  .  .  [here  likewise  the  stone  is  crumbled].” 

While  the  Roman  numerals  at  present  on  the  stone  make 
the  date  1522,  it  is  possible  and  probable  that  the  part  which 
was  crumbled  carried  with  it  two  other  figures,  which  would 
have  made  the  whole  read  M.D.XXII II.  Oviedo  wrote  of  him; 

“The  Adelantado  Diego  Velasquez  was  one  of  those  poor  hidalgos  who 
came  over  on  the  second  voyage  to  this  island  of  Espanola.  .  .  .  Later,  in 
the  year  1524,  having  resolved  to  go  in  person  to  make  complaint  of  Cortes 
to  the  Emperor  .  .  .  death  the  final  disposer  of  quarrels,  crossed  his 

plans  and  his  days  ended.  And  so  died  the  Adelantado  Diego  Velasquez.” 


343 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

Moreover,  from  some  of  his  own  letters  or  narratives,  Her¬ 
nando  Cortes  seems  to  assume  that,  in  October,  1524,  Diego 
Velasquez  was  still  alive. 

The  letters  of  credit  mentioned  by  the  Admiral  in  this  letter 
were  drawn  upon  Agostin  Italian  and  Francisco  de  Grimaldo. 
In  a  Royal  Cedula  dated  October  9,  1497,  one  Pantaleon 
Italian  is  ordered  to  place  the  sum  of  824,336  maravedis  in 
the  hands  of  Juan  de  Fonseca  and  the  Admiral  in  connection 
with  fitting  out  the  third  expedition.  It  is  certain  that  this 
Agostin  Italian  was  a  member  of  that  house.  The  Italian  family, 
written  sometimes  Interiano,  belonged  to  the  Genoese  nobility, 
and  gave  its  name  to  one  of  the  city’s  inns.  The  second  of  these 
bankers  is  probably  Juan  Francisco  de  Grimaldo,  with  whom 
Don  Diego,  brother  to  the  first  Admiral,  at  the  time  of  making 
his  Will  in  February,  1515,  had  on  deposit  the  handsome  sum  of 
two  thousand  ducats.  This  last  sum  Don  Ferdinand  Columbus 
collected  in  December,  1520. 


IXXX 


344 


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346 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XXXI. 

T  ranslitcration  T  ranslation 

XXXI. 


“muy  caro  fijo.  oy  son.  viii. 
dias  que  partio  de  aqui  tu  tio  y  ul 
hermano  y  carbajal  juntos  para 
besar//  las  reales  manos  de  su  alteza 
y  le  dar  cuenta  del  viaje  ytanbien 
para  te  aiudar  a  negogiar  lo  que 
alia//  fuere  menester.// 

“don  femando  lebo  de  aqui  giento 
y  cinquenta  docados  asu  albidrio.  et 
habra  de  gastar  dellos  lo  que  el  tu- 
biere//  te  los  dara.  tanbien  lieba 
vna  carta  de  fee  de  dineros  para  eses 
mercadores.  ved  que  es  mucho 
menester//  de  poner  buena  guardia 
en  ellos  que  alia  ove  yo  enojo  con  ese 
gobernador  porque  todos  me  de- 
zian//  que  yo  tenia  ali  vnze  o  doze 
mil  Castellanos  y  non  ove  sinon 
quatro.  el  se  queria  meter  en  cuen- 
tas  comigo//  de  cosas  aque  non 
soy  obligado  y  yo  con  la  confianja 
[de  la  promesa  de  sus  altezas  que 
me]  mandarian  a  resti-//tuyr  todo 
acorde  de  dexar  esas  cuentas  con 
esperanga  de  se  las  tomar  a  el  ansi 
que  bien  que  tenga//  alia  dineros 
non  ha  nadi  por  su  soberbia  que  se 
los  oxe  requerir.  yo  bien  sey  que 
despues  de  yo  partido  que//  el  habra 
rejebido  mas  de  cinco  mil  Castellanos 
si  posible  fuese  de  haber  vna  carta  de 
buena  tinta//  de  su  alteza  para  el  en 
que  lo  mandase  con  la  persona  que 
yo  embiare  con  my  puder  que  luego 
sin  dilation  embie//  los  dineros  y 
cuenta  complida  de  todo  lo  que  amy 
pertene^e  seria  bueno  porque  de  otra 
gisa  non  dara//  ny  amigel  diaz  ny 
belasques  nada  ny  le  oxan  ellos 
fablar  solamente  en  ello.  carbajal 
muy//  bien  sabra  como 


“Very  dear  son : 

“It  is  now  eight  days  since  your 
uncle  and  your  brother  and  Carbajal 
left  here  together,  to  kiss  the  Royal 
hands  of  his  Highness  and  to  give  an 
account  of  the  voyage  and  also  to  aid 
jmu  in  the  negotiation  of  whatever 
may  prove  to  be  necessary  there. 

“Don  Ferdinand  took  from  here 
150  ducats  to  be  expended  at  his 
discretion.  He  will  have  to  spend 
some  of  it,  but  he  will  give  you  what 
he  has  remaining.  He  also  carries  a 
letter  of  credit  for  these  merchants. 
You  will  see  that  it’  is  very  necessary 
to  be  careful  in  dealing  with  them 
because  I  had  trouble  there  with  the 
Governor,  as  every  one  told  me  that 
I  had  there  11,000  or  12,000  Castel¬ 
lanos  and  I  had  only  4000.  He 
wished  to  charge  me  with  things  for 
which  I  am  not  obligated,  and  I, 
confiding  in  the  promise  of  their 
Highnesses,  who  ordered  everything 
restored  to  me,  decided  to  leave 
these  charges  in  the  hope  of  calling 
him  to  account  for  them.  If  any  one 
has  money  there,  they  do  not  dare 
ask  for  it  on  account  of  his  haughti¬ 
ness.  I  very  well  know  that  after 
my  departure  he  must  have  received 
more  than  5000  Castellanos.  If 
it  were  possible  for  you  to  obtain 
from  his  Highness  an  authoritative 
letter  to  the  Governor,  ordering  him 
to  send  the  money  without  delay 
and  a  full  account  of  what  belongs  to 
me,  by  the  person  I  might  send 
there  with  my  power  of  attorney,  it 
would  be  well;  because  he  will  not 
give  it  in  any  other  manner,  neither 
to  my  friend  Diaz  or  Velasquez  and 
they  dare  not  even  speak  of  it  to  him. 
Carbajal  will  very  well  knowhow  this 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


347 


esto  ha  de 

ser.  vea  el  esta.  los  giento  y  fin- 
quenta  docados  que  te  embio  luys  de 
soria//  quando  yo  vine  estan  paga- 
dos  a  su  voluntad.// 

“con  don  fernando  te  escriuy 
largo  y  embie  vm  memorial,  agora 
que  mas  he  pensado  digo  que  pues 
que//  sus  altezas  al  tiempo  de  my 
partida  diseron  por  su  firme  y  por 
palabra  que  me  darian  todo  lo  que 
por  mys//  priuilegios  me  pertenege 
que  se  debe  desar  de  requerir  el  me¬ 
morial  del  terfio  o  del  diezmo  y 
ochabo  sa[luo]// 


XXXI. 

must  be  done.  Let  him  see  this 
letter.  The  150  ducats  which  Luis 
de  Soria  sent  you  when  I  came  are 
paid  according  to  his  desire. 

“I  wrote  you  at  length  and  sent 
the  letter  by  Don  Ferdinand,  also  a 
memorandum.  Now  that  I  have 
thought  over  the  matter  further,  I 
say  that,  since  at  the  time  of  my  de¬ 
parture  their  Highnesses  said  over 
their  signature  and  verbally,  that 
they  would  give  me  all  that  belongs 
to  me,  according  to  my  privileges — 
that  the  claim  for  the  third  or  the 
tenth  and  eighth  mentioned  in  the 
memorandum  must  be  relinquished, 


[End  of  1 8th  line.] 


348 


Christopher  Columbus 


sacar  el  capitulo  de 
su  carta  adon  me  escriuen  esto  que 
disc  y  requerir  todo  lo  que  me  per- 
tene[ye]//  como  lo  tienes  por  escrito 
en  el  libro  de  los  privilegios  en  el 
qua!  va  tanbien  aclarado  la  razon// 
por  que  he  de  haber  el  tercio 
ochabo  y  diezmo.  porque  despues 
habra  sienpre  lugar  de  abasar  alo// 
que  la  persona  quisiere  pues  su  al- 
teza  diz  en  su  carta  que  me  quer  dar 
todo  lo  que  me  perteneje.  carbajal 
muy/ /  bien  me  entendera  si  vee  esta 
carta  y  qualquera  otro  que  harto  va 
clara.  tanbien  yo  escriuo  a  su  al- 
teza//  y  enfin  le  acuerdo  que  debe 
prober  luego  las  yndias  por  que 
aquela  gente  non  se  alterase  y  le 
acoerd  la//  promesa  que  ariba  dise. 
debiades  de  veer  la  carta. 


“con  esta  te  enbio  otra  carta  de 
fee  para  los  dichos  mercadores.  ya 
dise  la  razon  que  ay  para  tenplar 
el  gasto.//  a  tu  tio  tien  el  acata- 
miento  que  es  razon  y  a  tu  hermano 
allega  como  debe  hazer  el  hermano 
mayor  al  menor.  tu  non  tien[es]// 
otro  y  lobado  nuestro  senor  este  es 
tal  que  bien  te  es  menester.  el  ha 
salido  y  sale  de  muy  buen  saber, 
a  carbajal//  honrra  y  a  Jeronimo  y 
a  diego  mendez.  atodos  da  mys 
encomiendas  yo  non  les  escriuo  que 
non  ay  que.  y  este  porta-//dor  ua 
de  priesa.  aca  mucho  se  suena  que 
la  reyna  que  dios  tiene  ha  desado  que 
yo  sea  restituydo//  en  la  posesion  de 
las  yndias.  en  llegando  el  escri- 
uano  delarmada  te  enbiare  las 
pesquisas  y//  original  dela  escritura 


XXXI. 

and  instead  the  chapter  of  their 
letter  must  be  shown  where  they 
write  what  I  have  said,  and  all  that 
belongs  to  me  must  be  required,  as 
you  have  it  in  writing  in  the  Book  of 
Privileges  in  which  is  also  set  forth 
the  reason  for  my  receiving  the 
third,  eighth,  and  tenth;  as  there  is 
always  an  opportunity  to  reduce  the 
sum  desired  by  a  person,  although 
his  Highness  says  in  his  letter  that 
he  wishes  to  give  me  all  that  belongs 
tome.  Carbajal  will  understand  me 
ver\"  well  if  he  sees  this  letter,  and 
every  one  else  as  well,  as  it  is  very 
clear.  I  also  wrote  to  his  Highness 
and  finally  reminded  him  that  he 
must  provide  at  once  for  this  affair 
of  the  Indies,  that  the  people  there 
may  not  be  disturbed,  and  also  re¬ 
minding  him  of  the  promise  stated 
above.  You  ought  to  see  the  letter. 

“With  this  letter  I  send  you 
another  letter  of  credit  for  the 
said  merchants.  I  have  already 
explained  to  you  the  reasons 
why  expenses  should  be  moderated. 
Show  your  uncle  due  respect  and 
treat  your  brother  as  an  elder 
brother  should  treat  a  younger. 
You  have  no  other  brother,  and 
praised  be  our  Lord,  he  is  such  a  one 
as  you  need  very  much.  He  has 
proved  and  proves  to  be  very  in¬ 
telligent.  Honour  Carbajal  and 
Jeronimo  and  Diego  Mendez.  Com¬ 
mend  me  to  them  all.  I  do  not 
write  them  as  there  is  nothing  to 
write  and  this  messenger  is  in  haste. 
It  is  frequently  rumoured  here  that 
the  Queen,  whom  God  has,  has  left 
an  order  that  I  be  restored  to  the 
possession  of  the  Indies.  On  arri¬ 
val,  the  notary  of  the  fleet  will  send 
you  the  records  and  the  original 
writing  of  the  case  of  the 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


349 


delos  porres.  de  tu  tio  y  hermano 
non  he  habido  nueba  despues  que 
partieron//  las  aguas  han  sido  tantas 
aca  que  el  rio  entro  en  la  fibdad.// 

“si  agostin  ytalian  y  francisco  de 
grimaldo  non  te  quiseren  dar  los 
dineros  que  ovierdes  menester  bus- 
quense  ali  otros//  que  los  den  que 
yo  en  llegando  aca  tu  firme  yo  les 
pagare  todo  lo  que  ovierdes  reyebido 
ala  mesma  ora.  que//  aca  non  ay 
agora  persona  con  quien  yo  te  pueda 
enbiar  moneda. 

fecha  oy  viernes  .xiii.  de  deziem- 
bre  .1504.// 

“tu  padre  que  te  ama 
mas  que  asi. 

.S. 

•S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens.” 


XXXI. 

Porras 

brothers.  I  have  received  no  news 
from  your  uncle  and  brother  since 
they  left.  The  water  has  been  so 
high  here  that  the  river  entered  the 
city. 

“If  Agostin  Italian  and  Fran¬ 
cisco  de  Grimaldo  do  not  wish  to 
give  you  the  money  you  need,  look 
for  others  there  who  are  willing  to 
give  it  to  you.  On  the  arrival  here 
of  your  signature  I  will  at  once  pay 
them  all  that  you  have  received :  for 
at  present  there  is  not  a  person  here 
by  whom  I  can  send  you  money. 

“Done  to-day,  Friday,  December 

13.  1504- 

“Your  father  who  loves  you 
more  than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens.” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  351 

NO.  XXXII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO  HIS 

SON,  DON  DIEGO 

What  we  learn  principally  from  this  letter  is  the  comfortable 
financial  condition  of  the  Discoverer.  He  is  not  in  poverty.  He 
is  in  no  wise  cramped  for  ready  money.  We  find  him  on  Decem¬ 
ber  6,  1504,  handing  Don  Ferdinand  150  ducats  for  his  journey 
to  the  Court  and  for  the  expenses  of  himself  and  Don  Diego, 
and  in  his  letter  of  December  13,  1504,  we  find  him  announcing 
a  cash  payment  to  Luis  de  Soria  of  another  150  ducats.  There¬ 
fore,  he  had  in  his  purse  not  less  than  112,500  maravedis,  or,  as 
we  calculate  the  value  of  a  maravedi  in  our  money  of  to-day, 
$694.12,  or  something  over  ;;^i43.  When  we  consider  the  rela¬ 
tive  purchasing  power  of  money  and  cost  of  living  at  that  time, 
we  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  the  apparent  financial  condi¬ 
tion  of  the  Admiral  as  particularly  happy.  His  credit  is  good, 
and  the  bankers  in  Seville  will  pay  large  sums  of  money  on  his 
account  to  whomsoever  holds  his  promises  or  orders.  That  he 
had  been  sometime  in  possession  of  ready  money  is  apparent 
from  his  having  expended  out  of  the  4000  Castellanos  recently 
collected  at  Espanola  the  sum  of  1200  Castellanos  for  transport¬ 
ing  his  crew  from  San  Domingo  to  Spain.  It  is  possible  in  the 
reference  the  Admiral  here  makes  to  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Pa- 
lencia  that  Diego  de  Deza  is  intended.  It  was  this  good  man  of 
whom  it  might  be  said  that  he  “  caused  the  possession  of  the 
Indies  by  their  Highnesses.”  Except  for  this  allusion  we  should 
fix  the  reference  at  the  door  of  Fonseca.  In  any  event,  the 
previous  references,  we  think,  are  certainly  to  the  latter.  It  is 
true  that  formal  possession  of  the  Bishopric  of  Palencia  was  only 
taken  by  the  uncle  of  Don  Juan  Rodriguez  de  Fonseca  on  his 
behalf  in  January,  1505,  but  the  appointment  had  long  before 
been  known.  Sometime  in  December,  1504,  the  Bull  was  sent 
from  Rome,  formally  appointing  Diego  de  Deza,  who  had  been 
Bishop  of  Palencia,  to  the  Archbishopric  of  Seville.  It  is  prob¬ 
able  the  Admiral  was  not  over-careful  in  distinguishing  these 
two  men,  the  one  laying  down,  and  the  other  just  taking  up, 
the  ecclesiastical  authority  of  the  Palencian  See. 

The  Camacho  here  mentioned  is  believed  to  be  the  same  Gon- 
zalo  Camacho  who  made  part  of  the  crew  of  the  ship  Gallego  on 
the  fourth  voyage,  where  he  is  entered  as  escudcro,  or  squire, 


35- 


Christopher  Columbus 

and  who  showed  himself  more  than  once  indifferent  to  the  in¬ 
terests  of  the  Admiral.  He  was  with  Hojeda  in  1499,  and  natur¬ 
ally  was  taught  to  be  unfriendly  to  Columbus.  That  he  had 
been  in  the  good  graces  of  the  Admiral  may  be  inferred  from 
the  reference  to  him  when,  in  writing  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio, 
under  date  of  May  24  (1501),  he  is  recommended  as  competent 
to  make  a  copy  of  the  Majorat.  Therefore  he  was  something 
more  than  an  ordinary  seaman  or  adventurer.  When,  after¬ 
wards,  he  found  himself  on  the  island  of  Jamaica,  with  insurrec¬ 
tionary  and  rebellious  companions,  he  encouraged  and  abetted 
the  dissensions.  It  may  be  doubted,  however,  if  the  character 
of  Camacho  was  inherently  mischievous  or  if  he  had  any  per¬ 
sonal  animosity  against  the  interest  of  the  Columbus  family,  for 
we  find  him  a  witness  before  the  Fiscal  on  June  16,  1512,  having 
been  summoned  by  Don  Diego,  the  second  Admiral.  On  Jan¬ 
uary  3,  1514,  at  Seville,  he  was  examined  before  the  Fiscal,  and 
again  on  December  31,  1535,  at  Seville.  It  was  on  this  occasion 
that  he  announced  himself  as  fifty  years  of  age.  Thus  he  would 
have  been  about  eighteen  years  old  when  he  was  on  the  coast  of 
Veragua  with  Columbus. 

It  is  a  curious  circumstance  that  Navarrete  should  call  him 
Gregorie.  Navarrete  followed  Munoz,  and,  it  is  believed,  inter¬ 
preted  a  contraction  or  abbreviation  to  mean  Gregorio.  We  can 
hardly  believe  that  this  was  the  same  youth  Gregorio  who  ac¬ 
companied  the  Admiral  on  his  fourth  voyage,  and  then  years 
afterwards  was  of  such  service  to  Nicuesa  and  his  companions 
at  Porto  Bello,  finding  for  them  a  spring  of  water  which  he  re¬ 
membered  the  Admiral’s  having  discovered  during  the  fourth 
voyage.  That  Gregorio  was  a  Genoese  and  a  servant  to  Colum¬ 
bus.  The  Pedro  Camacho  whose  name  appears  in  the  reparti- 
miento  of  Puerto  de  Plata  made  December  7,  1514,  was  prob¬ 
ably  a  relative  of  Gonzalo. 

The  expression  Santo  Padre  is  rather  puzzling.  Since  Alex¬ 
ander  VI.  had  called  Christopher  Columbus,  in  his  Bull  of  May, 
1493,  “his  beloved  son,”  two  other  Bishops  of  Rome  had  occu¬ 
pied  St.  Peter’s  chair, — Pius  III.  for  a  few  days,  and  Julius  II. 
for  something  over  a  year.  If  we  are  to  interpret  this  expres¬ 
sion  as  meaning  that  the  Admiral  had  been  called  upon  to  com¬ 
municate  with  the  Pope,  had  failed  in  properly  complying  with 
the  request,  and  thereupon  had  been  duly  chided  for  his  delin- 


353 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

quency,  where  had  there  been  time  for  all  this  since  the  arrival 
of  the  Admiral  from  his  last  voyage?  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
expression  refers  to  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio,  why  should  King 
Ferdinand  and  the  Bishop  of  Palencia  be  expected  to  peruse  and 
correct  a  letter  written  to  a  mere  subordinate  priest, — a  personal 
friend  and  agent?  It  is  true  that  Father  Gaspar  Gorricio  was 
then  at  Court  attending  to  the  affairs  of  the  Admiral.  But  it 
does  not  seem  to  us  that  he  was  important  enough  to  be  in 
communication  with  the  King. 

We  find  Pope  Julius  II.  at  an  early  period  active  in  the 
affairs  of  the  New  World.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Admiral 
was  already  acquainted  with  the  plan  for  erecting  three  or  four 
bishoprics  in  Espafiola  and  Puerto  Rico.  It  is  quite  likely, 
therefore,  that  he  had  already  communicated  with  Rome.  On 
November  15,  1504,  the  Pope  had  a  communication  relative  to 
the  appointment  of  three  of  these  Bishops,  and  this  document 
is  still  on  file  in  the  Archivio  C oncistoriale .  It  is  possible  that 
a  correspondence  with  the  Holy  See  began  immediately  after 
Columbus  returned  to  Spain. 

We  have  already  discussed  the  application  of  the  Admiral 
for  a  permit  to  use  a  mule  in  travelling  to  the  Court.’  The  con¬ 
dition  of  the  roads  was  such  that  only  the  gentle  amble  of  the 
sure-footed  Andalusian  mule  could  afford  ease  and  safety  to  one 
so  grievously  afflicted  with  the  gout  as  was  the  Admiral.  It  is 
pleasant  to  know  that  it  needed  only  an  application  on  his  part 
to  secure  a  privilege  granted  only  to  nobles  and  the  highest 
ecclesiastics. 


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356 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XXXII. 


Tra)isliteraiwit 

“muy  caro  fijo.  el  senor  adelan- 
tado  y  tu  hermano  y  carbajal// 
partieron  oy  son  .xvi.  dias  para  alia, 
nunca  mas  me  ban  escrito//  don 
fernando  lebada  .CL.  ducados.  el 
habis  de  gastar  lo  que  oviese  menes- 
ter//  y  leba  vna  carta  para  que  los 
mercadores  que  te  provean  de  di- 
neros//  otra  te  embie  despues  con 
fee  de  miger  francisco  de  ribarol  con 
jamora//  correu  y  dise  que  si  por 
my  carta  te  habia  proveydo  que  no 
vsa-//sedes  de  la  de  francisco  de 
ribarol  ansi  como  agora  digo  de  otra 
carta  que  te//  embio  con  esta  de 
myger  francisco  doria  la  qual  te  em¬ 
bio  a  mayor//  abondanjia  por  que 
non  falte  que  tu  non  seas  proveydo. 
ya//  dise  como  es  nejesario  de 
poner  buen  recabdo  en  los  dineros// 
fasta  que  sus  altezas  nos  den  ley  y 
asiento.  tanbien  te  dise  que  yo 
he//  gastado  para  trader  esa  gente  a 
Castilla  mil  y  duzientos  Castellanos 
los  quales//  me  debe  su  alteza  la 
mayor  parte  dellos  y  por  esto  le 
escriuy  que  me  mandase// 


Translation 

XXXII. 

“Very  dear  son : 

“The  Lord  Adelantado  and  your 
brother  and  Carbajal  left  here  six¬ 
teen  days  ago  to  go  to  the  Court. 
They  have  not  written  me  since. 
Don  Ferdinand  carried  150  ducats. 
He  must  spend  what  is  necessary 
and  he  carries  a  letter,  that  the  mer¬ 
chants  may  furnish  you  with  money. 
I  have  sent  you  another  letter  since, 
with  the  endorsement  of  Mr.  Fran¬ 
cisco  de  Ribarol,  by  Zamora,  the 
courier  and  told  you  that  if  you 
had  made  provision  for  yourself  by 
means  of  my  letter,  not  to  use  that 
of  Francisco  de  Ribarol.  I  say  the 
same  now  in  regard  to  another  letter 
which  I  send  you  with  this  one,  for 
Mr.  Francisco  Doria,  which  letter  I 
send  you  for  greater  security  that 
you  may  not  fail  to  be  provided  with 
money.  I  have  already  told  you 
how  necessary  it  is  to  be  careful  in 
the  expenditure  of  the  money,  until 
their  Highnesses  give  us  law  and 
justice.  I  also  told  you  that  I  had 
spent  1200  Castellanos  in  bringing 
these  people  to  Castile,  of  which  his 
Highness  owes  me  the  greater  part 
and  I  wrote  him  in  regard  to  it  ask¬ 
ing  him  to  order 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


357 


atomar 

la  cuenta.// 

“aca  si  posible  fuese  querria  cada 
dia  cartas,  de  diego  mendez  me 
queso  que//  non  lo  haz  y  de  ger- 
onimo  y  despues  de  los  otros  quando 
alia  llegaren.  es  de//  trabajar  de 
saber  si  la  reyna  que  dios  tiene  dexo 
dicho  algo  en  su  testamento  de  my// 
y  es  de  dar  priesa  al  senor  obispo  de 
palengia  el  que  fue  causa  que  sus 
altezas  oviesen//  las  yndias  y  que  yo 
quedase  en  castilla  que  ya  estaba  yo 
de  camino  para//  fuera  y  ansi  al 
senor  camarero  de  su  alteza//  si 
viene  acaso  afablar  en  descargo  es  de 
trabajar  que  vean  la  escritura  que// 
esta  en  el  libro  de  los  priuilegios  la 
qual  amuestra  la  razon  por  que  se 
me  debe//  el  tercio  ochabo  y  diezmo 
como  por  otra  te  dise// 


“yo  he  escrito  al  santo  padre  de 
my  viaje  porque  se  quexaba  de  my 
por  que  non  le  escriuya/ /  el  traslado 
dela  carta  te  embio.  querria  que  le 
viese  el  rey  nuestro  senor  o  el 
senor  obispo  de//  palencia  primero 
que  yo  embie  la  carta  por  ebitar 
testimonios  falsos.// 

“camacho  me  ha  alebantado  myl 
testimonios.  amy  pesar  le  mandaba 
aprender//  el  esta  en  la  yglexia. 
diz  que  pasado  la  fiesta  yra  alia  si 
pudiere.  yo  si//  le  debo  amuestre 
por  donde.  que  fago  juramento  que 
yo  non  lo  sey  ny  es  verdad.// 

“si  sin  importunar  se  oviese  licen- 
cia  de  andar  en  mula  yo  trabajaria 
de  partir  para  alia  pasado//  henero 
y  ansi 


XXXII. 

the  account  settled. 

“If  possible  I  should  like  to  receive 
letters  here  each  day.  I  complain 
of  Diego  Mendez  and  of  Jeronimo, 
as  they  do  not  write  me:  and  then 
of  the  others  who  do  not  write  when 
they  arrive  there.  We  must  strive 
to  learn  whether  the  Queen,  whom 
God  has  in  His  keeping,  said  any¬ 
thing  about  me  in  her  will  and  we 
must  hurry  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
Palencia,  who  caused  the  possession 
of  the  Indies  by  their  Highnesses  and 
my  remaining  in  Castile,  for  I  was 
already  on  my  way  to  leave  it.  And 
the  Lord  Cliamberlain  of  his  Highness 
must  also  be  hurried.  If  by  chance 
the  affair  comes  to  discussion,  you 
must  strive  to  have  them  see  the 
writing  which  is  in  the  Book  of 
Privileges ,  which  shows  the  reason 
why  the  third,  eighth  and  tenth  are 
owing  me,  as  I  told  you  in  another 
letter. 

“I  have  written  to  the  Holy 
Father  in  regard  to  my  voyage  as  he 
complained  of  me  because  I  did  not 
write  him.  I  send  you  a  copy  of 
the  letter.  I  would  like  to  have  the 
King,  our  Lord,  or  the  Lord  Bishop 
of  Palencia  see  it  before  I  send  the 
letter,  in  order  to  avoid  false  repre¬ 
sentations. 

“  Camacho  has  told  a  thousand 
falsehoods  about  me.  To  my  re¬ 
gret  I  ordered  him  arrested.  He  is 
in  the  church.  He  says  that  after 
the  Holidays  are  past,  he  will  go 
there  if  he  is  able.  If  I  owe  him, 
he  must  show  by  what  reason ;  for  I 
make  oath  that  I  do  not  know  it,  nor 
is  it  true. 

“  If  without  importunity,  a  licence 
can  be  procured  for  me  to  go  on 
mule-back  I  will  try  to  leave  for  the 
Court  after  January  and  I  will  even 


358 


Christopher  Columbus 


lo  har^  sin  ella.  puriende  non 
se  dese  de  dar  priesa  porque  las 
yndias  non  se  pierdan//  como  hazen. 
nuestro  senor  te  aya  en  su  guardia, 
fecha  oy  .xxi.  de  deziembre.// 

“  tu  padre  que  te  ama  mas  que 
asi.// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens.” 


XXXII. 

go  without  this  licence.  But  haste 
must  be  made  that  the  loss  of  the 
Indies,  which  is  now  imminent,  may 
not  take  place.  May  our  Lord  have 
you  in  His  keeping.  Done  to-day, 
December  21. 

“Your  father  who  loves  you  more 
than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens.” 


r 


i6o 


The 


Handwriting 


of  Columbus  361 


“[este]  diez  [mo]  que  me  dan  non 
es  el  diezmo  que  me  fue  prometido. 
los  priuilegios  lo  dizen//  y  bien  ansi 
es  me  debe  el  diezmo  de  la  ganan^ia 
que  se  trahe  de  mercadurias  y  de// 
todas  otras  cosas  de  que  non  rec^ibo 
nada.  bien  carbajal  me  entiende. 
tambian//  se  acoerde  carbajal  de 
haber  carta  de  su  alteza  para  el 
governador  que  luego  embie  las// 
cuentas  y  los  dineros  que  alia  tengo 
sin  dilacion  y  seria  para  esto  bueno 
que  fuese//  a  esto  vm  repostero  e  su 
alteza  porque  deben  de  seer  buena 
soma  para  my.  yo//  trabajare  con 
estos  senores  de  la  contratagion  que 
tambien  embien  adezir  al  goberna- 
dor  que/ /  embie  esta  my  parte  con  el 
oro  de  sus  altezas  ny  por  esto  se  dexe 
de  remediar  alia//  estotro.  digo 
que  alia  deben  de  pasar  amy  creher 
de  siete  o  ocho  mil  pesos  que  se// 
habran  re(;;ibido  despues  que  yo 
parti  sin  los  otros  que  non  me  die- 
ron.// 


“a  my  muy  caro 
fijo  don  diego 
en  la  corte.” 


XXXII  a. 

“This  tenth  which  they  give  me  is 
not  the  tenth  which  was  promised 
me.  The  Privileges  tell  what  it  is 
and  there  is  also  due  me  the  tenth 
of  the  profit  derived  from  merchan¬ 
dise  and  from  all  other  things,  of 
which  I  have  received  nothing. 
Carbajal  understands  me  well.  Also 
remind  Carbajal  to  obtain  a  letter 
from  his  Highness  for  the  Governor, 
directing  him  to  send  his  accounts 
and  the  money  I  have  there,  at  once. 
And  it  would  be  well  that  a  Repostero 
of  his  Highness  should  go  there  to 
receive  this  money  as  there  must  be 
a  large  amount  due  me.  I  will 
strive  to  have  these  gentlemen  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  send  also  to  say  to 
the  Governor  that  he  must  send  my 
share  together  with  the  gold  be¬ 
longing  to  their  Highnesses.  But 
the  remedy  for  the  other  matter 
must  not  be  neglected  there,  on  this 
account.  I  say  that  7,000  or 
8,000  pesos  must  have  passed  to  my 
credit  there,  which  sum  has  been  re¬ 
ceived  since  I  left,  besides  the  other 
money  which  was  not  given  to  me. 

“To  my  very  dear 
son  Don  Diego 
at  the  Court.’’ 


Christopher  Columbus 


362 


NO.  XXXIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
NICOLO  ODERIGO  AT  GENOA 

After  more  than  two  years  the  Admiral  has  not  yet  received 
the  answer  made  by  the  Governors  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George, 
under  date  of  December  8,  1502,  to  his  important  letter  in  which 
he  gave  that  institution  one  tenth  of  his  entire  revenue  from  the 
New  World,  in  trust,  to  reduce  the  tax  on  corn,  wine,  and  other 
provisions.  It  is  no  wonder  that  Columbus  expresses  himself 
strongly  as  to  the  apparent  neglect  and  failure  to  appreciate  an 
act  which  without  false  modesty  he  might  well  characterise  as 
of  extraordinary  generosity.  What  other  man  born  within  its 
walls  had  ever  offered  Genoa  so  splendid  a  gift?  She  had  not 
been  without  public  benefactors.  Other  patriots  had  remem¬ 
bered  her  while  living  and  through  bequests  when  they  had 
passed  away.  But  no  Genoese  had  ever  promised  one  tenth  of 
all  the  thirds  and  eighths  and  tenths  of  a  New  World,  with  its 
countless  wealth.  And  here  the  proposed  beneficiaries  of  his 
prospective  bounty  seemed  to  ignore  the  philanthropist.  It  was 
the  fault  of  Don  Diego,  his  son.  The  offer  had  been  received 
and  grateful  acknowledgments  had  been  forwarded.  These  were 
directed,  however,  to  Don  Diego,  for  when  the  Bank  was  inditing 
its  reply,  the  Admiral  was  on  the  New  Continent,  battling  with 
winds  and  waves,  with  broken  ships  and  straitened  supplies, 
with  treacherous  servants  and  unfriendly  natives,  with  disease 
of  body  and  distress  of  mind.  No  copy  had  been  sent  him  by 
his  son,  for  he  knew  not  where  his  father  was.  And  now,  after 
two  years,  Don  Diego  doubtless  had  forgotten  the  correspond¬ 
ence,  and  the  old  Admiral  is  chewing  the  cud  of  resentment  and 
inveighing  against  the  ingratitude  of  man. 

The  red  bag  of  Cordova  leather  is  still  in  existence,  together 
with  its  precious  contents,  the  Book  of  Privileges,  and  is  care¬ 
fully  preserved  in  the  National  Archives  at  Paris.  But  the  lock 
and  clasp  of  silver  have  long  since  disappeared. 

The  Marquis  Marcello  Staglieno,  as  well  as  Harrisse,  may  be 
cited  as  identifying  this  Juan  Luis  mentioned  in  the  text  with 
Gian  Luigi  Fieschi,  well  known  in  Genoese  history,  although  of 
secondary  importance  to  his  nephew  of  the  same  name  who  per¬ 
formed  some  signal  services  for  his  State.  This  former  Fieschi 
is  said  to  have  possessed  great  popularity  among  his  country- 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  363 

men,  particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Fontabuona,  and  his 
services  as  arbiter  were  as  constant  and  as  binding  as  the  offices 
of  the  Court. 


364 

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XXXIII.  Holograph  Letter  of  Columbus,  Signed,  to  Nicold  Oderigo,  Dated  Seville,  December  27,  1504. 

[Municipal  Palace  at  Genoa.] 


Christopher  Columbus 


366 


NO.  XXXIII. 


TraiisHicratiofi 

“Virtuoso  senor.  quando  yo 
parti  para  el  viaje  de  adonde  yo 
vengo//  os  fable  largo,  creo  que  de 
todo  esto  estobistes  en  buena  me- 
moria.  crehi  que  en//  llegando 
falleria  yo  vuestras  cartas  y  avm 
persona  con  palabra.  tanbien  a  ese 
tiempo//  dese  a  franjisco  de  ribarol 
vm  libro  de  traslados  de  cartas  y 
otro  de  mis  priuilegios//  en  vna  bar- 
jaca  de  cordoban  Colorado  con  su 
gerradura  de  plata  y  dos  cartas  para 
el  ofifio//  de  San  georgi  al  qual 
atribuya  yo  el  diezmo  de  my  renta 
para  en  descuento  de  los  drechos// 
del  trigo  y  otros  bastimentos.  de 
nada  desto  todo  sey  nuebas.  miyer 
franyisco  dix/ /  que  todo  llego  alia  en 
saluo.  si  ansi  es  descortesia  fue 
deses  senores  de  san  georgi  de//  non 
haber  dado  respuesta  ny  por  ello  ban 
acres^entado  la  hazienda  y  esto  es 
[causa]//  que  se  diga  que  quien 
sirue  a  comun  non  sirue  a  nigun. 
otro  libro  de  mys  priuilejios//  como 
lo  sobre  dicho  dese  en  calis  a  franco 
catanio  portador  desta  para  que 
tanbien//  os  enbiase.  el  vno  y  el 
otro  fuesen  puestos  en  buen  recabdo 
adonde  a  vos  fuese//  bien  visto. 
vna  carta  regeby  del  rey  y  de  la 
reyna  mys  senores  a  ese  tiempo  de 
my//  partida.  ali  esta  escrita. 
vedela  que  vino  muy  buena.  pur- 
iende  don  diego  non// 


Translation 

XXXIII. 

“Virtuous  sir; 

“When  I  departed  for  the  voyage 
from  which  I  now  come,  I  talked  with 
you  at  length.  I  believe  that  you 
well  remember  all  that  was  said 
then.  I  believed  that  on  arriving  I 
would  find  letters  from  you  and  a 
person  with  a  message.  Also  at  that 
time  I  left  with  Francisco  de  Ribarol 
a  book  of  copies  of  letters  and  an¬ 
other  book  of  my  Privileges  in  a  case 
of  red  Cordovan  leather  with  a  silver 
lock:  and  I  left  two  letters  for  the 
Bank  of  St.  George,  to  which  I  as¬ 
signed  the  tenth  of  my  revenue,  for 
the  reduction  of  taxes  on  wheat  and 
other  provisions.  To  nothing  of  this 
have  I  had  any  reply.  Mr.  Francisco 
says  that  everything  reached  there 
in  safety.  If  there  is  discourtesy  in 
the  matter  it  was  on  the  part  of  the 
gentlemen  of  St.  George  in  not  hav¬ 
ing  replied,  and  their  fortune  is  not 
increased  thereby.  And  this  is  the 
reason  for  its  being  said  that  who¬ 
ever  serves  all  serves  no  one.  An¬ 
other  book  of  my  Privileges  like  the 
aforesaid  I  left  in  Cadiz  with 
Franco  Catanio,  the  bearer  of  this 
letter,  that  he  might  send  it  to  you. 
Both  were  to  be  placed  in  safe¬ 
keeping  wherever  you  might  con¬ 
sider  it  best.  I  received  a  letter 
from  the  King  and  Queen,  my  Lords, 
at  the  time  of  my  departure.  It  is 
written  there.  Look  at  it  and  you 
will  find  it  very  good.  Nevertheless 
Don  Diego  was  not 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


367 


fue  puesto  en 
la  posesion  ansi  como  fue  la  pro¬ 
mesa.// 

“al  tiempo  que  yo  estaba  en  las 
yndias  escriuy  a  sus  altezas  de  my 
viaje  por  tres  o  quatro//  vias.  vna 
boluio  a  mys  manos  y  ansi  gerrada 
con  esta  os  le  enbio  y  el  suplimento// 
del  viaje  en  otra  letra  para  que  le 
deys  a  mi^er  Juan  Luis  con//  la 
otra  del  abiso  al  qual  escriuo//  que 
sereys  el  letor  y  enteprete  della, 
vuestra  cartas  deseu  de  veer  y  que 
fablem  cabto//  del  proposito  en  que 
quedamos.  yo  liege  aca  muy  en- 
fermo.  en  ese  tiempo  falegio  la// 
reyna  my  senora  que  dios  tiene  sin 
verla.  fasta  agora  non  os  puedo 
dezir  en  que  pareran//  mis  fechos. 
creo  que  su  alteza  lo  habra  bien 
probeydo  en  su  testamento  y  el  rey 
my  senor  muy  bien//  responde. 
franco  catanio  os  dira  el  resto  largo, 
nuestro  senor  os  aya  en  su  guardia. 


de//  sebilla  a  .xxvii.  de  deziembre 

•1504-// 

“el  almirante  mayor  del  mar 
ogeano 

“  viso  rey  y  gobernador  general  de 
las  yndias,  &c. 

.S. 

S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens.”/ 


XXXIII. 

placed  in  pos¬ 
session  according  to  the  promise. 

“During  the  time  I  was  in  the 
Indies  I  wrote  to  their  Highnesses 
about  my  voyage,  by  three  or  four 
different  ways.  One  letter  was  re¬ 
turned  to  me,  and  sealed  as  it  was  I 
send  it  to  you  with  this.  In  another 
letter  I  send  you  the  supplement  to 
the  description  of  the  voyage,  for 
you  to  give  it  to  Mr.  Juan  Luis  to- 
getlier  with  the  other  letter  of  infor¬ 
mation,  and  I  have  written  him  that 
you  will  be  the  reader  and  interpreter 
of  the  letters. 

“I  would  like  to  receive  letters 
from  you  and  desire  that  they  speak 
cautiously  of  the  purpose  to  which 
we  have  agreed. 

“I  arrived  here  very  sick.  At 
this  time  occurred  the  death  of  the 
Queen,  my  Lady,  whom  God  has, 
without  my  seeing  her.  Up  to  the 
present  I  cannot  tell  you  what  will 
be  the  result  of  my  achievements. 
I  believe  that  her  Highness  will 
have  provided  well  for  me  in  her 
will  and  the  King  my  Lord  answers 
very  well. 

“  Franco  Catanio  will  tell  you  the 
rest  at  length.  May  our  Lord  have 
you  in  His  keeping. 

“  From  Seville,  December  27,1 504. 

“The  High  Admiral  of  the  Ocean- 
Sea 

“Vice-Roy  and  Governor-General 
of  the  Indies,  etc. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens.” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  .  369 

NO.  XXXIIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 

DON  DIEGO,  HIS  SON 

From  this  letter  it  is  evident  the  Santo  Padre  can  be  none 
other  than  Pope  Julius  IT.,  although,  as  we  said  before,  it  does 
not  appear  how  there  could  have  been  time  for  much  of  a  cor¬ 
respondence  between  Rome  and  the  Admiral  after  the  latter’s 
return  from  his  final  voyage.  Columbus  is  extremely  anxious 
that  before  his  communication  is  forwarded  to  the  Pope,  it  be 
submitted  to  King  Ferdinand  and  to  Juan  de  Fonseca.  The 
learned  editor  of  the  Raccolta  regards  this  communication  as 
covering  the  relation  of  the  Admiral’s  fourth  voyage,  but  we 
doubt  if  it  related  to  other  matter  than  the  appointment  of  the 
three  Bishops  for  Espahola.  Before  he  sailed  on  his  fourth 
voyage,  in  February,  1 502,  Columbus  had  prepared  the  Commen¬ 
taries,  as  he  called  them,  of  his  three  voyages,  but  hoped  himself 
to  go  to  Rome  and  present  them  to  Pope  Alexander  VI.  Now, 
however,  there  is  a  new  Pope,  and  a  new  question  as  to  ecclesi¬ 
astical  government  is  raised. 

Again,  the  Admiral,  ever  thoughtful  for  his  men  and  the 
companions  of  his  dangers,  commends  them  to  his  son  and 
urges  him  to  present  their  claims  to  the  government.  These 
poor  men  are  making  ready  to  go  themselves  to  the  Court  to 
plead  their  own  cause.  The  Admiral  is  dismayed  at  the  appar¬ 
ent  injustice  he  sees.  On  the  one  hand,  the  faithful  members 
of  his  exploring  expedition — the  loyal  companions  of  his  last 
voyage — are  unpaid  and  unrewarded;  while,  on  the  other,  he 
beholds  the  mutinous  and  rebellious  going  unpunished  and  pro¬ 
tected.  He  sees  the  young  Gonzalo  Camacho  fleeing  to  the 
asylum  of  a  church  and  there  hiding  for  eight  days.  This  Gon¬ 
zalo  Camacho,  in  addition  to  his  other  mischievous  behaviour, 
is  suspected  by  Columbus  of  having  attempted  to  obtain  the  in¬ 
heritance  of  Pedro  de  Terreros  by  false  means.  This  last  was 
captain  of  the  ship  Gallego,  upon  which  Camacho  had  been 
entered  as  an  escudero.  He  was  taken  ill  and  died  on  the  island 
of  Jamaica  May  29,  1504,  and  Camacho  produced  a  sort  of  will 
making  him  his  heir.  Columbus  asserts  that  the  relatives  of 
Terreros  —  his  natural  heirs  —  possess  a  later  will,  and  he  is 
prepared  to  support  them  in  their  endeavour  to  secure  their 
kinsman’s  estate. 


370 


Christopher  Columbus 

We  have  a  further  interest  in  this  Pedro  de  Terreros,  for  it 
was  he  who,  in  August,.  1498,  in  the  Gulf  of  Paria,  performed 
the  solemn  function  of  taking  possession  of  the  continent  in  the 
name  of  the  Spanish  Sovereigns,  the  Admiral  being  too  ill  to 
leave  his  ship.  It  was  he,  also,  who  acted  as  the  mouthpiece  of 
the  Admiral,  when,  on  June  29,  1502,  at  the  port  of  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  he  went  ashore  in  one  of  the  ship’s  boats  and  sought  to 
exchange  a  small  vessel  which  had  proved  unseaworthy  for  a 
better  ship,  and  to  beg  that  the  little  fleet  might  take  refuge  in 
the  harbour  during  the  coming  storm.  The  reader  will  recall 
that  the  request  was  refused,  and  will  remember  the  terrible  sea 
tragedy  which  so  shortly  followed. 

There  was  certainly  a  strange  delay  in  settling  the  pay  of 
the  members  of  the  fourth  voyage.  The  Casa  de  Contratacion 
seemed  to  object  to  certain  items,  and,  while  acknowledging  his 
claims  in  general  in  Royal  Cedulas  dated  February  24  and  28, 
1505,  the  King  desires  the  Board  to  interview  the  Admiral  as  to 
details.  Finally,  on  April  ii,  1505,  an  order  is  made  on  Gon- 
zalo  Gomez  de  Puerto  to  furnish  the  sum  of  fifteen  hundred 
ducats  to  pay  what  is  owing  for  the  expenses  of  the  last  voyage. 
On  April  23  there  is  a  subsequent  order  for  paying  Juan  de 
Oquina  twenty  thousand  maravedis  for  the  rent  of  his  ship. 

Master  Bernal  was  much  in  evidence  in  the  affairs  of  the 
New  World  and  had  the  unhappy  faculty  of  making  much 
trouble.  He  had  first  gone  to  Espanola  on  the  second  voyage 
with  Columbus,  and  had  a  part  in  formulating,  in  1494,  the  first 
positive  accusations  against  the  Admiral.  Just  at  that  period 
in  his  career  he  is  said  by  Columbus  to  have  killed  by  poison  two 
men  for  a  trifling  offence.  He  was  certainly  a  physician  or 
apothecary.  On  the  fourth  voyage  he  was  entered  as  one  of  the 
escuderos  on  board  the  caravel  Capitana.  It  does  not  appear, 
that  he  had  a  part  in  the  Perras  rebellion,  but  it  does  appear, 
on  the  authority  of  Ferdinand  Columbus  in  the  Historie,  that  he 
was  just  preparing  another  insurrection  when  the  relief  ships 
reached  Jamaica.  With  him,  also  entered  as  an  escudero  on  the 
same  ship,  was  Alonzo  de  Zamora  and  Pedro  de  Villatoro,  who 
was  entered  on  the  caravel  Santiago  de  Palos  as  one  of  the  gru- 
metes  or  cabin  boys.  These  three,  after  matters  had  quieted 
from  the  disturbance  of  the  Porras  brothers,  meditated  a  new 
outbreak  which  might  well  have  so  reinforeed  the  other  rebel- 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  371 


lious  spirits  that  the  Admiral  and  the  Adelantado  would  have 
failed  to  overcome  them.  But  their  conspiracy  was  too  late  in 
hatching,  and  before  their  plans  were  ready  for  execution  there 
came  to  the  shores  of  Jamaica  the  two  ships  sent  by  Ovando 
and  Diego  Mendez.  There  is  no  doubt  the  Admiral  in  referring 
to  Bernal,  is  reminded  of  some  delinquencies  antedating  this 
conspiracy,  for  he  mentions  Diego  Mendez  as  being  conversant 
with  them;  and  this  brave  and  loyal  man  was  not  in  Jamaica 
when  Bernal  and  Zamora  and  Villatoro  plotted  against  their 
chief.  The  names  of  these  men  must  be  entered  by  history  in 
the  catalogue  of  early  American  rebels. 

We  do  not  know  if  one  of  these  conspirators,  Alonzo  de 
Zamora,  is  the  same  who,  at  the  time  of  this  letter,  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  Admiral  as  a  messenger  and  courier. 


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A^o.  AA'A7///.  Holograph  Letter  of  Columbus,  Signed,  Addressed  to  his  Son  Diego,  Dated  Seville,  December  2g  [ijog]. 
Including  a  L^ost-scriptuni.  [Archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  at  Madrid.] 


374 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XXXIIII. 


.  Transliteration 

“muy  caro  fijo.  con  don  fer- 
nando  te  escriuy  largo  el  qual  partio 
para  alia  oy  son  .XXIII.  dias  con  el 
senor//  adelantado  y  con  carbajal  de 
los  quales  non  he  despues  sabido 
nada.  despues  oy  son  .XVI.  dias// 
te  escriuy  con  jamora  el  correu  y  te 
enbie  vna  carta  de  fee  para  eses 
mercadores  que  te  diesen  los// 
dineros  que  le  pidiesedes  con  fee  de 
francisco  de  ribarol  y  depues  con 
otro  correu  habra  ocho  dias  con// 
otra  fee  de  francisco  doria  estas  van 
dirrigidas  a  pantaleon  y  agostin 
ytalian  para  que  telas  den  y  con// 
ellas  va  vm  treslado  de  vna  carta  que 
escriuo  al  santo  padre  delas  cosas 
delas  yndias  por  que//  non  se  quese 
mas  de  my.  este  traslado  enbio 
para  que  le  vea  su  alteza  o  el  senor 
obispo  de  palenpia//  por  ebitar  testi- 
monios  falsos.  la  paga  desta  gente 
que  fue  comigo  ha  tardado.  aca  los 
he  provey[do]//  de  lo  que  he  pudido. 
ellos  son  pobres  y  han  de  yr  aganar 
su  vida.  acordaron  de  yr  alia, 
aca//  seles  ha  dicho  que  le  faran  el 
fabor  que  sea  posible  y  ansi  es  razon 
bien  que  entrellos  ay  que//  mas 
merejieran  castigo  que  mercedes. 
esto  se  diz  por  los  al^ados.  yo  le  di 
vna  carta  para  el//  senor  obispo  de 
palenjia.  vedela  y  begala  tu  tio  y 
hermano  y  carbajal  que  si  fuere 
menester  que  estos  que//  van  ayan 
de  dar  pitifion  a  su  alteza  que  della 
le  saquen  y  aiudale  todos  lo  que 


T  ranslation 

XXXIIII. 

“Very  dear  son; 

“  I  wrote  you  at  length  and  sent  it 
by  Don  Ferdinand,  who  left  to  go 
yonder  twenty-three  days  ago  to¬ 
day,  with  the  Lord  Adelantado  and 
Carbajal,  from  whom  I  have  since 
heard  nothing.  Sixteen  days  ago 
to-day  I  wrote  you  and  sent  it  by 
Zamora,  the  courier,  and  I  sent  you 
a  letter  of  credit  for  these  merchants 
endorsed  by  Francisco  de  Ribarol, 
telling  them  to  give  you  the  money 
you  might  ask  for.  And  then,  about 
eight  days  ago,  I  sent  you  by  an¬ 
other  courier  a  letter  endorsed  by 
Francisco  Soria  and  these  letters  are 
directed  to  Pantaleon  and  Agostin 
Italian,  that  they  may  give  it  to 
you.  And  with  these  letters  goes  a 
copy  of  a  letter  which  I  wrote  to  the 
Holy  Father  in  regard  to  the  affairs 
of  the  Indies  that  he  might  not  com¬ 
plain  of  me  any  more.  I  sent  this 
copy  for  his  Highness  to  see,  or  the 
Lord  Bishop  of  Palencia,  so  as  to 
avoid  false  representations.  The 
payment  of  the  people  who  went 
with  me  has  been  delayed.  I  have 
provided  for  them  here  what  I  have 
been  able.  They  are  poor  and  are 
obliged  to  go  in  order  to  earn  a  living. 
They  decided  to  go  yonder.  They 
have  been  told  here  that  they  will 
be  dealt  with  as  favourably  as  pos¬ 
sible  and  this  is  right, although  among 
them,  there  are  some  who  merit 
punishment  more  than  favours. 
This  is  said  of  the  rebels.  I  gave 
these  people  a  letter  for  the  Lord 
Bishop  of  Palencia.  Read  it  and  if 
it  is  necessary  for  them  to  go  and  pe¬ 
tition  his  Highness,  urge  your  uncle 
and  brother  and  Carbajal  to  read  it 
also  so  that  you  can  all  help  them  as 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


375 


pudierdes  que  es  razon//  y  obra  de 
misericordia  porque  jamas  nadi  gano 
dineros  con  tantos  perigos  y  penas  y 
que  aya  fecho  tan  grande  seruigio 
como  estos.  alia//  diz  camacho  y 
maestre  bernal  que  queren  yr  dos 
criaturas  por  quien  dios  haz  pocos 
milagros.  ellos  ma[s]//  van  si 
fueren  para  danar  que  non  ha  hazer 
bien.  poco  pueden  por  que  la  ver- 
dad  sienpre  ven^e  como  hizo//  de  la 
espanola  que  ribaldos  fizieron  con 
sus  falsos  testimonios  que  non  se 
oviese  fasta  agora  provecho  della// 


XXXIIII. 

much  as  possible.  It  is  right  and  a 
work  of  mercy,  for  no  one  ever  earned 
money  with  so  many  dangers  and 
hardships  and  no  one  has  ever  rend¬ 
ered  such  great  service  as  these  peo¬ 
ple.  It  is  said  that  Camacho  and 
Master  Bernal  wish  to  go  there — 
two  creatures  for  whom  God  works 
few  miracles:  but  if  they  go,  it  will 
be  to  do  harm  rather  than  good. 
They  can  do  little  because  the  truth 
always  prevails,  as  it  did  in  Espanola, 
from  which  wicked  people  by  means 
of  falsehoods  have  prevented  any 
profit  being  received  up  to  the 
present  time. 


3/6 


Christopher  Columbus 


este  nifestre  bernal  se  diz  que  fue  el 
comienfo  de  la  tray9ion.  fue  preso 
y  acusado  de  niuchos  casos  que// 
por  cadavno  dellos  meregia  ser  fecho 
cuartos.  a  ruego  de  tu  tio  y  de 
otros  fue  perdonado  con  tanto  que// 
por  la  mas  pequena  palabra  que 
mas  fablase  contra  my  y  my  estado 
que  non  le  valga  el  perdon  y  se  da 
por  conde-//nado.  el  traslado  te 
enbio  en  esta.  de  camacho  te  en- 
biare  vna  carta  de  justigia.  ha  mas 
de  ocho//  dias  que  non  sale  dela 
yglexia  por  los  desbarios  y  testi- 
monios  falsos  de  su  lengua.  el  tiene 
vm  testamento  de//  terreros  y  otros 
parientes  deste  terreros  tienen  otro 
mas  fresco  que  nichila  el  primero 
digolo  por  la  herengia//  &  yo  soy 
rogado  que  acuda  al  postrero  en 
manera  que  camacho  habra  de  resti- 
tuir  lo  que  ya  ha  regebido.  yo// 
mandare  sacar  vna  carta  de  justigia 
y  le  enbiare  porque  creo  que  sea  obra 
de  misericordia  a  castigale/ /  porque 
es  tan  disoluto  de  su  lengua  que  algi 
le  ha  de  castigar  sin  vara  y  non  sera 
tan  sin  consciengia  y  mas//  daho  de 
su  persona,  diego  mendez  muy  bien 
conosce  a  m$stre  bernal  y  asus 
obras.  el  gobernado  le  queria// 
prender  en  la  espanola  y  le  deso  any 
causa,  diz  que  alia  mato  dos  hom- 
bres  con  mediginas  por  vin[ganga 
de]//  menos  de  tres  fabas.//  la 
ligencia  de  la  mula  si  sin  trabajo  se 
puede  hauer  folgaria  della  y  de  vna 
buena  mula.  con//  todos  consulta 
tus  negogios  y  dile  que 


XXXIIII. 

It  is  said  that  this 
Master  Bernal  was  the  beginning 
of  the  treason.  He  was  taken  and 
accused  of  many  misdemeanours  for 
each  one  of  which  he  deserved  to  be 
quartered.  At  the  request  of  your 
uncle  and  of  others  he  was  pardoned 
on  condition  that  if  he  ever  said  the 
least  word  against  me  and  my  state, 
the  pardon  should  be  revoked  and  he 
should  be  under  condemnation.  I 
send  you  a  copy  of  the  case  in  this 
letter.  I  send  you  a  legal  document 
about  Camacho.  For  more  than  eight 
days  he  has  not  left  the  church  on 
account  of  his  rash  statements  and 
falsehoods.  He  has  a  will  made  by 
Terreros,  and  other  relatives  of  the 
latter  have  another  will  of  more  re¬ 
cent  date  which  renders  the  first  will 
null,  as  far  as  the  inheritance  is  con¬ 
cerned:  and  I  am  entreated  to  en¬ 
force  the  latter  will  so  that  Camacho 
will  be  obliged  to  restore  what  he  has 
received.  I  shall  order  a  legal  docu¬ 
ment  drawn  up  and  served  upon  him 
because  I  believe  it  is  a  work  of 
mercy  to  punish  him  as  he  is  so  un¬ 
bridled  in  his  speech  that  some  one 
must  punish  him  without  the  rod; 
and  it  will  not  be  so  much  against 
the  conscience  of  the  chastiser  and 
will  injure  him  more.  Diego  Men¬ 
dez  knows  Master  Bernal  and  his 
works  very  well.  The  Governor 
wished  to  imprison  him  at  Espanola 
and  left  him  to  my  consideration. 
It  is  said  that  he  killed  two  men 
there  with  medicines  in  revenge  for 
something  of  less  account  than 
three  beans.  I  would  be  glad  of  the 
licence  to  travel  on  mule-back  and 
of  a  good  mule,  if  they  can  be  ob¬ 
tained  without  difficulty.  Consult  all 
about  our  affairs  and  tell  them  that 


377 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


non  les 

escriuo  particularmente  por  la  gran 
pena  que  liebo  en  la  pendula//  non 
digo  que  hagan  ellos  ansi  saluo  que 
cadavno  me  escriua  y  muy  amenudo. 
que  gran  pesar  tengo//  que  todo  el 
mundo  tiene  cada  dia  cartas  de  alia  y 
yo  nada  de  tantos  como  ali  estaya. 
al  senor  adelantado//  en  su  merged 
mencomiendo  y  mis  encomiendas  da 
a  tu  hermano  y  a  los  otros  todos 
fecha  en  sebilla  a  .xxix.  de  dezi- 
embre.// 

“tu  padre  que  te  ama 
mas  que  asi 

.S. 

S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

Xpo  Ferens. 

“todavia  digo  que  si  nuestros 
nego^'ios  ban  de  ser  librados  por  via 
de  cons9ien9ia  que  es  de  amostrar  el 
capitulo  de  la  que  sus  altezas//  me 
essciuieron  quando  parti  es  que  dizen 
que  te  mandaran  aponer  en  posesion 
y  despues  es  de  mostrar  la  escritura 
que  esta  en  el  libro  de  los  pri[uile- 
gios]  //  la  qual  amuestra  por  razon  y 
justi9ia  como  es  mio  el  tercio  el 
ochabo  y  el  diezmo.  de  [aqui  siem- 
pre  habra  lugar  de  abajar.]”// 


XXXIIII. 

I  do  not  write  them  in  particular  on 
account  of  the  great  pain  I  feel  when 
writing.  I  do  not  say  that  they 
must  do  the  same  but  that  each  one 
must  write  me  and  very  often,  for  I 
feel  great  sorrow  that  all  the  world 
should  have  letters  from  there  each 
day,  and  1  have  nothing,  when  I 
have  so  many  people  there.  Com¬ 
mend  me  to  the  Lord  Adelantado  in 
his  favour,  and  give  my  regards  to 
your  brother  and  to  all  the  others. 
Done  at  Seville  December  29. 

“Your  father  who  loves  you 
more  than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

Xpo  Ferens.  ” 

“I  say  further  that  if  our  affairs 
are  to  be  settled  according  to  con¬ 
science,  that  the  chapter  of  the 
letter  which  their  Highnesses  wrote 
me  when  I  departed,  in  which  they 
say  they  will  order  you  placed  in 
possession, — must  be  shown;  and 
the  writing  must  also  be  shown 
which  is  in  the  Book  of  Privileges, 
which  shows  how  in  reason  and  in 
justice  the  third  and  eighth  and 
the  tenth  are  mine.  There  will 
always  be  opportunity  to  make  re¬ 
ductions  from  this  amount.’’ 


378 


Christopher  Columbus 

NO.  XXXV.  HOLOGRAPH  DOCUMENT,  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  SALE 
OF  GOLD,  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  AND 
ASSIGNED  TO  THE  END  OF  THE  YEAR  1504 

The  first  fact  which  presents  itself  to  us  in  this  fragment  of 
his  accounts  is  that  Columbus  had  actual  gold  in  considerable 
quantities  in  his  possession,  which  from  time  to  time  he  sold,  or 
caused  to  be  sold,  for  coins  of  the  realm.  The  learned  editor  of 
the  Raccolta  assigns  these  several  items  to  the  years  1502-1503. 
Although  there  were  two  Carvajals  in  the  service  of  Columbus, 
this  is  doubtless  Alonzo  Sanchez  de  Carvajal,  who  formed  one  of 
the  Governing  Council  at  Isabella  in  1494,  while  the  Admiral  was 
exploring  Cuba,  and  who  commanded  one  of  the  three  ships  going 
directly  to  Espanola  from  the  Canaries  on  the  third  voyage.  He 
was  busy  for  many  years  about  the  affairs  of  the  Admiral,  and 
it  becomes  necessary,  in  fixing  a  date  for  this  document,  to 
establish  what  years  he  could  have  been  in  Spain,  into  which 
may  be  fitted  the  days  and  the  months  given  in  the  memoran¬ 
dum.  It  appears  from  a  mention  in  one  of  the  probanzas  of  the 
Fiscal  trial  or  inquiry  that  Carvajal  was  in  Spain  at  or  about 
the  time  the  Admiral  sailed  on  his  fourth  and  last  voyage.  It 
is  probable  he  remained  in  Spain  from  that  time  until  some  time 
after  February  6,  1503,  the  date  on  which  he  sold  at  Burgos 
some  gold  for  the  account  of  the  Admiral.  As  there  is  a  gap  in 
the  occurrence  of  the  names  in  the  accounts  between  February 
6,  1503,  and  December  30,  1503,  when  Carvajal  again  sold  at 
Burgos  some  gold  to  a  silversmith,  the  inference  is  that  the  in¬ 
tervening  time  was  spent  in  Espanola.  This  inference  is  con¬ 
firmed  by  certain  cedulas  dated  in  November,  1503,  in  which 
mention  is  made  of  certain  claims  in  behalf  of  the  Admiral,  pre¬ 
sented  by  Carvajal  to  Ovando  the  Governor,  and  to  the  Casa  de 
Contratacion,  all  indicating  that  the  complaints  are  based  upon 
discoveries  Carvajal  himself  has  made  relative  to  the  unfulfilled 
rights  and  privileges  of  the  Admiral.  On  the  same  day,  No¬ 
vember  27,  1503,  a  fifth  cedula  permits  the  departure  for  Spain 
of  three  servants  of  Carvajal,  presumably  on  the  attendance  of 
their  master. 

The  last  sale  of  gold  mentioned  in  this  account  is  dated 
March  5,  belonging  beyond  doubt  to  the  year  1504.  Columbus 
arrived  in  Spain,  at  San  Lucar  de  Barrameda,  Thursday,  No- 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  379 

vember  7,  1504,  and  it  is  probable  that  within  a  reasonably 
short  time  he  received  and  copied  in  his  own  hand  a  fragmentary 
account  of  sales  of  gold  made  on  his  behalf  while  he  was  absent. 
We  may  then  assign  this  document  to  the  end  of  the  year  1504, 
or  to  the  beginning  of  the  year  1505. 


i 


XXXV. 


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him  in  Castile.  [Archives,  House  of  Alba,  Madrid.] 


Christopher  Columbus 


82 


Transliteration 


NO.  XXXV. 


Translation 


REL.-VCION  DEL  ORO  VENDIDO  EN 
CASTILLA 


REPORT  OF  GOLD  SOLD  IN 
CASTILE 


“A  .XX.  de  julio,  en 
Sebilla,  vendid  Cristo¬ 
bal  de  Torres  .2.  marcos 
.7.  un9as,  .4.  ochavas 
de  oro  a  .453.  el  peso 

del  Castellano .  2 

“A  .12.  d’agosto,  en 
Valladolid,  vendid  Car¬ 
bajal  .2.  marcos,  .6.  un- 
cias,  .4.  ochavas,  .3. 
tomines,  y  lo  did  casi 
todo  en  pago  de  ropa 

que  se  comprd .  2 

“.II.  de  setiembre, 
en  Arcos,  vendid  Car¬ 
bajal  .6.  uncias,  .2. 
ochavas,  .1.  tomin,  .3. 
granos,  vendidlo  a.  .  .  . 

“  -f  19  de  setiembre, 
en  Burgos,  se  pesd  .4. 
uncias,  .7.  ochavas, 

.3.  tomines . 

“  Grano  .  .  .  ,  a 
.7.  de  otubre,  en  Bur¬ 
gos,  vendid  Carbajal 
.7.  uncias,  .4.  ochavas, 

.5.  tomines,  .3.  granos 

a  445 . 

“25  d’otubre,  en 
Burgos,  vendid  Carba¬ 
jal  .7.  uncias,  .4.  ocha¬ 
vas,  .1.  tomin,  .10. 

granos,  a  445 . 

“.12.  de  noviembre, 
en  Burgos,  vendid  Car¬ 
bajal  .1.  marcos,  .6. 
uncias,  .7.  ochavas  me- 
nos  .14.  granos,  a  448...  i 
“.17.  de  deziembre, 
vendid,  en  Burgos, Car¬ 
bajal  .7.  uncias,  .5. 
ochavas,  .3.  tomines,  a 
446 . 


uncs  8“  t“  g.O 


7  4 

643 

6  [2]  I  [3] 

4  7  3 

7  4  5  [3] 

7  4  I  10 

664 

7  [5  3] 


XXXV. 

“13 

“July  20  Cristobal  de  Torres 
sold  in  Seville  2  marks,  7 
ounces,  4  ochavos  of  gold  at 
453,  the  weight  of  the  Castel¬ 
lano. 

August  1 2 ,  Carbajal  sold  in 
Valladolid,  2  marks,  6  ounces, 
4  ochavos,  3  tomins,  nearly  all 
of  which  he  gave  in  payment 
for  clothing  which  he  pur¬ 
chased  for  himself. 

“September  ii  in  Arcos, 
Carbajal  sold  6  ounces,  2 
ochavos,  I  tomin,  3  grains. 
He  sold  it  at ...  . 

“September  19,  in  Burgos, 
4  ounces,  7  ochavos,  3  tomins 
were  weighed. 

“Grano  .  .  .  October  7, 

in  Burgos,  Carbajal  sold  7 
ounces,  4  ochavos,  5  tomins,  3 
grains  at  445. 


“October  25,  in  Burgos, 
Carbajal  sold  7  ounces,  4  ocha¬ 
vos,  I  tomin,  10  grains,  at  445. 


“November  12,  in  Burgos, 
Carbajal  sold  i  mark,  6  ounces, 
7  ochavos  less  14  grains,  at 
448. 

‘  ‘  December  1 7 ,  Carbaj al  sold 
in  Burgos,  7  ounces,  5  ocha¬ 
vos,  3  tomins  at  446. 


383 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


[Mos  uncs  8as  to  g.j] 


“Gallo  +  .10.  de 
henero,  en  Burgos, 


vendio  Carbajal  .1. 
marcos,  .6.  uncias,  .1. 
ochavas,  a .  i 


“.6.  de  febrero,  ven- 
did  Carbajal,  en  Bur¬ 
gos,  .7.  uncias,  .4.  ocha¬ 
vas,  .4.  tomines,  .4. 

granos,  a  445 . 

“.13.  de  febrero,  en 
Burgos,  vendid  Juan 
Antonio  .7.  uncias,  .6. 
ochavas,  .1.  tomm,  d 

•450 . 

“28  de  febrero,  ven¬ 
did  Juan  Antonio  en 
Burgos,  .4.  marcos,  .5. 
uncias,  .6.  ochavas,  .3. 

tomines,  a  453 .  4 

“.15.  de  marjo,  y  fue 
antes  [?],  vendid  Juan 
Antonio,  en  Burgo[s], 

.1.  marcos,  y  esto  es  lo 
de  la  funda,  al  qual  se 
hizo  complimiento,  d 

453  .  I 

“Y  fud  a  .30.  de  de- 
ziembre,  vendid  Carba¬ 
jal,  en  Burgos,  al  pla- 
tero  que  hazia  el  sello 
.4.  uncias,  .2.  ochavas, 

.3.  tomines,  a  448 . 

“.24.  de  henero,  ven¬ 
did  Carbajal,  en  Bur¬ 
gos,  .1.  marcos,  .4. 
ochavas,  [.3.]  tomines. 


6  I 

7  4  [4 

761 

5  [6  3] 

o  [o  o] 

4  [2]  3 

[o]  4  3 


“.3.  de  margo,  did 
Juan  Antonio  por  fech- 
ura  del  collar  .1.  uncia, 

.2.  tomines,  d  453.,  al 
qual  platero  se  le  debia 
.94.  reales  por  .47. 
aslavones  que  tiene  d 
.2.  reales  cada  uno. .  ..  102 

“Ducientos  treinta 
&  quatro  doredos  que 
me  did  don  Diego  a .  .  . 

“Memorial  del  oro  que  se  ha  ven- 
dido  en  Castilla  fasta  el  mes  de’’ 


4] 


XXXV. 

“Gallo  January  10,  Car¬ 
bajal  sold  in  Burgos,  i  mark, 
6  ounces,  i  ochavo  at.  .  .  . 


“February  6,  Carbajal  sold 
in  Burgos,  7  ounces,  4  ochavos, 
4  tomins,  4  grains,  at  445. 


“  February  13,  Juan  Antonio 
sold  in  Burgos  7  ounces,  6 
ochavos,  I  tomin  at  450. 


“  February  28,  Juan  Antonio 
sold  in  Burgos,  4  marks,  5 
ounces,  6  ochavos,  3  tomins, 
at  453. 

‘  ‘  March  1 5 ,  and  before,  J uan 
Antonio  sold  in  Burgos,  i 
mark,  and  this  covers  the  smel¬ 
ting  which  was  done  free,  at 
453- 


“December  30,  in  Burgos 
Carbajal  sold  tothe  silversmith 
who  made  the  seal  4  ounces,  2 
ochavos,  3  tomins,  at  448. 


“January  24,  Carbajal  sold 
in  Burgos,  i  mark,  4  ochavos 
[3]  tomins  at ...  . 


“March  3,  Juan  Antonio 
gave  to  the  silversmith  for 
making  the  necklace  i  ounce, 
2  tomins,  at  453.  There  was 
owing  to  the  silversmith  94 
reals  for  47  links  in  the  neck¬ 
lace  at  2  reals  each. 

“234  doredos  which  Don 
Diego  gave  me  at.  .  .  . 

“Memorandum  of  the  gold 
which  has  been  sold  in  Castile 
up  to  the  month  of  ’’ 


The  Handwriting 


of  Columbus  385 


NO.  XXXVI.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 
FATHER  DON  CASPAR  GORRICIO 

We  interpret  this  letter  to  mean  that  Father  Gaspar  Gor- 
ricio  was  at  the  Court,  and  that  the  Admiral  is  anxious  to  com¬ 
municate  to  him  by  word  of  mouth  something  which  cannot 
well  be  written.  His  reference  to  his  illness  leads  us  to  suppose 
him  still  at  Seville,  and  if  the  good  friar  was  at  the  monastery 
of  Las  Cuevas  across  the  river,  there  should  be  little  difficulty  in 
their  meeting.  The  communication  of  the  writer  at  the  end  of 
the  brief  note  to  the  Father  Prior,  and  the  religious  members 
must  express  the  Admiral’s  desire  to  be  remembered  to  the 
Carthusian  brethren  in  Segovia  or  at  a  monastery  of  the  Order 
in  some  place  near,  where  he  supposes  the  Court  then  was. 
However  this  may  be,  we  find  the  Admiral,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  year,  somewhat  mending  of  his  ailment.  He  is  anxious  to 
see  the  copy  of  the  Book  of  Privileges  which  Father  Gaspar  Gor- 
ricio  has  in  his  care.  This  would  seem  as  if  at  that  time  the 
papers  of  Columbus,  or  at  least  this  particularly  important 
Codex,  were  in  the  individual  care  of  Father  Gaspar,  and  not  in 
that  of  the  Order  at  the  monastery  of  Las  Cuevas. 

VOL.  III.— 25. 


<A 


■V, 

X 

•  u 

U, 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


387 


NO.  XXXVI. 


Transliteration 

“  Reberendo  y  muy  deboto  padre, 
diego  mendez  es  venido//  de  la 
corte.  don  diego  queda  bueno. 
el  senor  adelantado  y  don  fernando 
non//  eran  llegados.  yo  os  le  en- 
biare  alia  con  las  nuebas  de  todo 
yo//  non  sey  ya  que  diga  a  my 
deseu  de  veros  y  comunicar  algo 
que  non//  es  de  pendula.  las  es- 
crituras  que  teneys  querrialas  ver 
y  eses//  priuilegios  querria  mandar 
a  hazer  vna  casa  de  corcha  enforrada 
de  gera//  pidos  por  merged  que  si 
el  donato  aquel  hombre  honrrado 
oviere  de//  venir  aca  que  con  el  me 
enbieys  todo  o  con  andrea  hermano 
de  Juan  antonio//  portador  desta.  de 
my  mal  cada  diaestoy  mejor  gracias 
a  nuestro  senor//  al  padre  priol  en 
su  mer9ed  mencomiendo  y  de  todos 
eses  religiosos// 


“  feclia  oy  sabado.  iiii.  de  henero// 

“alo  que  vuestra  Reuerencia// 
mandare// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

:Xpo  Kerens./  ” 


Translation 

XXXVI. 

“  Reverend  and  very  devout  Father: 

“Diego  Mendez  has  come  from 
the  Court.  Don  Diego  remains  and 
is  well.  The  Lord  Adelantado  and 
Don  Ferdinand  had  not  arrived. 

“I  will  send  them  to  you  there 
with  news  of  everything.  I  do  not 
know  yet  how  to  tell  you  of  my  de¬ 
sire  to  see  you  and  communicate 
something  which  is  not  to  be  writ¬ 
ten.  I  would  like  to  see  the  writ¬ 
ings  and  those  privileges  which  you 
have,  and  I  would  like  to  order  a 
box  made  of  cork  and  lined  with 
wax  to  hold  them.  I  ask  you  as  a 
favour,  if  the  lay-brother,  that  hon¬ 
est  man,  is  to  come  here, — to  send 
them  all  to  me,  or  by  Andrea, 
brother  of  Juan  Antonio,  the  bearer 
of  this  letter.  I  am  better  of  my 
illness  each  day,  thanks  to  our  Lord. 
Commend  me  to  the  favour  of  the 
Father  Prior  and  to  all  those  re¬ 
ligious  members  of  your  house. 

“  Done  to-day,  Saturday  Janu¬ 
ary  4 : 

“I  am  at  tlie  command 
of  your  Reverence. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

;Xpo  Kerens./  ” 


389 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

NO.  XXXVII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 

DON  DIEGO,  HIS  SON 

The  importance  of  this  letter  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  plainly 
distinguishes  by  their  ecclesiastical  titles  between  Diego  de 
Deza,  Archbishop  of  Seville,  and  Juan  Rodriguez  de  Fonseca, 
Bishop  of  Palencia.  Whatever  doubt  one  may  entertain  re¬ 
specting  the  identity  of  the  Bishop  of  Palencia  in  the  former 
letters  written  by  the  Admiral,  there  can  here  be  absolute  cer¬ 
tainty  that  it  is  Juan  de  Fonseca,  the  chief  personage  in  activity 
and  influence  in  the  affairs  of  the  Indies.  The  tone  of  the  letter 
indicates  friendliness  toward  the  Bishop  on  the  part  of  Colum¬ 
bus.  When  he  goes  to  Court  he  will  do  himself  the  honour  of 
stopping  with  him  as  an  old  friend.  There  has  long  been  frater¬ 
nal  sentiment  between  them,  strained  now  and  then,  perhaps, 
with  differences  as  to  executive  management  in  the  new  colonies, 
but  never  quite  broken,  and  certainly  never  entirely  destroyed 
through  the  enmity  with  which  history  has  credited  Fonseca. 
The  memory  of  Columbus  was  ever  long.  His  tongue  was  used 
to  speaking  the  thoughts  of  his  heart.  Had  the  Bishop  of  Palen¬ 
cia  been  a  bitter  foe,  he  would  have  announced  it  to  all  the  world. 

At  this  time  the  Admiral  does  not  know  the  errand  upon 
which  Juan  de  Fonseca  has  gone  into  the  Low  Countries.  In 
one  of  his  former  letters  the  Admiral  asks  Don  Diego  to  have 
his  letter  written  to  Pope  Julius  II.  read  both  by  the  King  and 
by  the  Bishop  of  Palencia.  He  now  increases  the  number  who 
shall  peruse  this  important  document  to  three, — the  King,  the 
Bishop  of  Palencia,  and  the  i\rchbishop  of  Seville.  We  may 
infer,  then,  with  some  degree  of  certainty,  that  the  Bishop  of 
Palencia,  in  the  letters  of  December  13  and  21,  1504,  is  none 
other  than  Juan  Rodriguez  de  Fonseca,  the  friend,  and  not  the 
enemy,  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

Again,  we  notice  that  the  financial  condition  of  the  Admiral 
is  suggested  by  the  fact  that  when  he  came  away  from  Espahola, 
there  was  left  behind  him  not  less  than  sixty  thousand  pesos 
worth  of  smelted  gold.  It  is  true  that  at  this  moment  he  is  not 
touching  this  wealth.  It  is  not  yet  in  a  vault  which  his  key 
alone  unlocks.  But  Spain  owns  the  Indies,  and,  with  the 
Spains  for  his  debtor,  any  banker  in  Seville  or  Barcelona,  in 
Genoa  or  in  Florence,  will  gladly  become  his  creditor. 


300 


K 

'■k. 

7 " 

-  xA'i 

391 


{Archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  at  Madrid.] 


392 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XXXVII. 

T  ranslitcration 


“muy  caro  fijo.  con  vm  correu 
que  ha  de  llegar  alia  oy  te  escriu 
[y//  largo  y  te  embie  vna  carta 
para  el  senor  camarero.  quisera 
embiar  en  ella//  vm  traslado  de 
aquel  capitulo  de  la  carta  de  sus  al- 
tezas  en  que  dizen  que  te  manda 
[ran]//  a  poner  en  la  posesion  y  se 
me  olbido  aca.  gamora  el  correu  vi 
[no]//  vy  tu  carta  y  de  tu  tio  y  her- 
mano  y  de  carbajal  con  mucho 
plazer  por  h[aber]//  llegados  buenos 
que  yo  estaba  dello  en  grande  con- 
goxa.  diego  mendez  partir  [a]//  de 
aqui  a  tres  o  quatro  dias  con  la  li- 
branga  despachada.  el  lebara  lar- 
ga//  relagion  de  todo  y  escriuere  al 
senor  Juan  velasques.  yo  deseu  de 
su  amistad  y//  seruigio.  yo  creo 
que  el  sea  cauallero  de  mucha 
honrra.  si  el  senor  obispo  de  pa- 
lengi[a]//  es  venido  o  viene  dile 
quanto  me  ha  plazido  de  su  prospe- 
ridad  y  que  si  y  [o]//  voy  alia  que 
he  de  posar  con  su  merged  avm  que 
el  non  quera  y  que  habemos//  de 
boluer  al  primero  amor  fraterno  y 
que  non  lo  pudera  negar  porque  my 
ser[uicio]//  le  fara  que  sea  ansi,  la 
carta  del  santo  padre  dise  que  era 
para  que  su  [merced]// 


Translation 

XXXVII. 

“Very  dear  son: 

“I  wrote  you  at  length  by  the 
courier  who  will  arrive  there  to-day 
and  sent  you  a  letter  for  the  Lord 
Chamberlain.  I  intended  to  inclose 
in  it  a  copy  of  that  chapter  of  the 
letter  from  their  Highnesses  in  which 
they  say  they  will  order  you  placed 
in  possession;  but  I  forgot  to  do  it 
here.  Zamora,  the  courier,  came. 
I  read  your  letter  and  also  those  of 
your  uncle  and  brother  and  Car¬ 
bajal  and  felt  great  pleasure  in 
learning  that  they  had  arrived  well, 
as  I  had  been  very  anxious  about 
them.  Diego  Mendez  will  leave 
here  in  three  or  four  days  with  the 
order  of  payment  prepared.  He  will 
take  a  long  statement  of  everything 
and  I  will  write  to  Juan  Velasquez. 
I  desire  his  friendship  and  service. 
I  believe  that  he  is  a  very  honour¬ 
able  gentleman.  If  the  Lord  Bishop 
of  Palencia  has  come,  or  comes,  tell 
him  how  much  pleased  I  have  been 
with  his  prosperity  and  that  if  I  go 
there,  I  must  stop  with  his  Worship 
even  if  he  does  not  wish  it  and  that 
we  must  return  to  our  first  fraternal 
love.  And  that  he  could  not  refuse 
it  because  my  service  will  force  him 
to  have  it  thus.  I  said  that  the 
letter  for  the  Holy  Father  was  sent 
that  his  Worship 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  393 


le  viese  si 

ali  estaba  y  el  senor  ar9obispo  de 
sebilla  que  el  rey  non  terna  luga  [r]// 
para  ello.  ya  te  dise  que  el  pidir  a 
sus  altezas  es  que  compla  lo  que  me 
mando  a  escriuyr  d[e  la]//  posesion 
y  del  resto  que  me  fue  prometido  y 
dise  que  era  de  la  amostrar  ese 
capitulo  d[e  la]//  carta  y  dise  que 
non  se  debe  dilatar  y  que  esto  con- 
viene  por  infinitos  respetos.  cre[a]// 
su  alteza  que  quanto  me  diere  que 
ha  de  ser  giento  por  vno  al  acres- 
gientamiento  de  su  alto  sehorio//  y 
renta  y  que  non  tiene  comparacion 
lo  fecho  con  lo  que  esta  para  hazer. 
el  embiar  obispo//  a  la  espanola 
se  debe  dilatar  fasta  fablar  yo  a 
su  alteza  nou  sea  como  del  otro 
que  se  piens[e]//  adobar  y  se  tras- 
torne.  [aca]  han  fechos  vnos  frios 
y  hazen  que  me  han  fatigado// 
harto  y  fatigan.  en  merced  del 
senor  adelantado  mencomiendo.  a 
ti  y  a  tu  hermano  guarde//  y  ben- 
diga  nuestro  senor.  a  carbajal  y 
a  Jeronimo  dad  mys  encomiendas. 
diego  mendez  alia//  lebara  el  costal 
lleno.  del  negogio  que  tu  escriu- 
ystes  creo  que  sea  muy  hazede[ro]// 
los  nabios  de  las  yndias  non  han 
llegado  de  lixboa.  mucho  oro  trusi- 
eron  y  ninguno  para  [mi]//  tan 
grande  burla  non  se  vido  que  yo 
dese  .lx.  mil  pesos  fondidos.  non 
debe  su  alteza  desar  perder  .  .  .// 
tan  grande  negogio  como  haz.  agora 
embia  al  gouernador 


XXXVII, 

might  see  it  if  he 
was  there,  and  also  the  Lord  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Seville,  as  the  King  might 
not  have  opportunity  to  read  it.  I 
have  already  told  you  that  the  peti¬ 
tion  to  their  Highnesses  must  be  for 
the  fulfilment  of  what  they  wrote  me 
about  the  possession  and  of  the  rest 
which  was  promised  me.  I  said 
that  this  chapter  of  the  letter  must 
be  shown  them  and  said  that  it  must 
not  be  delayed,  and  that  this  is  ad¬ 
visable  for  an  infinite  number  of 
reasons.  His  Highness  may  be¬ 
lieve  that  however  much  he  gives 
me,  the  increase  of  his  exalted  do¬ 
minions  and  revenue  will  be  in  the 
proportion  of  loo  to  i,  and  that 
there  is  no  comparison  between 
what  has  been  done  and  what  is  to 
be  done.  The  sending  of  a  Bishop 
to  Espanola  must  be  delayed  until  I 
speak  to  his  Highness.  It  must  not 
be  as  in  the  other  cases  when  it  was 
thought  to  mend  matters  and  they 
were  spoiled.  There  have  been 
some  cold  days  here  and  they  have 
caused  me  great  fatigue  and  fatigue 
me  now.  Commend  me  to  the 
favour  of  the  Lord  Adelantado.  May 
our  Lord  guard  and  bless  you  and 
your  brother.  Give  my  regards 
to  Carbajal  and  Jeronimo.  Diego 
Mendez  will  carry  a  full  pouch  there. 
I  believe  that  the  affair  of  which 
you  wrote  can  be  very  easily  man¬ 
aged.  The  vessels  from  the  Indies 
have  not  arrived  from  Lisbon. 
They  brought  a  great  deal  of  gold 
and  none  for  me.  So  great  a  mock¬ 
ery  was  never  seen,  for  I  left  there 
60,000  pesos  smelted.  His  Highness 
should  not  allow  so  great  an  affair 
to  be  ruined,  as  is  now  taking  place. 
He  now  sends  to  the  Governor  a 


394 


Christopher  Columbus 


provision 

fresca  non  sey  sobre  que  d  [e],  .  .// 

espero  cada  dia  cartas,  mira  mucho 
sobre  el  gastar  que  ansi  conviene. 
“fecha  a  .xviii.  de  henero// 

“tu  padre  que  te  ama  mas  que 
a  si// 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens./” 


XXXVII. 

new  provision.  I  do  not  know 
what  it  is  about.  I  expect  letters 
each  day.  Be  very  careful  about 
expenditures,  for  it  is  necessary. 
“Done  January  i8. 

“Your  father  who  loves  you 
more  than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens./”' 


395 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 

NO.  XXXVIII.  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 

DON  DIEGO,  HIS  SON 

In  the  whole  range  of  Columbian  correspondenee  there  is 
no  letter  whieh  so  stirs  our  hearts  as  this.  Here  we  have  the 
great  Discoverer  speaking  generously  and  affectionately  of  the 
great  Explorer.  Christopher  Columbus,  the  Genoese,  first  re¬ 
vealed  a  New  World.  Americus  Vespucius,  the  Florentine,  with 
the  thread  in  his  hand  first  traversed  a  great  portion  of  its 
length  and  measured  upon  its  side  nearly  a  fourth  part  of  the 
circle  of  the  globe.  Columbus,  the  Discoverer!  Vespucius,  the  Ex¬ 
plorer!  In  another  work  we  have  remarked  that,  while  the 
unities  of  the  drama  might  require  the  New  World  to  be  named 
after  Christopher  Columbus,  the  Discoverer,  negatively  at  least 
there  was  no  great  impropriety  in  calling  it  after  him  who,  on 
four  several  voyages,  ranged  its  shores  for  almost  ninety  degrees 
of  latitude.  Columbus  was  deprived  of  the  honour  of  having 
his  name  given  to  the  New  World.  It  was  an  injustice.  But 
this  injustice  lies  not  at  the  door  of  Vespucius.  He  had  nothing 
whatsoever  to  do  with  the  august  baptism,  except  so  far  as 
his  vivid  relations  of  what  he  had  done  and  seen  on  his 
four  voyages  fired  the  imagination  of  the  St.  Die  coterie  and 
magnified  his  name  in  the  Vosgian  mountains. 

It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  these  two  men  are  friends.  It  is 
gratifying  to  hear  the  testimony  of  Columbus  as  to  the  character 
of  Vespucius,  and  to  learn  that  the  latter  is  desirous  now,  as  he 
always  has  been,  of  serving  the  Admiral.  Great  things  are  not 
often  done  by  small  men.  Something  of  a  man’s  good  purpose 
or  the  importance  of  the  errand  on  which  he  goes  clears  his  char¬ 
acter  and  makes  it  clean.  There  was  naught  of  guile  in  Ameri¬ 
cus  Vespucius.  There  was  nothing  of  jealousy  in  Christopher 
Columbus.  Their  names  are  for  ever  identified  and  connected 
with  the  discovery  and  opening  of  the  Western  Hemisphere. 
History  is  not  deceived  by  names.  Men  and  things,  sooner  or 
later,  are  given  the  fame  that  belongs  to  them.  The  true  his¬ 
torian  is  an  attendant  at  the  Mills  of  the  Gods. 


"S». 


XXXVIII. 


XXXVIll.  Holograph  Letter  of  Colunihiis,  Signed,  Addressed  to  his  Son  Diego,  Dated  at  Seville,  February  5  [/505]. 

[Archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  at  Aladrid.] 


39S 


Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XXXVIII. 

T  rausliieratioii  T  ranslation 

XXXVIII. 


‘  mu}^  caro  fijo.  diego  mendez 
partio  de  aqui  lunes.  iii.  deste  mes. 
despues  de//  partido  fable  con 
amerigo  vespuchi  portador  desta  el 
qual  va  alia//  llamado  sobre  cosas 
de  nabigafion.  el  siempre  tubo 
deseu  de  me  hazer//  plazer.  es 
mucho  hombre  de  bien.  la  fortuna 
le  ha  sido  contraria  como/'/  a  otros 
muchos.  sus  trabajos  non  le  han 
aprovechado  tanto  como  la  razon// 
requiere.  el  va  por  myo  y  en  mucho 
deseu  de  hazer  cosa  que  redonde// 
a  my  bien  si  a  sus  manos  esta.  yo 
non  sey  de  aqua  en  que  yo  le  em- 
ponga//  que  amy  aprobeche  porque 
non  sey  que  sea  lo  que  alia  le  queren. 
el  va//  determinado  de  hazer  por 
my  todo  lo  que  a  el  fuere  posible. 
ved//  alia  en  que  puede  aprobechar 
y  trabajad  por  ello  que  el  lo  hara 
todo//  y  fablera  y  lo  porna  en  obra 
y  sea  todo  secretamente  por  que 
non  se//  aya  del  sospecha.  yo  todo 
lo  que  se  aya  pudido  dezir  que  toque 
a  esto// 


“Very  dear  son : 

“Diego  Mendez  left  here  Monday, 
the  3rd  of  this  month.  After  his 
departure  I  talked  with  Americus 
Vespucius,  the  bearer  of  this  letter, 
who  is  going  yonder  where  he  is 
called  in  regard  to  matters  of  navi¬ 
gation.  He  was  always  desirous  of 
pleasing  me.  He  is  a  very  honour¬ 
able  man.  Fortune  has  been  ad¬ 
verse  to  him  as  it  has  been  to  many 
others.  His  labours  have  not  pro¬ 
fited  him  as  much  as  reason  demands. 
He  goes  for  me  and  is  very  desirous 
of  doing  something  to  benefit  me  if 
it  is  in  his  power.  I  do  not  know 
of  anything  in  which  I  can  instruct 
him  for  my  benefit,  because  I  do  not 
know  what  is  wanted  of  him  there. 
He  is  going  with  the  determination 
to  do  everything  for  me  in  his 
power.  See  what  he  can  do  to 
profit  me  there  and  strive  to  have 
him  do  it;  for  he  will  do  everything 
and  will  speak  and  will  place  it  in 
operation;  and  it  must  all  be  done 
secretly  so  that  there  may  be  no 
suspicion. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


399 


se  lo  he  dicho  y  enformado 
de  la  paga  que  a  my  se  ha  fecho  y  se 
haz//  esta  carta  sea  para  el  senor 
adelantado  tanbien  por  que  el  vea 
en  que//  puede  aprovechar  y  le 
abise  dello.  crea  su  altega  que  sus 
navios  fueron//  en  lo  mejor  de  las 
yndias  y  mas  rico  y  si  queda  algo 
para  saber  mas//  de  lo  dicho  y  lo 
sastifere  alia  por  palabra  por  que  es 
inposible  a  lo//  dezir  por  escrito. 
nuestro  senor  te  aya  en  su  santa 
guardia.  fecha  en  sebilla//a.  V.  de 
febrero. 


“tu  padre  que  te  ama 
mas  que  asi. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens.” 


XXXVIII. 

I  have  told  him  all  that 
could  be  told  regarding  this  matter 
and  have  informed  him  of  the  pay¬ 
ment  whicli  has  been  made  to  me 
and  is  being  made.  This  letter  is 
for  the  Lord  Adelantado  also  that 
he  may  see  how  Americus  Vespucius 
can  be  useful  and  advise  him  about 
it.  His  Highness  may  believe  that 
his  ships  went  to  the  best  and  richest 
of  the  Indies,  and  if  anything  re¬ 
mains  to  be  learned  more  than  has 
been  told,  I  will  give  the  informa¬ 
tion  yonder  verbally  because  it  is 
impossible  to  give  it  in  writing. 
May  our  Lord  have  you  in  His  holy 
keeping.  Done  in  Seville  February  5. 

‘‘Your  father  who  loves  you 
more  than  himself. 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Kerens.” 


401 


The  H  andwriting  of  Columbus 


NO.  XXXVIIII.  LETTER  SIGNED  BY  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  TO 

DON  DIEGO,  HIS  SON 

This  is  the  latest  of  the  Admiral’s  letters  in  point  of  date. 
He  is  still  in  Seville,  and  while  his  permission  to  make  use  of  a 
mule  is  not  yet  received,  his  health  precludes  his  departing  in 
any  event.  It  was  only  on  the  25th  of  this  same  month  of  Feb¬ 
ruary  that  the  King  issued  his  authority  to  employ  this  coveted, 
but  generally  forbidden,  vehicle  of  travel.  Las  Casas  tells  us 
that  it  was  not  until  May  that  the  Admiral  set  out  from  Seville 
to  go  northward  in  search  of  the  Court.  He  is  at  Segovia  late 
in  the  summer  and  makes  a  will  on  August  25,  1505.  From 
Segovia  the  Court  moved  to  Salamanca  in  the  latter  part  of  Octo¬ 
ber,  1505.  The  thoughts  of  the  King  are  fastened  on  a  maid  in 
France,  Germaine  de  Foix,  soon  to  become  his  wife.  It  is  no 
time  to  treat  with  Columbus.  The  Court  is  at  \"alladolid  by 
February  10,  1506,  as  we  learn  from  Peter  Martyr.  Here  the 
Admiral  followed  and  here  he  died  a  few  months  later.  We 
regard  it  as  strange  that  history  records  no  contemporary  notice 
of  his  death,  but  this  is  due,  we  think,  to  the  mysterious  loss  of 
such  notices  and  not  to  any  neglect  or  oblivion  into  which  the 
Admiral  had  fallen.  He  was  a  man  of  influence  and  consequence 
to  the  day  of  his  death. 

VOL.  III.— 26. 


XXXVIIIl 


402 


o 


I ! ! 


s> 

o  : 

t 


O  ^ 

S  i 

'^3  ( 
-  Q 

(\)  ^  ! 


C3 


V. 

"P  ^ 

?S  ! 

1^  s  c 


^  <1 
<i5  ^ 


"Q 

«a 


C 

Q 


O 


-  C 


^  ,3  ; 

O  'O  q, 

^  ■, 
IS  O  • 


-o 

r; 

■o  ^ 
•o 


3 

'T'  !? 

^1  o 


.txc  ^ 


Co 


ta 


s  ^Ii: 


o  M~, 

to  ^ 


H-^  "tj  ['  i 
O  2  '  ^ 
j-  «  >. 


<i5 

-5 


: 

V  a 

'^  •'  cV 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


403 


NO.  XXXVIIII. 


Transliteration 

“muy  caro  fijo.  El  lijenfiado  de 
gea  es  presona  a  quien  yo  deseo 
honrrar.  El  tiene  a  cargo  dos  hom- 
bres//  sobre  los  quales  la  justigia 
tiene  pro^^eso  como  se  pares9e  por 
esta  ynforma^ion  que  aqui  en  esta 
va.  ten  forma//  que  diego  mendez 
ponga  esta  dicha  petition  con  las 
otras  en  la  semana  sancta  que  se 
dan  a  su  alteza  de  perdon  y  sy// 
saliese  despachada  bien  y  sy  no  ved 
otra  forma  por  que  se  despache. 
nuestro  senor  te  aya  en  su  sancta 
guarda//  fecha  en  seuilla  a  veynte 
&  jinco  de  febrero  de  mill  &  quinien- 
tos  &  yinco.  con  Amerigo  Ves- 
puchy  te  escriui//  procure  que  te 
enbie  la  carta  saluo  sy  ya  la  ouistes// 

“a  lo  que  tu  padre 

xpo  Ferens.//  ” 


Translation 

XXXVIIII. 

“Very  dear  son; 

“The  Licentiate  de  Zea  is  a  per¬ 
son  whom  I  desire  to  honour.  He 
has  in  his  charge  two  men  who  are 
under  prosecution  at  the  hands  of 
justice,  as  shown  by  the  informa¬ 
tion  which  is  inclosed  in  this  letter. 
See  that  Diego  Mendez  places  the 
said  petition  with  the  others,  that 
they  may  be  given  to  his  Highness 
during  Holy  Week,  for  pardon.  If 
the  pardon  is  granted,  it  is  well,  and 
if  not,  look  for  some  other  manner 
of  obtaining  it.  May  our  Lord  have 
you  in  His  holy  keeping.  Done  in 
Seville,  February  25,  1505.  I  wrote 
you  and  sent  it  by  Americas  Ves- 
pucius.  See  that  he  sends  you  the 
letter  unless  you  have  already  re¬ 
ceived  it. 

“Your  father 

xpo  Ferens.//” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus  405 


NO.  XXXX.  HOLOGRAPH  DOCUMENT  OF  COLUMBUS  SIGNED, 
BEING  A  QUOTATION  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

This  holograph  document  of  Columbus,  signed,  has  been 
lately  found  on  the  reeto  of  the  first  folio  of  an  example  of  the 
eelebrated  edition  of  Ptolemy,  printed  at  Rome  in  1478.  This 
volume  was  formerly  in  the  possession  of  General  San  Roman, 
and  is  now  preserved  in  the  arehives  of  the  Academy  of  History 
at  Madrid. 

The  line  of  writing  is  a  quotation  from  the  xcii.  Psalm : 

“  Myrabtles  elationcs  marts  myrabilis  in  altis  doniinus.'' 

The  use  of  the  monogram  shows  that  the  line  was  written  sub¬ 
sequent  to  his  discovery  of  the  New  World.  This  line,  in  some 
of  the  later  editions  of  St.  Jerome’s  version,  changes  the  word 
elationes  to  elcctiones,  but  we  do  not  find  this  last  reading  in  any 
Bible  prior  to  1492. 


■•  ' y  w  y// '^■\.''i  ‘  '■ 


Holograph  Document  of  Columbus  Signed. 


NO.  XXXX. 

.s. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
;Xpo  Ferens./ 

“  myrabiles  elationes  maris  myrabilis  in  altis 

dominus.” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


407 


NO.  XXXXI.  HOLOGRAPH  DOCUMENT  OF  COLUMBUS,  REGARD¬ 
ING  WRONGS  SUFFERED  BY  HIM 

Similar  in  its  tone  to  our  No.  XV.  is  the  following  additional 
memorial  of  the  Admiral,  concerning  injuries  which  he  has  re¬ 
ceived.  It  begins  with  the  usual  invocation,  JhesMS  cum  Maria 
sit  nobis  in  via,  but  is  not  signed.  The  invocation  is  repeated 
twice  at  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of  the  page. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  document  is  holograph.  It  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  a  rough  draft,  which  the  Admiral  expected  after¬ 
wards  to  present  in  a  formal  state  to  the  Sovereigns.  While  it 
carries  no  date,  it  undoubtedly  was  written  previous  to  the  com¬ 
pilation  of  the  Book  of  Privileges,  and  therefore  immediately 
preceding  his  fourth  and  last  voyage. 


4oS 


409 


■i 


•J' 


i  4  ' 


,'^^3 

k 


M 


i  ''*  ^ 

'^'3°  j'^i 

5  <=4i 

(4  ^ 

^  V 

■  V 

d  ^  j  ■^  .' 


!  ^  ■  ■ 


fa  iit.’' 

I )  IT 

<fa  '  fa  'L  '>.  V  V 

•=1  ^  -i  N  L^  "tt./ 

■ '  ‘  <0^ 

^  4.  M^. 
CS'^ 

—  vi-  i 


i'lCi  iJ  fa;  1 .  Jr^  to^ 


“N  fe>  ^ 

(".  t 

2  I 

rM  ikni  rfe  •' 


^4  7 

\3K.y  • 


Cb* 


No.  XXXXl.  Holograph  Docnnieni.  Memorial  of  the  Admiral  in  Relation  to  the  Injuries  which  he  has  Received. 
[Found  on  pp.  2g,  po,  pi,  of  Duchess  of  Alba’s  “  Xuevos  Autografos,”  Madrid,  igo2.] 


410  Christopher  Columbus 


NO.  XXXXI. 

T  ranslation 

XXXXI. 

“  Jhesits  cum  Maria  sit  nobis  in  via 


Transliteration 

“  Jhesiis cum  Maria  sit  nobis  in  via ' 

“En  nombre  de  don  Cristobal 
Colon  &c. 

digo  que  al  tiempo  que  el  vino  a 
sus  altezas  con  la  inpresa  de  las  yn- 
dias  que  el  demandara  por  vm  me¬ 
morial  suyo  muchas  cosas  y  fray 
juan  perez  y  monsen  coloma,  los 
quales  entendian  en  ello,  le  concer- 
taron  en  esta  manera. 

“  primeramente  que  s.  a.  le  fici- 
esen  almirante,  viso  rey  y  gober- 
nador  general  de  las  yndias  y  le 
ficiesen  merced  de  todos  los  oficios, 
como  mas  largo  parese  por  el  dicho 
asiento,  y  oviese  el  en  el  dicho  almi- 
rantado  las  mercedes  y  renta  que  ha 
y  tiene  el  sehor  almirante  de  castilla 
en  su  distrito. 

“ytem  por  que  el  dicho  don  Cris¬ 
tobal  dezia  que  era  poco  lo  que 
daban  s.  a.  al  sehor  almirante  de 
castilla,  diziendo  que  el  yba  a  poner 
su  persona  a  bentura  y  daba  las 
yndias  a  s.  a.,  y  que  dellas  mesmas 
demandaba  la  satisfacion,  pidio  mas 
el  diezmo  de  todo  y  s.  a.  se  le  otor- 
garon,  sacando  primero  las  custas. 

“ytem  suplico  a  s.  a.  que  le  diesen 
lugar  para  vm  juez  aca  que  enten- 
diese  en  los  pleytos  de  las  merca- 
durias  y  negocios  de  las  yndias: 
respondieron  s.  a.  que  le  plazia  si 
pertenecia  al  tal  oficio  y  si  fuese 
justo. 

“ytem  por  que  aca  se  dudaba 


“In  the  name  of  Don  Christopher 
Columbus,  etc. 

“I  say  that  at  the  time  when  he 
came  to  their  Highnesses  with  the 
undertaking  of  the  Indies,  he  de¬ 
manded  many  things,  according  to 
a  memorandum  of  his,  and  Friar 
Juan  Perez  and  Monsen  Coloma, 
who  occupied  themselves  with  the 
matter,  made  an  agreement  with 
him  in  this  manner ; 

“First,  that  their  Highnesses 
should  make  him  Admiral,  Vice¬ 
roy  and  Governor-General  of  the 
Indies,  and  should  grant  all  the 
offices  to  him,  as  appears  more  at 
length  from  the  said  contract,  and 
he  should  have  in  the  said  Admiral- 
ship  the  same  privileges  and  revenue 
which  the  Lord  Admiral  of  Castile 
has  and  holds  in  his  territory. 

“  Item,  as  the  said,  Don  Chris¬ 
topher  said  that  what  their  High¬ 
nesses  gave  to  the  Lord  Admiral  of 
Castile  was  not  much,  saying  that 
he  was  going  to  risk  his  person  and 
give  the  Indies  to  their  Highnesses 
and  that  he  demanded  satisfaction 
for  the  same,  he  asked  besides,  the 
tenth  of  everything,  and  their  High¬ 
nesses  granted  it  to  him,  the  ex¬ 
penses  being  first  deducted. 

“Item,  he  entreated  their  High¬ 
nesses  to  give  him  a  place  for  a 
judge  here  who  should  occupy  him¬ 
self  with  the  law-suits  relating  to 
merchandise  and  the  affairs  of  the 
Indies.  Their  Highnesses  responded 
that  it  pleased  them  if  it  belonged 
to  such  office  and  if  it  was  just. 

“Item,  because  he  was  doubted 


^  This  invocation  is  twice  repeated  at  the  top  of  the  page. 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


411 


y  dezia  que  esta  impresa  era  burla  y 
que  dios  nunca  habia  dado  tierra  al 
poniente,  suplico  a  s.  a.  que  le  rece- 
biesen  en  el  gasto  que  estonces  y 
dende  adelante  mandasen  a  hazer 
para  las  dichas  yndias  por  la  ochaba 
parte,  y  que  oviese  el  la  ochaba  parte 
de  todo  lo  que  resultase,  desto,  como 
de  todo  lo  suso  escrito,  parece  mas 
largo  por  el  asiento  que  con  el  se 
tomo. 


XXXXI. 

here  and  it  was  said  that  this  under¬ 
taking  was  a  hoax  and  that  God  had 
never  placed  land  to  the  westward, 
he  entreated  their  Highnesses  to 
allow  him  to  assume  the  eighth  part 
of  the  expense  which  then  and 
thenceforward  they  should  order  in¬ 
curred  for  the  said  Indies:  and  that 
he  should  have  the  eighth  part  of 
all  that  should  result  from  this,  as 
appears  more  at  length  with  all  the 
above  written,  by  the  contract 
which  he  made  with  them. 


412 


Christopher  Columbus 


“digo  que  despues  de  todo  esto 
asentado,  le  mandaron  s.  a.  a  sena- 
ladamente  que  el  fuese  a  ganar  las 
dichas  yn[dias]  .  .  .  y  que  plugo  a 
n.  s.  que  las  gano  y  las  ha  puestas  so 
el  real  sehorio  de  s.  a. 

“en  el  priuilegio  del  sehor  almi- 
rante  de  castilla  esta  que  de  todas 
las  ganancias  que  el  fiziere  que  a[ya] 
.  .  .  la  tercia  parte,  y  pues  s.  a. 
asenaladamente  le  mandaron  al 
dicho  don  Cristobal  que  fue[se]  .  .  . 
a  ganar  yslas  y  tierras  firmes  a  las 
yndias  y  las  ha  ganado,  le  pertenece 
la  .  .  . 

‘  ‘  y tern  ha  de  haver  mas  el  diezmo 
de  todo  lo  que  se  oviere  y  ha  habido 
despues  de  una  m  .  .  .  s.  a.  le  fizi- 
eron  de  gastos  que  fue  el  ano  de  97, 
ha  haber  el  diezmo  y  dar  las  nueve 
par[tes]  a  quien  s.  a.  mandare. 

“ytem  contribuyo  el  dicho  don 
Cristobal  desdel  primer  viaje  fasta 
el  postrero  en  todos  los  gastos  de 
nabios,  de  fletes,  de  sueldos  y  de 
todos  otros  gastos:  ha  de  haber  la 
ochaba  parte  de  lo  que  resulto  de  las 
dichas  armadas  y  gastos  de  sueldo. 

“digo  que  el  dicho  don  cristobal 
colon,  como  viso  rey,  almirante  y 
gobernador  general,  ha  de  gobernar 
las  yndias  y  la  dicha  negociacion,  y 
haber  su  salario  y  la  tercia  parte  y 
la  ochaba  parte  y  la  decena  parte 
y  los  gastos  que  se  ficieren  hanse  de 
sacar  primero,  si  sus  altezas  hacen 
merced  en  las  yndias  de  mueble  o  de 
raiz,  han  de  saluar  la  parte  del  al¬ 
mirante,  ansi  de  la  hazienda 


XXXXI. 

‘  ‘  I  say  that  after  all  this  was 
agreed,  their  Highnesses  appointed 
him  especially  to  go  and  acquire  the 
said  Indies  .  .  .  and  it  pleased  our 
Lord  that  he  acquired  them  and  has 
placed  them  under  the  Royal  do¬ 
minion  of  their  Highnesses. 

“  It  is  contained  in  the  privilege  of 
the  Lord  Admiral  of  Castile  that  of 
all  the  profits  he  shall  acquire,  he  may 
have  .  .  .  the  third  part,  and  since 
their  Highnesses  especially  directed 
the  said  Don  Christopher  to  go  .  .  . 
to  acquire  islands  and  mainlands 
in  the  Indies,  and  he  has  acquired 
them,  there  belongs  to  him  the  .  .  . 

“Item,  he  is  to  have  besides,  the 
tenth  of  all  that  shall  be  received 
and  has  been  received  since  a  .  .  . 
their  Highnesses  made  him  of  ex¬ 
penses  which  was  the  year  97.  He 
is  to  have  the  tenth  and  give  the 
nine  parts  to  whomever  their 
Highnesses  shall  direct. 

“Item,  the  said  Don  Christopher 
contributed  from  the  first  voyage 
to  the  last,  to  all  the  expenses  for 
vessels,  freightage,  wages,  and  to 
all  the  other  expenses :  he  is  to  have 
the  eighth  part  of  all  that  shall  re¬ 
sult  from  the  said  fleets  and  expen¬ 
ditures  for  wages. 

“I  say  that  the  said  Don  Chris¬ 
topher  Columbus,  as  Viceroy,  Ad¬ 
miral  and  Governor-General  is  to 
govern  the  Indies  and  control  the 
said  negotiation  and  have  his  salary 
and  the  third  part  and  the  eighth 
part  and  the  tenth  part  and  the  ex¬ 
penses  which  shall  be  incurred  shall 
first  be  deducted.  If  their  High¬ 
nesses  make  any  grant  in  the  Indies 
of  movable  property  or  real  estate 
the  part  belonging  to  the  Admiral 
must  be  reserved,  both  of  the  land 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


413 


como 

de  los  oficios  y  juridicion,  pues  que 
todo  ya  esta  ganado  y  tiene  ya  su 
parte  ganada,  y  en  posesion  de  todo 
ello;  ansi  que  si  hacen  merced  o  dan 
franquezas,  se  intende  que  es  de  la 
parte  que  a  s.  a.  pertenece,  y  non  de 
la  del  dicho  almirante,  la  qual  es- 
picificadamente  deben  mandar  que 
le  sea  guardada  y  se  le  acuda  con 
ella  o  a  quien  el  mandare. 


XXXXI. 

and  of  the  offices  and  jurisdiction, 
since  all  is  already  acquired  and  he 
already  has  his  part  acquired  and 
is  in  possession  of  it  all ;  so  that  if 
they  make  grants  or  give  franchises, 
it  is  understood  that  it  is  from  the 
share  which  belongs  to  their  High¬ 
nesses  and  not  from  the  share  of 
the  said  Admiral,  and  they  must 
specifically  order  that  his  share  be 
preserved  and  made  over  to  him  or 
to  whomever  he  shall  authorise. 


414 


XXXXIb. 


4i6 


Christopher  Columbus 


“si  sus  altezas  mandan  a  hazer 
alguna  innovacion  en  la  mar  o  en  la 
tierra  de  las  dichas  yndias,  sin  que 
sea  por  mano  y  consentimiento  del 
dicho  almirante,  recibe  agrabio,  por- 
que  puderia  ser  contra  sus  oficios  y 
cargo  y  contra  su  hazienda. 

“si  s.  a.  mandan  gente  a  sueldo  o 
a  descobrir,  o  a  bebir  en  las  indias, 
es  razon  que  manden  a  las  tales  per¬ 
sonas  que  acudan  y  fagan  acudir  de 
la  ganancia  que  ovieren  de  la  tercia 
parte  3^  ochava  parte  y  dezima  parte 
al  almirante,  saluo  si  el  oviese  con- 
sentido  en  las  dichas  mercedes  o 
franquezas. 

“quando  el  almirante  fizo  asiento 
y  capitulo  con  su  alteza,  se  entendia 
que  toda  esta  negociacion  se  habia 
de  tratar  y  negociar  por  mano  del  y 
de  quien  su  puder  tubiese,  ansi  en 
las  yndias  como  aca  en  castilla,  y 
que  no  oviese,  de  aca  yr  alia  nabios, 
ny  gente,  ny  mercadurias,  ni  otras 
cosas  sin  firma  suya,  y  ansi  mismo 
de  alia  aca,  y  habia  de  prover  en  los 
oficios  de  la  mar  y  de  la  tierra,  y  ansi 
los  provio  fasta  agora  poco  ha  que  el 
sehor  obispo  de  cordoba  los  prove 
por  mandado  de  s.  a.' 


XXXXIa. 

“If  their  Highnesses  order  any 
innovations  to  be  made  on  the  sea 
or  on  the  land  of  the  said  Indies, 
without  it  be  by  means  of,  and 
consent  of  the  said  Admiral,  he  is 
wronged,  because  it  might  be  con¬ 
trary  to  his  offices  and  charge,  and 
against  his  property. 

“If  their  Highnesses  send  paid 
persons  either  to  make  discoveries 
or  to  live  in  the  Indies,  it  is  right 
that  they  send  such  persons  as  will 
make  over  to  the  Admiral,  and  cause 
to  be  made  over  to  him,  the  third 
part  and  eighth  part  and  tenth  part 
of  what  shall  be  received,  unless  he 
shall  have  consented  to  the  said 
grants  and  franchises. 

“When  the  Admiral  made  the 
contract  and  agreement  with  their 
Highnesses  it  was  agreed  that  all 
this  business  was  to  be  negotiated 
and  managed  by  him  and  by  whom¬ 
ever  should  possess  his  authority, 
both  in  the  Indies  and  here  in  Cas¬ 
tile,  and  that  ships  were  not  to  go 
there  or  people  or  merchandise  or 
other  things  without  his  signature, 
and  likewise  that  they  were  not  to 
come  here,  from  there,  and  that  he 
was  to  dispose  of  the  offices  on  sea 
and  on  land;  and  he  thus  disposed 
of  them  up  to  a  short  time  ago  since 
which  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Cordova 
disposes  of  them  by  command  of 
their  Highnesses. 


^  ‘  ‘  Las  yndias  son  de  su  alteza :  descobrioselas  y  gano  el  almirante  contra  la  opinion 
de  todo  el  mundo:  el  tiene  en  ellas  la  tercia  parte,  ochavo  y  diezmo;  en  su  mano 
parece  que  estaba  alas  descobrir  y  dar  a  qual  quero  otro  princepe,  y  pues  el  servio 
con  ellas,  justo  es  que  aya  dellas  la  parte  que  se  asento,  la  qual  ha  de  gastar  en  servicio 
de  dios  y  de  s.  a.”  “The  Indies  belong  to  their  Highnesses:  The  Admiral  discovered 
and  acquired  them  against  the  opinion  of  all  the  world:  he  has  the  third,  eighth,  and 
tenth  share  in  them.  It  appears  that  it  was  in  his  power  to  discover  them  and  give 
them  to  any  other  Prince  whatever,  and  since  he  rendered  service  with  them,  it  is 
just  that  he  shall  have  the  share  in  them  which  was  agreed,  which  share  is  to  be 
spent  in  the  service  of  God  and  of  their  Highnesses.” 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


417 


“suplico  en  nombre  del  dicho 
senor  almirante  a  su  alteza  que  le 
mande  tornar  la  posesion  de  sus 
oficios  de  visorrey,  de  almirante  y 
de  gobernador  general  y  que  use 
dello  como  usaba. 

“ytem  suplico  a  s.  a.  que  manden 
que  non  vayan  nabios  dentro  en  el 
dicho  almirantado  ny  a  las  yndias 
sin  despaclio  del  dicho  almirante, 
como  solia  hazer,  para  que  pueda  el 
contribuir  en  lo  que  quisiere  y  hauer 
de  lo  que  se  oviere  su  parte. 

“una  provision  mandaron  adar 
sobre  esto  en  medina  s.  a.  para  el  s.  or 
obispo  y  para  quien  entendiese  .  .  . 
n  parte  en  las  cosas  de  las  yndias 
para  que  non  entendiesen  en  ellas 
sin  el  dicho  almirante  o  persona  .  .  . 


XXXXIb. 

“I  entreat  their  Highnesses  in 
the  name  of  the  said  Lord  Admiral 
to  order  that  the  possession  of  his 
offices  of  Viceroy,  of  Admiral  and 
of  Governor-General  be  returned  to 
him  and  that  he  may  exercise  them 
as  he  formerly  exercised  them. 

“I  entreat  their  Highnesses  to 
order  that  vessels  may  not  go  into 
the  said  Admiralship  or  to  the  said 
Indies  without  the  warrant  of  the 
said  Admiral,  as  was  the  custom,  in 
order  that  he  may  contribute  what 
he  shall  desire  and  have  his  portion 
of  what  shall  be  acquired. 

“Their  Highnesses  directed  that 
an  order  be  given  regarding  this 
matter  in  Medina  to  the  effect  that 
the  Lord  Bishop  and  whoever  should 
be  employed  .  .  . 


4i8 


Christopher  Columbus 


fuele  intimada,  mas  non  se  guardo 
ny  guarda,  y  se  despacharon  nabios 
en  .  .  .  cencia  y  non  ha  habido  a  la 
buelta  dellos  tercio,  ni  ochavo,  ni 
diezmo,  [sup]  lico  a  su  alteza  que 
manden  por  su  carta  a  todos  los  que 
fueron  y  benieron  de  las  .  .  .  [in- 
dias?]  que  acuden  al  dicho  almirante 
de  lo  que  ban  traydo,  sacado  las 
custas,  con  el  tercio,  ochavo  y  diez¬ 
mo  .  .  .  osa  suya,  porque  en  la 
merced  que  le  hizieron  non  se  en- 
tendia  lo  suyo,  y  que  saluado  estaba 
el  .  .  .  del  tercero. 


“suplico  a.  s.  a.  que  quando  quis- 
eren  enviar  a  las  dichas  tierras  por 
braxil  o  perlas  o  oro  o  otra  cosa  de 
balor  que  en  ellas  haya,  que  sea  por 
mano  del  dicho  almirante  y  non  de 
otra  persona,  pues  esto  es  su  oficio, 
y  por  esto  demando  la  gobernacion 
de  las  dichas  tierras  y  mares  y  por 
que  el  pueda  haber  la  parte  que  le 
perteneciere  y  haumentar  y  aprove- 
char  la  hazienda  y  negociacion  y 
guardar  su  real  senorio. 


“ytem  suplico  a  s.  a.  que  manden 
que  les  sea  restituydo  lo  que  boba- 
dilla  le  tomo  y  a  sus  hermanos,  y 
que  se  le  tome  la  cuenta,  y  que  v.  a. 
le  den  vm  fin  y  cjuito  de  todo  y  con- 
firmen  lo  que  ha  fecho  en  sus  reales 
nombres  como  su  visorrey,  y  le  den 
por  libre  de  todos 


XXXXIb. 

part  in  the  affairs 
of  the  Indies,  should  not  occupy 
themselves  in  them  without  the  said 
Admiral  or  a  person  ...  it  was  in¬ 
timated  to  them,  but  it  was  not  ob¬ 
served  nor  is  observed  and  they 
despatched  vessels  .  .  .  and  he  has 
not  had,  on  their  returns,  the  third 
nor  the  eighth  nor  the  tenth:  I  en¬ 
treat  their  Highnesses  to  direct  by 
their  Royal  Order  that  all  those  per¬ 
sons  who  went  to  and  came  from  the 
.  .  .  [Indies]  shall  pay  to  the  said  Ad¬ 
miral  the  third,  eighth  and  tenth  of 
what  they  have  brought  from  there, 
having  deducted  the  expenses  .  .  . 
because  in  the  grant  which  they 
made  to  him  his  own  [part]  was 
not  understood  and  that  he  was 
saved  ...  of  the  third. 

“I  entreat  their  Highnesses  that 
whenever  they  shall  desire  to  send  to 
the  said  countries  for  Brazil-wood, 
or  pearls  or  gold  or  anything  else  of 
value  which  there  may  be  there, 
that  it  may  be  by  means  of  the  said 
Admiral  and  not  of  another  person, 
since  this  is  his  office:  and  by  this 
petition  I  demand  the  government 
of  the  said  lands  and  seas  and  that 
he  may  have  the  part  which  shall 
belong  to  him,  and  increase  the 
property  and  business  and  make  it 
more  profitable  and  preserve  your 
Royal  dominion. 

“Item,  I  entreat  their  Highnesses 
to  direct  that  there  be  restored  to 
him  and  to  his  brothers  what  Boba- 
dilla  took  from  them  and  that  his 
account  be  taken  and  examined  and 
I  beg  that  their  Highnesses  will  give 
him  a  full  receipt  and  acquittance  for 
everything  and  confirm  what  he  has 
done  in  their  Royal  names,  as  their 
Viceroy,  and  discharge  him  from  all 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


419 


los  crimes  y  que  de 
aqui  en  adelante  tenga  letrados 
agora  que  hay  con  que  los  pagar. 

“ytem  suplico  a  s.  a.  que  a  los  ve- 
cinos  moradores  y  a  toda  la  otra 
gente  de  la  mar  y  de  la  tierra  que  de 
todo  lo  que  ovieren  en  las  yndias 
alia  y  aca  acudan  al  dicho  almirante 
con  el  tercio,  ochauo  y  diezmo,  sa- 
cado  las  custas.” 


XXXXIb. 

the  crimes  and  that  from  now  hence¬ 
forward  he  may  have  lawyers  who 
shall  have  sufficient  payment. 

“I  entreat  their  Highnesses  that 
of  all  that  the  citizens  dwelling  in  the 
Indies  and  of  all  that  the  other  peo¬ 
ple  dwelling  on  land  and  sea,  shall  re¬ 
ceive, — both  there  and  here, — they 
shall  pay  to  the  said  Admiral  the 
third,  eighth  and  tenth,  having  de¬ 
ducted  the  expenses.” 


Jj 


^  •  »  9^'  ^  ;j(\»^  $i^X  TtXCy-f/^ 


'Xx-^ 


fr^'yy.a  t> 


-V  ^■yyjjM-vo 


^Urfx)  (^  <f  C  A^yt.^  tvvvl'  5-  (J  <^.  Ant>  i-'vy^v  jd^V^xVo 

y/>  ^XA'^-  c^  -{f-A-^  y/j, 

v^^*f  cJ~  foA»  to  ^  4^-/C»//a/C*  4ynvA>&7V^^  ^Kn/xiK^  'j'  { 

yjp  ^  o/^i^r-  yh'  rvv/^*^/  cMyno  yW \rC  ^1 

Aj^'W^’^  Z  y^y^  y^y~*'J<-(^~  Ca  ^  to  Cjy.f\'JAfx' ^  (X  ^^f'  .^"*^A*-  I 

^_j>^vi^L/rvo  |f^'  V  ^  yjy'' yfvf^^nL^  X-C  a--'  /»«1 

V  w-  '‘^ rv*^o  /  \i?  jtr  iJW  yyx4j>x^  v-frvxyjf  foBlA  \r/h<  \ 

v-j  rh*-y^  ^J^Yn/<r/i!r4^  y,  ^  | 

^  ^4r.A4r  y^toYA  .-yx-  l-~  <5>^  ^4^^  t^i(-  yy^Jy^x^ 

r^  c  0  P/>L 


yxyK 


a'y^P'r  r^'"  ‘^■^v9^  ^yto^ 

"Y-y  '7€  i*'if  ■^'  9^  •3'‘  I 


'0^'€-*-^  f  y  .A'd  A^/Dy;^A^' 

St^  x-i^-  ^  V  V7  ^ 

^^/ji,-,v-  S^/j  .f  ^  .-/V..^../. .  «„;;A  ^ 

i«-  Vv,  m/4J»  A<]i,/^^;t 


I 


‘  4'  “  _ 

^  •k'/V*  v-/cHF*V/'  x-f^.  4.^-?.-  (^  ^TN*^yvU 


■  j );' 

HXV  XT  ^.'X‘\-/o/  ^  I 


/'/o.  XXXXII .  Holograph  Document  of  Columbus  Written  in  San  Domingo  November  16, 
I4g8,  relating  to  his  First  Voyage.  [Translation  will  be  found  in  Volume  /.,  page  477.] 


The  Handwriting  of  Columbus 


421 


TRANSLITERATION  OF  DOCUMENT  NO.  XXXXII. 

“  ROL  6  RELACION 

De  La  Gente  Que  Fue  Con  Cristobal  Colon  En  El  Primer  Viaje 
“  Jhesus  cum  Maria  sit  nobis  in  via 
“  [carta  describano  de  como  pago  su  senoria  a  los  de  palos]  ^ 

“[13]  ^  Jhesus  1498  a  XVI  dias  de  noviembre  en  santo  domingo  en 
la  ysla  espanola. 

“  A1  tiempo  que  el  rey  e  la  reyna,  mis  senores,  que  fue  el  ano  de  1491,  acor- 
daron  que  yo  fuese  a  descobrir  las  yndias,  asente  con  s.  a.  que  habria  yo  el 
ochavo  de  todo  lo  que  resultase  de  la  armada  que  haria,  contribuyendo  yo 
la  ochava  parte  de  las  custas,  como  mas  largo  parece  por  el  dicho  asiento, 
y  por  que  pareciese  lo  que  yo  gastase,  quise  que  fuese  por  ante  escriuano 
publico  en  la  villa  de  palos  adonde  arme  por  mandado  de  s.  a.  tres  nabios, 
una  nao  y  dos  carabelas,  y  los  dineros  que  yo  daba  y  gastaba  era  por  ante 
el  sobre  dicho  escriuano,  el  qual  de  su  mano  escriuio  toda  esta  escrituray 
dineros. 

“sus  altezas  agora  este  ano  de  98  que  yo  estaba  en  su  Real  corte  me 
hicieron  merced  que  non  fuese  obligado  a  la  paga  del  gasto  pasado  fasta 
llegar  aqui,  que  fue  el  dicho  ano  de  98  a  31  de  Agosto  y  tambien  del  gasto 
de  la  armada  que  yo  truse,  como  parece  por  su  carta  la  qual  esta  con  las  otras 
en  Sebilla  en  el  monasterio  de  las  cuebas  y  el  traslado  autorizado  della 
esta  aqui  en  un  libro  con  otras. 

“bien  que  s.  a.  me  ay  an  fecho  la  dicha  merced  y  esta  escritura  aya 
espirado,  guardese  muy  bien  y  se  faga  firmar  al  dicho  escriuano,  tomanda 
aqui  della  primero  vm  traslado  por  escriuano  publico  que  haga  fee  dello  y 
se  liebe  a  palos  y  despues  se  ponga  con  las  otras  escrituras  de  valor  en  las 
cuebas  de  Sebilla: 

“quando  esta  escritura  se  perdiese,  ali  se  esta  la  gente  que  recebio  de 
my  el  dinero,  los  quales  daran  fe  dello  y  ali  se  esta  la  cuenta  de  los  senores 
contadores  mayores  los  quales  pagaron  esta  gente  en  la  buelta  de  las  indias 
lo  que  se  le  debia,  demas  desto  que  se  le  empresto.  ante  que  fuesen  y  el 
resto  que  ganaron  recebieron  en  Barcelona  en  mayo  de  (s.  a.).” 

[A  translation  of  this  document  will  be  found  on  pages  477  and  478 
of  volume  i.] 

’  This  line  is  not  in  the  hand  of  Columbus. 

“  This  number  relates  to  the  manuscript  volume  in  which  the  document  was 
found. 


CHAPTER  CXXII 


FERDINAND  COLUMBUS  AND  HIS  LIBRARY 

Ferdinand  Columbus,  the  natural  son  of  Christopher  Co¬ 
lumbus  by  Beatriz  Enriquez,  was  born  at  Cordova,  August  15, 
1488,  and  found  himself  at  the  age  of  two  and  twenty  settled  in 
the  beautiful  city  of  Seville,  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  large  income 
left  him  by  his  father.  He  was  a  student.  The  power  of 
official  position,  the  excitement  of  public  life,  the  passion  for 
discovery,  had  no  attraction  for  him.  He  set  himself  the  most 
delightful  of  all  tasks, — the  gathering  of  a  library.  His  task 
was  well  accomplished.  Let  it  not  be  concluded  that  this  son 
of  Columbus  was  unwilling  to  perform  public  service.  There  is 
a  difference  between  responding  to  a  call  of  duty  and  soliciting 
place  with  endless  cries.  In  the  decree  of  February,  1524,  he 
was  one  of  the  commission  to  define  the  respective  rights  of 
Spain  and  Portugal,  and  he  sat  with  the  commission  at  Badajoz. 
Ferdinand,  the  very  year  his  house  was  finishing,  presided  over 
a  commission  of  cosmographers  and  pilots  for  the  correction  of 
marine  charts  and  for  the  construction  of  a^  sphere  whereupon 
should  be  delineated  the  newly  discovered  countries.  And 
scarcely  was  his  house  completed  when,  Sebastian  Cabot  having 
in  April,  1526,  set  out  for  an  expedition  to  the  Moluccas,  Fer¬ 
dinand  assumed  the  duties  of  the  latter,  and  in  his  own  man¬ 
sion  charged  himself  with  the  commissioning  of  pilots,  having 
for  chief  examiner  the  famous  Diego  Ribero.  A  year  or  two 
later  he  was  summoned  to  the  Court  of  Charles  V.  for  consulta¬ 
tion  as  to  the  cession,  or,  rather,  sale,  to  Portugal  of  Spain’s 
interest  in  the  Moluccas.' 

^  Here  is  a  diplomatic  mystery  we  should  like  right  well  to  pause  and  investigate. 
Spain  ceded  her  rights  in  the  Moluccas  to  Portugal  for  three  hundred  and  fifty  thou¬ 
sand  gold  ducats.  But  in  the  lease,  through  the  careless  use  of  words,  the  time  was 
construed  as  perpetual  instead  of  being  limited.  Twenty  years  or  more  afterward 


422 


The  Library  of  Lerdinand  Columbus  and 

Cuevas  in  Seville. 


the  Monastery  of  Las 


423 


424  Christopher  Columbus 

In  1529,  when  Charles  V.  embarked  at  Bareelona  for  Genoa, 
Ferdinand  was  in  his  train,  although  he  was  baek  again  in 
Spain  the  same  fall. 

According  to  a  judicial  paper  connected  with  the  execution 
of  the  Last  Will  and  Testament  of  Ferdinand  Columbus,  made 
Saturda}",  July  12,  1539,  the  dwelling-place  '  of  the  deceased  is 
said  to  be  at  Seville  in  the  parish  of  St.  Vincent,  adjoining 
the  Puerta  de  Goles,  a  corrupted  form  of  Hercules,  whose  name 
had  been  given  to  one  of  the  principal  gates  of  the  walled  city. 
In  the  time  of  Philip  II.,  after  May,  1570,  when  he  made  his 
entrance  into  Seville,  this  gate  was  called  The  Royal  Gate  in 
his  honour.  The  property  belonging  to  Ferdinand  was  in¬ 
cluded  in  a  magnificent  park,^  running  nearly  from  the  Puerta 
de  Goles  to  the  next  gate  on  the  north,  and  in  which  there  have 
been  planted  no  less  than  five  thousand  trees,  most  of  which 
were  brought  from  the  New  World.  Here  was  the  celebrated 
Huerta  de  Colon,  or  Columbus  Garden,  and  here,  in  the  year 
1526,  was  erected  the  house  of  Ferdinand,  a  portion  of  which 
was  especially  designed  for  his  library.  There  remains  to  us  a 
manuscript  document  in  which  Ferdinand  gives  Nicolao  de 
Grimaldi  of  Genoa  an  order  for  a  fagade  of  Carrara  marble  ^ 
for  his  house,  and  which  was  to  bear  the  inscription: 

when  the  Emperor,  full  of  power,  was  advised  by  his  counsellors  to  force  a  recall  of 
the  lease  from  Portugal,  the  strong  declined  a  manifest  advantage  over  the  weak  and 
to  insert  by  the  sword  a  new  writing  in  the  lease.  In  commenting  on  this  decision 
an  old  writer  observed;  “Some  marvelled,  others  grieved,  but  all  held  their  peace.” 

'  When  the  property  was  bought  at  a  judicial  sale  in  1594  it  was  described  as  Las 
casas  que  fueron  del  Almirante,  but  the  reader  will  recall  that  eventful  day  in  January 
in  the  year  1502  at  the  hour  of  saying  vespers,  when  the  Lord  Admiral  of  the  Indies 
with  his  witnesses  and  notaries  gathered  in  his  house  in  the  city  of  Seville  in  the 
parish  of  St.  Mary.  But  this  house  of  the  Admiral  was  more  than  eighteen  hundred 
feet  from  the  Gate  of  Hercules,  and  there  is  no  proof  that  he  ever  owned  the  property 
on  the  site  of  Ferdinand’s  house. 

2  Mr.  Harrisse  has  calculated  that  the  park  contained  somewhere  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  seventeen  and  a  quarter  acres  (seven  hectares) ,  basing  his  calculations  on  a 
comparison  of  the  scale  used  in  the  geometric  plan  of  Seville  made  by  Thomas  Lopez 
de  Vergas  in  1771—1787  (Madrid,  1788)  and  the  proportional  part  of  the  quarter 
section  taken  from  the  engraving  of  Hoefnagel  here  shown. 

^  “  De  marmora  de  Carrara  cossi  bono  quanto  e  quello  de  che  habiamo  facto  la 
sepoltura  del  Marcheize  de  Aimon  et  che  per  intendere  cossi  bon  marmora  et  bona 
opera  ben  facta  a  la  bonta  che  si  Sacramento  et  depositione  de  mess.” 

Notarial  Act  of  September  10,  1529,  preserved  in  the  Archives  Tabellionnaires  at 
Genoa. 

“Of  Carrara  marble  to  be  of  as  good  a  quality  as  that  used  for  the  tomb  of  the 
Marquis  de  Aimon  and  that  there  shall  be  employed  as  good  marble  and  as  good 
workmanship  as  if  intended  for  the  sacraments  or  for  an  altar  for  mass. 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  425 

“Don  Fernando  Colon,  hijo  de  D.  Xpval  Colon  primero  Almi- 

RANTE  QUE  DESCUBRIO  LAS  YnDIAS  FVNDO  ESTA  CASA  ANO  DE  MILL  E 
QUINIENTOS  E  VEYNTE  E  SEYS.’’ 

“Don  Ferdinand  Columbus,  son  of  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  first 
Admiral  who  discovered  the  Indies,  erected  this  house  in  the  year  1526.” 

The  property  is  said  to  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  Geno¬ 
ese  banker,  Francesco  Leardo,  and  to  have  remained  in  his 
family  until  the  year  1594,  when  one  of  his  descendants,  Pedro 
Juan  Leardo,  being  in  legal  difficulties,  it  was  bought  by  Father 
Francisco  Beamonte  on  March  14,  1594,  in  the  name  and  for 
the  use  of  the  religious  order  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy.  In  the 
year  1834,  on  the  suppression  of  so  many  of  the  religious  so¬ 
cieties,  the  property  was  put  to  secular  uses,  and  to-day  we 
believe  it  is  given  over  to  commercial  purposes.’ 

'  Henry  Harrisse,  who  visited  Seville  thirty  years  ago,  reported  that  of  the  im¬ 
mense  private  wood  belonging  to  this  domain  there  remained  standing  but  one  tree 
foreign  to  the  earth  of  Spain,  and  that  belonging  to  the  family  Sapotanecs,  the  Achras 
Sapota.  This  tree  is  a  native  of  tropical  America,  and  we  do  not  know  if  it  is  in¬ 
digenous  to  Santo  Domingo  and  Cuba.  It  is  a  medium-sized  tree  with  evergreen 
shining  leaves  and  characterised  by  having  abundant  milky  juice.  The  bark  is  known 
as  Jamaica  bark  and  is  used  as  a  febrifuge. 

In  1871  the  municipal  authorities  caused  even  this  to  be  removed,  but  Mr.  Harrisse 
had  a  slip  cut  from  it,  which  has  now  become  a  strong  tree  in  the  private  grounds  of 
a  friend. 


By  permission  of  Mr.  Harrisse,  we  here  reproduce  a  sketch  of  this  tree,  made  by 
him  on  the  spot  in  May,  1871.  Following,  we  quote  his  description  of  the  planting 
of  the  new  tree: 


Sapota  Tree.  All  that  was  Left  of  Ferdinand  Columhns’s  "Huerta”  in 

Seville  in  May,  1871 . 


“As  the  railway  was  soon  to  pass  over  that  spot,  I  suggested  to  my  friend  Don 
Jos4  Maria  Asensio  to  pull  out  a  bough,  and  plant  it  in  his  farm  near  the  city.  He 


426 


Christopher  Columbus 

Who  can  tell  the  full  glory  of  this  library  or  describe  the 
beauty  of  its  lodgings.  Here  were  gathered  no  less  than  15,370 
books  and  manuscripts,  representing  the  classics,  the  gems  of 
incunabula,  the  first  fruits  of  the  fecund  press,  the  rarest  edi¬ 
tions  of  the  poets  and  of  those  who  had  written  enduring  prose ; 
the  sermons  and  the  teachings  of  the  fathers  of  the  Church,  the 
works  of  the  philosophers,  the  printed  fabrics  of  countless 
dreams, — the  whole  a  home  for  books  and  men,  where  the  former 
would  be  guarded  from  the  rude  touch  of  the  vandal,  and  where 
the  latter  would  find  a  refuge  from  the  cold  and  hunger  of  the 
world,  and  where  they  might  receive  refreshment  for  their 
spirits  and  enlargement  for  their  souls.  Into  these  books  Fer¬ 
dinand  put  himself.  He  travelled  over  Europe,  through  Italy, 
France,  Germany,  England.  His  feet  entered  every  book-shop 
in  every  city.  When  he  had  bought  a  volume  he  carefully 
wrote  on  its  first  vacant  leaf  the  exact  amount  of  its  cost,  the 
time  and  place  of  its  purchase,  with  a  declaration,  perhaps,  of 
his  purpose  to  clothe  its  sides  with  softest  silk  or  richly  figured 
leather.  The  course  of  his  travels  may  be  followed  by  the 
memoranda  in  his  books.  Ferdinand  was  twice  in  the  New 
World.  We  have  already  witnessed  the  fortitude  with  which 
he  underwent  the  vicissitudes  and  hardships  of  the  Admiral’s 
fourth  voyage  on  the  coasts  of  Veragua  and  Jamaica.  Three 
years  after  his  father’s  death,  he  accompanied  his  brother  Diego, 
the  second  Admiral,  then  clothed  with  the  dignities  of  his 
office,  on  the  latter’s  return  to  San  Domingo,  embarking  at  San 
Lucar,  July  10,  1509.  He  soon  returned  to  Spain  and  to  more 
congenial  employment.  In  January,  1510,  he  bought  a  book  in 
the  city  of  \^alladolid,  and  in  the  same  year  was  in  the  city  of 
Calatayud  in  Aragon,  where  he  bought  a  copy  of  Marco  Polo, 
printed  in  1502  at  Seville  by  Stanislaus  Polonus  and  Jacobus 
Cromberger,  the  latter  of  that  famous  family  destined  to  estab¬ 
lish  the  first  printing-press  in  the  New  World.  In  the  year 
1511  Ferdinand  was  settled  at  Seville,  and  we  find  him  sending 
to  Cardinal  Ximenes  a  manuscript  composition  "  of  his  own, 

did  so  in  my  presence,  and  has  informed  me  since  that  the  tree  was  now  luxuriantly 
growing  out  of  that  branch. 

"I  wanted  at  the  time  to  purchase  the  original  tree  and  a  small  plot  of  ground, 
with  the  intention  of  enclosing  it  in  a  railing  with  an  inscription  stating  that  it  was  a 
token  of  remembrance  from  two  Americans,  viz.:  Barlow  and  H.  H.” 

'  There  was  for  a  long  time  preserved  in  his  library  the  original  manuscript  of  this 
work:  El  Original  del  Libra  que  yo  hice  y  Envid  al  Cardinal  Don  Fray  Francisco 
Ximenez  en  Sevilla,  ano  de  1511,  Dicho  Colon,  de  Concordia,  Dividise  en  dos  Tractados. 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  427 

consisting  of  two  tracts,  in  which  he  soiight  to  demonstrate  that 
in  his  day  the  globe  would  be  circumnavigated  by  water  from 
the  east  to  the  west:  that  the  Gospel  would  be  preached  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  and  that  to  Spain  and  to  no  other  nation 
was  destined  universal  empire.  Both  Charles  V.  and  the  great 
Cardinal  wrote  him  letters  of  congratulation. 

In  the  fall  of  this  same  year  he  went  to  Toledo,'  and  from 
there  he  went  to  the  university  town  of  Alcala  de  Henares.^ 

The  next  year  we  find  him  in  the  early  summer  on  his  way 
to  Italy,  stopping  over  at  Lerida  in  Catalonia, ^  and  three  months 
later  he  settles  himself  at  Rome  •*  for  a  long  period,  devoting 

'  Here  he  purchased:  Manual  de  la  Sancia  Fe  Catolica,  Sevilla,  1495,  4.  Costo  en 
Toledo  34  maravedis,  ano  1511,  9  de  Octubre. 

^  Carcel  de  Amor  en  Espanol.  Logrono,  1508,  4.  Costo  en  Alcald.  de  Henares 
17  maravedis,  ano  1511,  a  5  de  Noviembre. 

3  El  Recibimiento  que  Hizo  el  Key  de  Francia  en  Saona  al  Key  D.  F ernando ,  en 
Espanol,  4.  Costo  en  Lerida  3  maravedis,  ano  de  1512,  por  Junio. 

Vocabularius  Catalan  y  Aleman.  Perpifian,  1502  in  8.  Costd  en  Lerida  20  mara¬ 
vedis,  por  Junio. 

Refranes  en  Prosa  Caialana  Glossados  por  Mosen  Dimas  Prevere.  Barcelona, 
I  51 1,  4.  Costo  en  Lerida  8  maravedis,  ano  1512. 

Libro  cn  Catalan,  del  Estilo  de  Escribir  d  Cualquier  Persona,  Hecho  por  Tomas  de 
Perpinia.  Impr.  por.  Jo.  Rosembach.  1510,  4.  Costo  en  Lerida  5  maravedis,  aho 
de  1512,  por  Junio. 

Disputa  del  ase  Contra  Frare  Enselin  Turmeda,  Sobre  la  Natura  et  Nobleza  dels 
Animals,  Ordenct  per  lo  di  Enselm.  Barcelona,  1509,  4.  Costd  cn  Lerida  29  mara¬ 
vedis,  ano  de  1512,  por  Junio. 

4  Here  we  find  Ferdinand  revelling  in  the  acquisition  of  rare  books.  The  first  on 
our  list,  the  reader  will  observe,  was  bought  for  5  cuatrines.  An  example  of  this  little 
gem  has  since  brought  $5000.  We  estimate  the  first  price  at  about  $1.25,  and  we 
must  regard  the  advance  in  price — when  we  compare  it  with  that  now  obtaining  for 
many  other  books  of  that  time — as  remarkable.  The  explanation  is  not  difficult, — 
of  the  other  books  there  are  many  examples.  If  one  were  to  unearth  a  package  of 
ten  copies  of  this  little  printed  piece,  the  price  would  drop  to  a  mighty  fall.  The 
rarity  of  this  kind  of  an  object  determines  its  value. 

Lettera  di  America  Vespuci  Dette  Isole  Novamente  Trovate  in  Quatro  Suoi  Viazzi, 
Datum  Lisbone  die  4  Septembre  1504, — no  date  of  printing.  Costd  en  Roma  cinco 
cuatrines,  ano  de  1512,  por  Setiembre. 

Spagna,  en  Metros  Toscanos.  Florcncia,  1490,  fol.  Costd  en  Roma  50  cuatrines 
por  Octubre  de  1512. 

Juvenal,  1509  fol.  Costd  en  Roma  60  cuatrines,  ano  de  1512,  por  Setiembre,  y  un 
ducado  de  oro  vale  307  cuatrines.  “Ego,  D.  F'ernando  Colon,  audivi  Roma;  hunc 
librum  quodam  meo  magistro  exponentc  a  6  die  decemljris  1312  usque  ad  20  ejusdem 
mensis”  :  “  I  heard  this  book  expounded  by  my  master  at  Rome  from  December  6  to 
December  20. 

Sermo  Fr.  Dyonisci  Vasquez  Hispani,  Impr.  Romas,  ano  de  1513.  “Hunc  ser- 
monem  audivi  viva  voce  auctoris  Rome,  Mensis  Martis  1513”  :  “I  heard  the  author 
himself  deliver  this  sermon  at  Rome  in  the  month  of  March,  1513.” 

Rernardini  Carvajal ,  Oratio  de  Eligend  o  Suntmo  Pontifice.  Costd  en  Roma  2 
cuatrines,  por  Junio  de  1513. 


428 


Christopher  Columbus 

himself  to  the  study  of  literature,  as  the  reader  may  discover 
from  his  holograph  note  in  his  copy  of  Juvenal,  and  the  never- 
forgotten  purpose  of  adding  to  his  store  of  books. 

After  almost  an  entire  year  spent  in  Rome,  Ferdinand  re¬ 
turned  to  Spain,  and  we  have  notice  of  him  in  August  of  that 
year  at  Barcelona,  where  he  had  doubtless  arrived  by  sea.' 

It  would  seem  that  our  collector  was  making  his  way  home¬ 
ward  to  Seville  by  the  coast  road.  In  the  same  month  of 
August  he  is  at  Tarragona,^  and  a  little  later  at  Valencia. ^ 

Ferdinand  may  have  spent  the  early  winter  of  1513 -1514  in 
Seville,  but  early  in  the  new  year  he  is  at  Madrid,^  then  a 
little  city  of  three  thousand  souls,  and  not  dreaming  of  its  future 
greatness  when  Philip  II.  should  name  it  Capital  of  all  Spain. 
There  was  no  printing  establishment  in  Madrid  for  more  than  a 
generation  after  this  time,  but  a  bookseller  and  a  book-bindery 
received  and  dressed  and  dispersed  books  from  the  presses  of 
other  cities.  In  July  of  the  same  year  we  find  Ferdinand  at 
Medina  del  Campo,^  that  city  of  the  plains  where  the  Court  had 
often  a  temporary  home.  In  November  of  this  year  he  is  at 
Valladolid,^  whence  he  seems  to  have  made  his  way  to  Italy. 
We  find  him  with  the  opening  of  the  new  year  at  the  birthplace 
of  his  father,  Genoa  by  the  sea. 7  In  this  same  month  of  Janu- 


^  Lo  Plant  de  la  Reina  Ecuba,  en  Prosa  Catalana  Compost  per  Mosen  Joan  Roges 
de  Corella.  Impr.  Barcelona,  por  Joan  Luscher,  4.  Cost6  3  dineros  en  Barcelona  por 
Agosto  de  1513. 

^  Cancionero  de  Rodrigo  de  Reinosa.  Estampado  en  Barcelona,  1513.  Costd  en 
Tarragona  6  dineros  por  Agosto  de  1513,  4- 

3  Vision  deletahle  de  la  Casa  la  Fortuna,  Compuesto  por  Eneas  Silvio  en  Latin  e 
Tradncido  enEspaitol  por  Juan  Gomez,  Valencia,  1511,4.  Costd  en  Valencia  5  dineros, 
por  Agosto  de  1513. 

^  Antonii  N enehrissensis  Grammatica,  Logronii  per  Amaldum  Guillelmum,  1513 
fol,  Costd  en  Madrid  170  maravedis  por  Hebrero  de  1514.  Encuadernado. 

s  Floretum  Sancti  Mathei  Collectum  per  Petrum  de  Prexano,  Hispali,  1491.  Folio. 
Costaron  en  Medina  del  Campo  600  mrs.  por  Junio  de  1514. 

6  El  Setimo  Libro  de  Amadis,  Sevilla,  1514.  folio.  Costd  en  Valladolid  130 
mrs.  por  Noviembre  de  1514. 

La  Historia  de  Melosina,  en  Espanol,  Valencia,  1512.  folio.  Costd  en  Valla¬ 
dolid,  79  mrs.  por  Noviembre  de  1514. 

7  Silvestri  de  Priero  in  Theoricas  Planetarum  Preclarissima  Commentaria.  Medi- 

olani,  1514,  4.  Cost6  en  Genoa  siete  sueldos,  por  Enero  de  1515.  “  Prima  Novem- 

bris,  1515.  Incepi  hunc  librum  exponente  eum  magistro  Sebastiano;  Rome  imme¬ 
diate  post  24  horam,  octoque  prima  folia  tan  turn  in  octo  lectionibus  exposuit  ”  :  “I 
began  this  book  on  November  i,  1515,  at  Rome  just  after  the  twenty- fourth  hour 
under  the  tutelage  of  Master  Sebastiano  and  he  opened  the  first  eight  folios  in  eight 
readings.” 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  429 

ary  he  was  in  Lucca,'  and  by  June  he  was  again  in  Rome/  In 
the  fall  of  the  year  he  went  to  Viterbo,^  returning  soon,  how¬ 
ever,  to  the  Eternal  City.  Harrisse  suggests  that  he  may  have 
attended  the  meeting  between  Pope  Leo  X.  and  Francis  1.  at 
Bologna,  November  9,  1515,  but  of  this  there  is  nothing  beyond 
conjecture.  Ferdinand  was  back  in  Rome  in  December.  The 
first  of  the  year  found  him  at  Florence,^  but  again  his  absence 
was  of  short  duration,  and  he  was  at  his  studies  in  Rome  ^  by 
the  coming  of  summer.  It  will  be  seen  by  the  holograph  in- 
scription^  we  have  taken  from  the  Excerpta  Colombimana  of 
Henry  Harrisse  that  Ferdinand  was  in  Rome  in  the  month  of 
July,  1516,*  where  he  may  have  remained  throughout  the  year, 
for  we  have  no  further  news  of  him  until  the  following  sum¬ 
mer,  when  he  returned  to  vSpain.  It  is,  however,  most  prob¬ 
able  that  the  news  of  King  Ferdinand’s  death,  which  occurred 
on  January  23,  1516,  called  him  home  soon  after  July  of  that 
year. 

In  June,  1517,  Ferdinand  is  again  in  Spain,  at  Madrid,  where 
he  acknowledges  the  receipt  of  a  l)ook  which  Pedro  de  Sala- 

’  Sopra  Scripte  e  Lettere  Scripte  da  Mandare  a  Varie  Fersone  Secodo  la  Degnita 
Loro.  Este  tratado  costo  en  luca  por  Enero  de  1515. 

^  Tragiconiedia  de  Caiisio  y  Melibea,  Sevilla,  1502,  4.  Costd  en  Roma  25  cuatrincs, 
por  Junio  de  1515. 

Copia  de  Una  Lettera  del  Re  de  Portogallo,  Roma,  1505,  4.  Costd  en  Roma  por 
Sctiembre  de  1515,  3  cuatrines. 

3  Littera  della  Presa  de  Orano,  Edita  per  Georgia  de  Veracaldo,  Traducida  de  Cas¬ 
tellano  en  Vulgar  Italiano  per  Baltasar  del  Rio,  4.  Costd  en  Viterbo  por  Octnbre  de 
1515,  I  cuatrin. 

Obedenlia  Johannis  II.  Portugaliae  regis  ad  Alexandrnm  VI.  pra'St.  per  Ferdi¬ 
nand  de  Almeida,  4.  Costd  en  Viterbo  i  cuatrin  per  Octubre  de  1515. 

4  Coplas  en  Catalan  de  Miraglos  de  .Y.  S.  del  Socors.  Costaron  en  Roma  un 
cuatrin,  por  Diciembre  de  1515. 

5  Adriani  Cardenalis,  de  Sermone  Latine  Opusculmn,  4.  Costd  en  Florencia  34 
cuatrines  viejos,  por  Enero  de  1516. 

6  Gas  Paris  Torella  Consilium  de  Preeservatione  et  Curatione  Pestis,  Rome.  Costd 
en  Roma  10  cuatrines  por  Julio  de  1516. 


8  There  is  the  following  puzzling  memorandum: 

"  Exposition  Laurentii  Vallensis 
Salamantiae,  folio. 

Costd  en  Medina  del  Campo  un  real  por  Julio  de  1516.” 

We  think  this  is  an  error  for  1514,  when,  in  June.  Ferdinand  was  at  Medina  del 
Campo.  It  would  hardly  have  been  possible  for  him  to  go  from  Rome  to  this  in¬ 
land  place  within  the  days  of  the  same  month. 


430 


Christopher  Columbus 

manca  had  sent  him  from  Rome  '  on  the  29th  day  of  May  of 
the  same  year.  If  we  are  to  believe  the  record, — and  we  frankly 
think  Ferdinand  has  made  an  error  in  his  writing,  or  a  wrong 
reading  has  been  pemiitted  to  creep  into  the  Excerpta  Colom- 
biniana, — he  was  back  at  Rome  in  June,  1517/  At  some  time 
during  this  year  of  1517  Ferdinand  paid  a  visit  to  the  learned 
Antonio  de  Lebrija,^  the  scholar  who  is  said  to  have  published 
the  Decades  of  Peter  Martyr.  He  was  Professor  of  Latin  Elo¬ 
quence  in  the  newly  established  University  at  Alcala  de  He- 
nares,  to  which  institution  Cardinal  Ximenes  gave  so  much  of 
his  time  and  money.  Ferdinand,  then,  was  in  the  year  1517 
at  Alcala  de  Henares,  the  college  city  which,  thirty  years  after¬ 
ward,  was  to  usher  into  life  the  Spanish  literary  genius,  Miguel 
de  Saavedra  Cervantes.  The  son  of  Columbus  was  then  com¬ 
posing  a  work  on  the  Cosmography  of  Spain,  which  he  is  said 
to  have  begun  at  Seville  this  same  year,  and  perhaps  it  was  to 
consult  Lebrija  that  he  visited  Alcala.  However  this  may  be, 
the  work  never  reached  completion,  for  with  that  hostility  to 
the  spread  of  knowledge  which  characterised  the  darkened  age 
out  of  which  the  world  was  emerging,  the  President  of  the  Royal 
Council  of  Spain  forbade  the  writer  to  proceed.  The  pendulum 
of  the  right  to  publish  has  certainly  swung  very  far  to  the  other 
end  of  the  arc,  and  perhaps  it  is  time  it  turned  slightly  for  a 
backward  movement.  The  world  is  not  ready  for  a  revival  of 
ignorant  or  prejudiced  censorship,  but  if  this  supervision  ever 
again  does  come  we  venture  to  propose  that  the  President  of 
the  Council,  whoever  he  may  be  and  whatever  it  may  be, 
when  he  rejects  a  publication,  shall  be  obliged  at  least  to  file 
his  reasons. 

’  De  Correctione  Kalendarii ,  4.  Este  tratado  me  embio  maestro  Pedro  de  Sala¬ 
manca  de  Roma  d  los  29  de  Mayo  de  1517  y  recebilo  en  Madrid  a  16  de  Junio  del 
dicho  ano. 

^Marci  Dandoli  Oraioris  Veneti  A  pud  Ser.  Ferdinandiim  Hispanice  Oratio, 
Napoli,  1507.  Este  libro  costd  en  Roma  3  quatrines,  por  Junio  de  1517. 

This  book  is  of  interest  to  us,  since  on  the  verso  of  the  sixth  folio  we  read: 

“Insulae  invetae,  Dispersas  namque  ipsas  insulas  &  omnibus  hactenus  incognitas: 
maionibus  q  exprimi  possit  difficultatibus  exquisivisti 

Marco  Dandalo,  a  Venetian  jurist  and  statesman,  was  born  in  1458  and  died  in 
1535- 

3  Tabla  de  la  diverzidad  de  Jos  dias  y  horaz  en  las  cibdades,  villas  y  lugarez  de  Espaiia, 
y  oiras  de  Europa  que  les  responden  por  sus  paralelos,  compuesta  por  Antonio  de  Ne- 
brija.  4. 

“Diomele  el  mismo  autor  en  Alcald  de  Henares,  ano  de  1517”  :  “Given  me  by  the 
author  himself  in  AlcaM  de  Henares  in  the  year  1517.” 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  431 

The  Cortes  of  Castile  was  sitting  at  Valladolid  ’  in  the  winter 
of  1518,  and  hither  came  the  young  son  of  the  late  Philip  and 
the  mad  Joanna,  to  have  himself  proclaimed  King  as  Charles  I. 
Ferdinand  was  mindful  of  study,  and  we  find  him  early  in  the 
year  buying  an  edition  of  Seneca’s  Tragedies, which,  when  he 
had  it  placed  in  a  binding  of  his  own  choosing,  he  began  re¬ 
ligiously  to  read.  From  Valladolid  Ferdinand  went  to  Medina 
del  Campo.^  He  was  travelling  in  a  southerly  direction,  and 
we  hear  of  him  next  at  Segovia.  In  this  walled  town  of  Old 
Castile,  Ferdinand  began  the  composition  of  a  Dictionary  of 
Definitions  in  Latin,  the  first  volume  of  which  is  preserved  in 
the  Columbian  library.  He  recorded  on  the  first  folio  this  holo¬ 
graph  explanation; 

“Die  liincB  Septcnibris  sexia  ipiS,  in  civitate  Secubiensi  kora  8  ante 
meridiem  incepi  hiinc.” — “I  began  this  work  at  four  o’clock  in  the  morning 
on  the  sixth  day  of  the  September  moon,  in  the  year  1518  at  the  city  of 
Segovia.” 

We  have  no  positive  information  as  to  where  Ferdinand  was 
in  the  year  1519.  Charles  V.,  Diego  Columbus  (as  Viceroy  of 
the  Indies),  and  Bartolome  de  las  Casas,  the  Apostle  of  the 
Indians,  were  in  Barcelona  during  a  portion  of  that  time,  dis- 

^  Alvar i  Pelagi  de  Planctu  Ecclesice.  Lugdimi,  1517.  Folio.  Cost6  en  Vallado¬ 
lid  10  maravedis,  por  Enero  de  1518. 

^  Tragedies  Senace  cum  Duobus  Commentariis.  Venetiis,  1510.  Folio. 

“  Costd  quatro  reales  y  dos  por  cncuadernar  en  Valladolid  por  Marqo  de  1518,  asi 
que  costd  seis  reales.  Sabado  seis  de  Marqo  de  1518,  comence  d  leer  estd  libro  y  a 
pasar  las  notes  del  en  el  indice  en  Valladolid,  y  distraydo  por  muchas  ocupaciones 
y  caminos  no  lo  pude  acabar  hasta  el  Domingo  ocho  de  Julio  de  1520  en  Bruselas  de 
Flandes,  en  el  qnal  tiempo  las  anotationes  que  ay  des  del  numero  1559  en  adelante 
arm  no  estan  pasadas  en  el  indice  porque  quedo  en  Espana. 

“Micrcoles  19  de  Enero,  de  1524,  entre  las  doce  y  la  una.  lo  tome  otra  vez  a 
pasar  y  anadi  las  anotationes  que  tienen  dos  virgulitas  y  las  diciones  sublincades  (jue 
tienen  una  6  al  fin  de  linea  y  commence  a  pasar  otra  vez  las  notas  aiiadiendo  las 
autoridades. 

“It  cost  4  reales  and  2  reales  for  binding  in  Valladolid,  March,  1518.  so  that  it 
cost  6  reales.  Saturday,  March  6,  1518,  I  began  reading  this  book  in  Valladolid  and 
making  the  notes  from  it  in  the  inde.x;  and  being  distracted  by  many  occujjations 
and  journeys  I  could  not  finish  it  until  Sunday,  July  8,  1520,  at  Brussels  in  Flanders, 
at  which  time  the  annotations  from  number  t559  onward  were  not  made  in  the  Index, 
as  it  remained  in  Spain. 

“Wednesday,  January  19,  1524 — between  t2  and  i  o’clock  I  again  commenced 
making  notes,  and  added  the  annotations  which  have  two  small  periods  and  the 
underlined  dictions  which  have  one,  or  at  the  end  of  the  line, — and  again  commenced 
making  the  notes,  adding  the  authorities.” 

On  the  margin  of  this  book  Ferdinand  wrote  opposite  the  famous  verse  in  the 
tragedy  of  Medea  the  assertion  which  we  have  already  quoted,  that  the  remarkable 
prophecy  was  indeed  fulfilled  in  the  discovery  made  by  his  fat  Her. 

3  Historia  de  Floriseo,  Compuesia  por  Hernando  Werwa/,  Valencia,  1516.  Folio. 
Costd  128  maravedis  en  Medina  del  Campo,  por  Julio  de  1518. 


432 


Christopher  Columbus 

cussing  the  condition  of  the  natives  of  the  New  World.  Fer¬ 
dinand  himself  was  interested  in  this  question,  for  in  1514  the 
King,  as  a  special  favour  and  outside  the  law,  permitted  him  to 
hold  four  hundred  Indian  slaves.  It  is  not  probable,  living  in 
Spain  and  seeing  nothing  of  the  horrors  of  slavery,  that  he  had 
much  sympathy  for  Las  Casas  and  his  complaints.'  The  Em¬ 
peror,  Maximilian  I.,  had  died  early  in  the  year,  and  his  grand¬ 
son,  Charles  V.,  was  his  heir  to  the  throne.  His  presence  was 
desired  in  Germany  and  in  the  Low  Countries,  and  it  is  probable 
when  he  set  out  from  Spain  on  May  22,  1520,  that  Ferdinand 
Columbus  was  in  his  train.  We  have  already  seen  that  he  was 
reading  and  annotating  his  copy  of  Seneca’s  Tragedies  at  Brus¬ 
sels  in  July  of  that  year,  finishing  his  reading  on  the  eighth  day 
of  that  month.  He  bought  at  Gand,  in  August,  1520,  a  copy  of 
Valerius  Flaccus,  as  well  as  some  religious  works  L  and  in  Octo¬ 
ber  he  was  in  Louvain, ^  holding  familiar  intercourse  with 
Erasmus,  who  had  not  long  been  back  in  the  Low  Countries 
after  his  residence  in  England.  We  pause  to  express  a  wish 
that  Ferdinand  had  recorded  his  conversation  with  the  great 
Erasmus.  It  was  at  a  most  interesting  period  in  the  latter’s 

^  Las  Casas  wrote  {Historia  de  las  Indias,  cap.  xxvii.,  Book  11. ,  voL,  iii.,  p.  138) : 

“Don  Hernando  Colon  alcanzo  poco  de  derecho  destas  gentes  [los  Indios]  y  de 
tener  por  injusticias  las  primeras  que  su  padre  commenzd  en  esta  isla  contra  los  na- 
turales  della. 

“Don  Ferdinand  Columbus  understood  very  little  about  the  rights  of  these  people 
[the  Indians]  and  the  first  injustices  which  his  father  commenced  in  this  island  against 
the  natives  of  the  island.” 

^  Symbolu  duo  decim  Apostolorum  Domini  Nostri.  .  .  .  Este  libro  costd  2. 

mrs.  en  gante,  por  Agosto  de  1520. 

■3  Antibarbarorum,  D.  Erasmi  Roterdami  Liber  Unus,  Bale,  An.  MDXX. 

“  Este  libro  me  dio  el  mismo  autor  como  parece  en  lax  octava  plana.  Erasmus 
Roterdamus  dono  dedit  lovanii  die  dominica  Octobris  Septima  die  anni  1520  qui 
quidem  Erasmus  duas  primas  lineas  sua  propia  manu  hie  scripsit  ”  : 

“  ...  Erasmus  of  Rotterdam  gave  me  this  as  a  present  at  Louvain  on  Sunday, 

October  7  in  the  year  1520:  the  first  two  lines  of  the  presentation  were  written  by 
Erasmus  with  his  own  hand.” 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Ferdinand  immediately  adapts  himself  to  his  com¬ 
pany.  Erasmus  used  Latin  in  which  to  talk  as  well  as  write.  So  Ferdinand 
writes  his  annotation  in  Latin.  The  courtiers  of  Spain  at  this  time  spoke  many 
tongues  and  Ferdinand,  like  the  young  King,  his  master,  spoke  probably  besides 
Latin  and  Spanish,  French,  Italian,  German,  and  Flemish. 

Charles  V.,  according  to  Bouhours,  used  to  say  that  if  he  were  to  speak  to  a  lady 
he  would  speak  Italian,  if  he  were  to  speak  to  a  man  he  would  speak  French:  if  he 
were  to  speak  to  his  horse  he  would  speak  in  High  Dutch;  but  if  he  were  to  speak  to 
God  he  would  speak  in  Spanish.  This  is  a  paraphrase  of  Eugenius,  who  used  to  say 
that  the  Castilian  was  the  natural  language  of  Heaven,  and  a  learned  character  of 
Castile  once  maintained  that  in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  the  serpent  spoke  English, 
the  woman  Italian,  the  man  French,  but  that  God  spoke  Spanish. 


433 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library 

life.  He  had  corresponded  much  with  Martin  Luther  and,  like 
all  great  men,  if  left  to  themselves,  his  mind  sympathised  with 
intellectual  freedom.  But  in  the  days  when  Ferdinand  talked 
with  him,  the  Church  was  pressing  him  to  contend  with  the 
daring  Reformer,  and  doubt,  hesitancy,  and  uncertainty  seem  to 
have  controlled  him.  But  no  matter  on  which  side  this  man 
might  have  been,  it  must  have  been  an  intellectual  treat  for  the 
young  Spaniard  to  sit  at  his  feet  and  listen  to  his  discourse. 

According  to  some  writers,  on  December  17,  1520,  the  son 
of  Columbus  received  at  Worms  the  sum  of  two  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  maravedis  as  salary  for  his  attendance  on  the  Imperial 
house.  But  in  the  middle  of  the  month  of  December,  1520,  we 
learn  from  his  note  in  a  book  purchased  there  and  at  that  date 
that  he  was  in  the  city  of  Genoa.’  The  receipt  may  have  been 
dated,  or  the  record  may  have  been  made,  at  Worms  while  the 
Court’s  officers  were  there;  but  if  Ferdinand  bought  a  book  at 
Genoa  on  December  15,  he  could  not  have  been  at  Worms  two 
days  later.  On  the  second  day  of  the  new  year,  1521,  Fer¬ 
dinand  was  in  Savona,^  one  of  the  claimants,  as  he  himself  has 
said  in  his  Historie,  for  the  honour  of  having  been  the  birth¬ 
place  of  his  illustrious  father.  The  course  of  Ferdinand’s  travels 
is  easily  followed  from  his  notes.  On  the  fourteenth  day  of 
January,  1521,  he  was  at  Turin.^  In  February  he  crossed  into 

“  Arte  de  Arithmetica.  Thaurino,  1492.  Costd  30  dineros  en  Genoa  de  mediado 
de  Diziembre  de  1520. 

^Platini  Elegia.  Pulchcrrima,  Milano,  1505,  4.  Costd  14  dineros  en  Saona  a  2 
Enero  de  1521,  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale  900  dineros. 

^  Thomasso  Salmanticense: 

La  deuotioe  de  la  madora:  la  qua 
le  ha  predicato  il  Reuercndo  patre 
fra  Thomaffo  Salmanticafe  del  ordi 
ne  de  Scto.  Dhico:  predicatore  apo 
stolico:  fummo  theologo:  z  philofo 
pho  excelte —  ■ 
tilTimo:  ne  la  quale  molte 
excellentie  de  la  madoa  deuotilTime 
fe  coteneno  predicate  per  lo  dicto  Re 
uerendo  patre  fra  ThomalTo  fopra 
la  expositione  del  Magnificat,  et 
senza  dubitatione  obtcnera  ogni  gra 
da  da  efla  deuotamente  dicendola. 

[colophon.] 

Impressum  Taurini  per  lo;  Angelus  z  Bernardium 
Fratres  de  Sylva. 

Anno  Mccccc.  xvii. 

This  rare  little  tract  of  8  folios  is  not  mentioned  by  most  bibliographers.  Fran- 

VOL.  III. — 28. 


434 


Christopher  Columbus 

Lombardy  and  had  reached  Milan/  Earl}'-  in  March  he  was  at 
Pavia,  where,  if  he  made  any  study  of  his  father’s  alleged  uni¬ 
versity  career,  the  result  of  his  labours  is  not  known  to  us. 
Whoever  has  essayed  to  follow  the  steps  of  the  young  Genoese 
leading  from  his  father’s  wool-carding  machine  to  the  Athens 
of  Lombardy  has  been  guided  there  by  Ferdinand  alone.  No 
one  ever  mentioned  the  fact  until  his  book  was  published  in 
1571,  nor  did  the  University  itself  ever  claim  the  distinguished 
honour.  The  following  month  we  find  Ferdinand  at  Cremona " 
and  Mantua,  ^  and  the  fifteenth  day  of  April  saw  him  in  the 
bookseller’s  shop  at  Padua. 

In  May,  Ferdinand  reached  Ferrara,^  and  the  month  was 
not  yet  completed  when  he  was  sailing  on  the  glorious  canals  of 
Venice^ — the  Mecca  of  book  collectors.  We  know  that  he 
remained  in  Venice  until  some  time  in  March,  for  we  have  his 

ciscus  de  Sylva  had  a  press  at  Turin  in  the  fifteenth  century,  where  he  printed  in 
1496  and  1497. 

Este  libro  costo  2  quartos  en  Turin  a  14  de  Enero  de  1 52 1 :  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale 
212  quartos. 

'  We  give  this  on  the  authority  of  Henry  Harrisse  (Excerpta  Colomhiniana,  p.  12). 

We  do  not  find  any  annotation  corroborating  Mr.  Harrisse’s  assertion. 

Legacci,  Pier  Antonio, 

Egloga  rusticale  composta  p  lo  faceto  giouane  Pierantonio  Legaci,  intitolata 
Nicchola. 

Tmpresso  in  Siena  .  .  .  39  di  Agosto,  1416  [52c]. 

Este  libro  costo  2.  quatrines  en  Milan  por  hebrero  de  1521  y  el  ducado  de  oro 
uale  490.  quatrines. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  Don  Ferdinand  is  something  of  a  business  man,  since 
he  gives  the  varying  value  of  a  gold  ducat. 

2  Carniina  NaLivitatis  Dni  Nostri  lesu  Christi.  .  .  .  Cremone  M.D.xviii. 

Este  libro  costo  2  quatrines  en  Cremona  a  1 1  de  Marzo  d.  1521. 

3  Libo  jEnigme  Composte  per  D.  Libo  Alias  Colie  Poeia  et  Philosopho.  Este  libro 
costo  4.  quatrines  en  Matua  a  16  de  Marzo  de  1521.  El  ducado  de  oro  vale  422  quat¬ 
rines. 

4  Annotation  in  a  rare  manuscript  of  the  tenth  century  preserved  in  the  Library 
of  the  Escurial  and  mentioned  by  Ewald,  Reise.  nach  Spanien.  Hannover,  1881. 

s  Angliara.  Juan  de 

Viagio  ed  paefe  de  I’ifola  de  loro  trouato  p.  Juan  de  Angliara  capitanio  di  re  di 
Spagna  cu  tuto  il  viuer  et  coftumi  pt.  incipit  cu  lo  adiunto  del  clementiffimo  et  de- 
finit  de  loltra  ifola  cavet.  Costo  en  ferrara  medio  quatrin  a  4  di  de  Mayo  de  1521  y 
el  ducado  val.  378  quatrines. 

Isola  de  Oro  is  the  name  given  Peru  by  Marco  Guazzo. 

6  Littera  Mamdata  de  la  Insula  de  Cuba,  1520.  Costd  en  Venetia  2  marcos  a  22 
de  Maijo  de  1521. 

This  book  presents  us  with  an  account  of  Grijalva’s  expedition  to  Yucatan. 

Cosmographies  Introductio.  Argens,  1509.  4.  Costd  5  sueldos  in  Venetia, 

por  Julio  de  1521. 

The  reader  will  find  a  very  full  description  of  the  different  editions  of  this  work 
in  the  Author’s  Continent  of  America. 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  435 

annotation  in  the  Strasburg  edition  of  the  Cosmographias  Intro- 
ductio  et  Quattuor  Americi  Vespucii  Navigationes.  Of  all  the 
books  owned  by  Ferdinand,  if  we  except  those  bearing  his 
father’s  holograph  notes,  this  is  by  far  the  most  interesting. 
The  first  edition  of  the  Cosmo  graphics  Introductio  was  issued 
from  the  St.  Die  press  on  the  Seventh  of  the  Kalends  of  Mai,  or 
April  25,  in  the  year  1507.  Here  it  was  proposed  for  the  first 
time  to  call  the  New  World  after  Americas  Vespucius  since  in 
his  four  voyages  he  had  navigated  from  about  38  degrees  of 
north  latitude  to  52  degrees  of  south  latitude,  the  distance 
equalling  90  degrees,  or  the  fourth  part  of  a  circle  of  the 
earth.  Because  the  other  continents  had  feminine  termina¬ 
tions,  it  was  proposed  that  the  newly  discovered  lands,  or  at 
least  that  large  portion  lying  to  the  southward,  should  be 
called  America,  and  this  suggestion  was  early  adopted  by  cos- 
mographers  before  the  century  was  ended  until  it  became  fixed 
for  all  time.  But  here  was  this  little  tract  in  the  hands  of  Fer¬ 
dinand,  the  son  who  was  so  alert  for  his  father’s  honours,  so 
proud  of  his  achievements,  so  jealous  of  his  fame,  and  yet  he 
utters  no  protest  against  baptising  the  New  World  with  the 
name  of  another.  Neither  has  Ferdinand  referred  to  this  book 
or  to  this  proposition  in  his  Historic.  We  know  he  was  a  collec¬ 
tor  who  read  his  books,  and  we  can  infer  either  that  the  contents 
of  this  particular  acquisition  were  never  read  by  him,  or  that  in 
the  proposition,  believing  it  to  apply  to  a  region  not  explored  by 
his  father,  he  saw  no  impropriety. 

In  November,  1521,  Ferdinand  is  in  Treviso,'  and  the  follow¬ 
ing  month  he  is  in  Germany,  probably  having  gone  by  way  of 
Bale  in  Switzerland.  At  this  place  he  bought  an  edition  of 
Peter  Martyr’s  Three  Decades,  containing  in  addition  a  brief  ac¬ 
count  of  the  navigations  of  Grijalva  and  of  Cortes.  He  was  in 
the  ancient  city  of  Nuremberg  ^  in  December,  1521.  Evidently 
he  is  on  his  way  to  the  Low  Countries  once  more.  Stopping 

'  Tesoro  de  Ser.  Bruneto  Latino  de  Firenza.  Impr.  cii  Treviso.  Ano  de  1474.  Y 
costd  en  la  misma  cibdad  cncuadernado,  34  sueldos,  d  17  de  Noviembre  de  1521. 

^  Petri  Martyr  Liber  de  Insulis.  Bale,  1521.  Costd  en  Basilea  dos  crayces,  ano 
de  1521. 

This  annotation  without  the  month  leads  us  to  infer  that  Ferdinand  was  going 
into  Germany  by  way  of  Switzerland. 

^  Arithmctica  Speculativa.  Gasparis  Lax.  Paris,  1515.  Folio.  Costd  en  Nurem¬ 
berg  20  crayces,  por  Diciembre  de  1521. 


436  Christopher  Columbus 

at  Frankfort"  in  January,  1522,  he  adds  something  to  his  lib¬ 
rary,  and  the  next  month  he  is  in  Cologne.^  At  Aquis  Gra- 
num,^  the  Latin  name  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  he  buys  a  polyglot 
dictionary  for  learning  French,  Spanish,  and  Flemish.  He  re¬ 
mained  a  long  time  in  Brabant,  patronising  the  book-stalls  of 
Louvain.-^  Then  we  find  him  in  western  Flanders,  at  Bruges,^ 
where  Harrisse  conjectures  he  may  have  formed  the  acquaint¬ 
ance  of  Johannes  Vasaeus,*"  who,  a  dozen  years  afterward,  be¬ 
came  his  librarian.  From  Bruges  Ferdinand  made  his  way  into 
France,  and  on  May  28,  1522,  he  was  in  the  train  of  the  Em¬ 
peror  Charles  V.  when  he  embarked  at  Calais  for  England.  His 
friend  Erasmus  had  doubtless  told  him  much  of  England  and 
the  English  scholars,  and  we  must  imagine  that  he  there  met 
that  other  friend  of  Erasmus  and  England’s  future  Lord  Chan¬ 
cellor,  whose  Utopia  had  been  only  a  few  years  published. 
There,  also,  he  must  have  met  that  great  Cardinal  whom  his 
Emperor  had  given  reason  to  believe  should  have  Spain’s  sup¬ 
port  for  the  vacant  Pontifical  chair.  Perhaps  to  soften  by 
fresh  hopes  the  disappointment  of  Wolsey  was  one  of  the  Em¬ 
peror’s  errands  to  England.  Pope  Adrian  was  old  and  infirm. 
This  the  Emperor  intimated  to  the  Cardinal,  and  Wolsey 
again  indulged  in  dreams. 

Our  bibliophile  did  not  neglect  the  London  book-shops, ^  but 

'  Thomas  de  Aquino.  Quaternarius.  Este  libro  cost6  en  francfordia  i.  fenin  de 
da  mediado  Enero  de  1522.  El  ducado  de  oro  vale  288  fenins. 

®  Tractatus  Syllogisimorunt  Ludovici  Coronet  Hispani  Segoviensis.  Costd  en 
Colonia  24  feni,  por  Hebrero  de  1522. 

Speculum  Religiosorum  Impressum  Parisius.  [Mark  of  Jean  Petit.]  Este  libro 
costo  en  Colonia  2. fenins  por  hebrero  de  1522  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale  296  fenins. 

■3  V ocabulario  Para  Aprender  Frances,  Espahol  y  Flamini,  Antuerpice,  1520. 
Costd  en  Aquisgrano  6  feni,  por  Hebrero  de  1522. 

4  Carmina  in  Laudem  Adriani  Cardinalis  Electi  Pontificis.  Costd  un  neguin  en 
Lobaina,  por  Hebrero  de  1522. 

Petri  Ferdinandi  de  Villagas,  Flosculus  Sacramenimn,  Parisiis,  1510.  Folio. 
Costd  en  Lobaina  4  neguins,  de  mediado  de  Abril  de  1522. 

5  More  Divas  Criicis  per  yo.  Ferdinandimi  Musicum  Regince  Edtice.  4.  Costd  un 
neguin  en  Brujas,  por  Mayo  de  1522. 

Lauacrum  Consciencie.  Este  libro  costd  12  neginitz  en  Brujas  a  13  de  Mayo  de 
1522  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale  320  negints. 

6  Nicolas  Antonio,  Bib.  Hispania  Nova,  vol  ii.,  p.  369,  says  of  Vosasus: 

“He  went  to  Seville  from  Belgium  and  Louvain  under  the  auspices  of  Ferdinand 
Columbus,  in  whose  house  and  in  whose  most  instructive  library  he  remained  some 
years.” 

7  Alfonsi  Aragonensis  Facetice.  Argentinse,  1509,  4.  Costd  en  Londres  4  fenins, 
por  Junio  de  1522. 

Corona  Mistica  Beate  Marie  Virginis  Gloriose.  Nouiter  impressa  Antuerpie  p. 


437 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library 

we  search  his  catalogue  in  vain  for  a  Caxton,  a  Wilhelmus  de 
Mechlinia,  a  Wynken  de  Worde,  a  Pynson,  or — rarest  of  all — a 
Julian  Notary.  Nor,  when  he  passed  through  Bruges,  did  he 
contrive  to  secure  a  Colard  Manson.  A  few  denarii  and  the 
future  gems  were  his. 

Ferdinand  remained  in  England  until  the  Emperor  returned 
to  Flanders  and  thence  to  Spain,  and  landed  with  him  in  the 
Bay  of  Biscay  at  Santander  in  October,  1522.  His  hooks  must 
now  have  required  attention  from  their  natural  increase,  and 
probably  it  was  at  this  time  that  he  developed  his  purpose  of  a 
grand  library  for  the  use  of  coming  generations.  We  next  hear  of 
him,  but  in  the  following  summer  of  1523,  in  Switzerland,  where 
he  bought  more  books."  Soon  after  he  returned  to  Spain  and 
wrote  a  tract,  which  was  never  printed  and  of  whose  text  no 
trace  remains,  entitled  Sobre  la  F orma  de  Dcscubrir  y  Poblar  cn  la 
Parte  de  las  Indas.  In  November  of  that  year,  1523,  Ferdinand 
bought  at  Alcala  de  Henares  the  famous  Polyglot  Bible  issued 
under  the  auspices  of  Cardinal  Ximenes.^  Compared  to  some 
of  his  purchases,  this  great  work  was  an  expensive  luxur}\ 
When  he  was  in  Italy  in  1521  he  bought  the  Elegia  Pidchcrrima 
of  Platinus  for  fourteen  dineros,  when  it  took  nine  hundred  of 
these  dineros  to  make  a  ducat,  and  now  he  is  paying  for  one 
work  a  price  sufficient  to  buy  nearly  two  hundred  such  books  as' 
the  songs  of  Platinus.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  more  than 
one  of  the  little  tracts  purchased  by  Ferdinand  for  a  few  pence 
which  to-day,  if  offered  for  sale,  would  bring  singly  the  price  of  a 
score  of  the  great  Polyglot  Bible.  In  November,  1523,  Fer¬ 
dinand  was  at  Medina  del  Campo.^  For  some  time  now  Ferdi¬ 
nand  was  em]doyed  on  public  business  connected  with  the  dispute 
between  Spain  and  Portugal  over  the  Moluccas.  In  October, 

me  Geradum  Leeu,  M.CCCC.XCII.  Este  libro  costo  en  Londres  2  fenins  por  Junio 
de  1522.  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale  54  penins. 

Ferdinand  has  correctly  given  the  value  of  the  gold  ducat  in  English  pence  of 
that  time. 

^  Soliloquium  de  Beatissima  Virgtne  J\laria,  Friburg,  S.  A.  Este  libro  cost6 
6  fenin  en  Friburg  a  25  Junio  de  1523.  y  cl  ducado  de  oro  vale  450  fenin. 

^  Biblia  per  Cardinalis  Toleiani  Francisci  Ximenez  1  nstantiam.  Impr.  [Este 
ultimo  tomo  compluti]  1515.  folio.  Costaron  en  Alcald  de  Henares  al  que  los  envie 
d  comprar,  3  ducados  d  4  de  Noviembre  de  1523. 

Compliitiiim  was  the  Latin  name  for  Alcald  de  Henares. 

3  Romance  1 1  echo  por  Andres  Ortiz,  de  los  A  mores  de  Floriseo  y  la  Reina  de  Bo¬ 
hemia  en  Espahol.  4.  Costo  en  Medina  del  Campo  3  blancas,  d  23  de  Noviembre  de 

1523- 


43S 


Christopher  Columbus 

1524,  he  had  his  headquarters  at  Medina  del  Campo,^  from 
which  he  made  short  excursions  to  Valladolid  ^  and  other  towns 
in  Old  Castile.  Although  we  do  not  hear  of  him  as  being  in 
Seville,  we  must  assume  that  he  was  more  or  less  in  that  south¬ 
ern  city.  In  February,  1525,  he  is  again  in  the  north,  at  Ma¬ 
drid  ^  first  and  then  at  Salamanca.  + 

One  might  think  that  Ferdinand  was  a  Royal  despatch 
bearer  by  the  manner  in  which  he  flew  from  country  to  country 
and  from  place  to  place. ^  We  find  him  at  Rome  ^  in  Septem¬ 
ber,  1525,  and  before  the  close  of  the  following  month  he  is  in 
Seville. 7  Here  we  find  him  in  intimate  communication  with 
Fernand  Perez  de  Oliva,  who  wrote  a  biography  of  Chris¬ 
topher  Columbus,  and  who  must  have  had  his  material  largely 
from  Ferdinand,  the  son.  It  is  needless  to  remark  that  the 
biography  does  not  to-day  exist. 

If  we  may  believe  an  entry  in  his  copy  of  La  Vie  et  Passid 
des  Glorieux  et  Tres-Victorieux  Chevaliers  de  nfe  Saulues  Ihsu- 
christ  les  dix  Milles  Martirs,  Ferdinand  was  in  France  in  March, 
1526, — “  Este  libro  costo  4.  dineros  en  Auinon — Avignon — a.  18 
Marzo  de  1526.  Y  el  ducado  vale  570  dineros.”  This  was  the 
time  he  was  charged  with  the  duty  of  forming  a  commission  of 


^  Anselnii  de  Turremada  Fratris,  Doctrina  de  los  Cristianos  en  Metro  Castillano. 
8vo.  Costo  en  Medina  del  Campo  4  maravedis,  a  19  de  Octubre  de  1524. 

Historia  de  Amalie  y  Lncenda,  Hecha  por  Diego  de  San  Pedro,  Burgos,  1522,  4. 
Costo  en  Medina  del  Campo  ii  maravedis  a  ig  de  Noviembre  de  1524. 

^  Question  de  Amor,  en  Castellano,  Salmanticce,  1510,  folio.  Costo  en  Valladolid 
34  maravedis  a  12  de  Noviembre  de  1524. 

3  Libro  II.  de  la  Historia  de  D.  Clarion  de  Laudanis ,  Traducido  en  Castellano  por 
Alvaro,  Fisico.  Toledo,  1522.  folio.  Costo  en  Madrid  6  reales  y  medio  por  Hebrero 

1525- 

4  La  Historia  de  Palmerin  de  Oliva,  Traducido  de  Griega  en  Espanol  por  Francisco 
Vasquez,  Salamanca,  1516,  folio.  Costo  en  Salamanca  4  reales  a  17  de  Marzo  de 
1525- 

La  Historia  de  Canamor  y  del  Infante  Turian,  Burgos,  1509,  4.  Cost6  en  Sala¬ 
manca  30  maravedis  a  27  de  Marzo  de  1525. 

Tractatus  Astrolabii  de  mano  compos,  in  Arabico  per  Ameth  filium  Afar  et  tra- 
ductus  en  Espanol  per  Philippum  Artis  Medicinas  Doct.  4.  Costo  en  Salamanca 
real  y  medio,  a  de  Abril  de  1525. 

s  Harrisse  mentions  some  books  bought  by  Ferdinand  at  Montpellier  and  Avignon 
in  1525,  but  as  certainly  •ne  of  them  was  not  printed  until  long  after  that  date,  we 
are  inclined  to  think  that  the  figures  should  read  1535  instead  of  1525. 

6  Vitorie  del  Re  de  Portugallie  en  India  et  de  la  Presa  de  Malacha,  4.  Cost6  en 
Roma  un  cuatrin  por  Setiembre  de  1525. 

7  Muestra  de  la  Lengua  Castellano  en  el  Nascimiento  de  Hercules,  6  Comedia  de 
Anfitrion  en  Espanol,  Compuesto  por  Fernan  Perez  de  Oliva,  4.  Diomele  el  mesmo 
autor  en  Sevilla  4  27  de  Noviembre  1525. 


439 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library 

cosmographers,  and  there  are  other  indications  that  he  was  in 
Spain  in  March,  1526. 

From  now  on  Ferdinand  spent  his  time  largely  in  Seville  ' 
addressing  himself  to  his  life-work,  the  establishment  of  a  pub¬ 
lic  library,  and  developing  his  plan  for  a  great  institution  for 
the  studying  of  mathematics  and  the  science  of  navigation. 
We  have  already  spoken  of  this  library,  and  as  we  have  fol¬ 
lowed  his  steps  into  many  a  book-stall,  we  have  something  of  an 
idea  of  its  scope  and  the  generous  subjects  of  his  collection  A 
portion  of  the  time  was  also  given  to  public  employment,  but  for 
the  most  part  even  this  was  carried  on  in  his  own  beautiful  Anda¬ 
lusian  city.  The  famous  Capitulation  or  lease  to  Portugal  by 
Spain  was  executed  at  Saragossa,  April  22,  1529;  and,  of  course, 
it  is  to  be  presumed  that  since  the  terms  and  items  were  drawn 
up  by  him,  Ferdinand  was  himself  present  on  that  occasion. 

When  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  was  starting  for  Italy,  Fer¬ 
dinand  was  at  Barcelona  ready  to  Join  his  train.  There  he 
witnessed  the  political  wisdom  of  his  master,  who,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  the  immense  army  under  his  control,  the  powerful  ships  of 
war,  the  success  with  which  he  had  moved  on  the  political  chess¬ 
board  of  Europe,  using  as  pieces  Pope,  Sovereign,  and  princes, 
was  yet  politic  enough  on  that  sultry  day  in  July,  1529,  to 
make  his  public  entry  into  Barcelona,  that  ever  turbulent  city, 
not  as  King  of  Spain  and  Emperor  of  Germany,  but  as  Count 
of  Barcelona,  changing  the  mutterings  of  the  people  into  shouts 
of  joy  and  fastening  their  allegiance  more  closely  than  ever  to 
himself  and  to  his  heir.  In  the  Emperor’s  train,  then,  Ferdi¬ 
nand  embarked  from  this  Spanish  Mediterranean  city  on  July 
8,  1529,  to  land  a  few  days  later  in  the  newly  freed  Italian 
Mediterranean  city  of  Genoa.^  Here  he  must  have  seen  the 
great  Doria  the  father  of  the  Republic.  It  is  not  likely  that 
Ferdinand  was  performing  any  important  function  at  the  travel¬ 
ling  Court,  for  in  September  he  had  returned  to  Seville.  There 
is  nothing  to  indicate  that  Ferdinand  was  with  the  Emperor 
when  the  latter,  upon  his  own  birthday, — the  day  dedicated  to 
St.  Matthias,  February  24  in  the  year  1530, — was  crowned  by 
the  Pope  King  of  Lombardy  and  Emperor  of  the  Romans. 

^  Cartilla  Para  Alonstrar  d  Leer,  4.  Cost6  en  Sevilla  8  maravedis  ano  de  1526. 

^  Olympo  Baldassare  Parthenia,  Venice,  1525.  Este  libro  cost6  en  Genoa  48 
dineros  d  30  di  Agosto  de  1529.  y  vale  un  ducado  de  oro  864  dineros. 


440 


Christopher  Columbus 

Ferdinand  visited  Italy  the  following  year,  and  we  find  him 
at  Peinigia'  early  in  September,  1530,  whence  he  departed  for 
the  Eternal  City  ^ ;  but,  turning  his  face  northward,  he  was  at 
Bologna  ^  and  Modena  in  November,  and  at  Piacenza  ^  in 
December.  While  Charles  V.  was  employing  his  powers  to  have 
his  ^mung  brother  Ferdinand  chosen  King  of  the  Romans,  the 
latter's  namesake  of  the  house  of  Columbus  departed  from  the 
Court,  and  we  find  him  at  Genoa  ^  the  last  month  of  the  year 

1530,  in  Turin,"  on  January  ii,  1531,  and  at  Padua  in  April, * 

1531.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  is  back  in  Spain,  buying 
books  at  Valladolid.^ 

For  several  years  now  there  are  no  bibliographical  annota¬ 
tions  to  help  us  to  the  movements  of  Ferdinand.  When  we 
consider  the  importance  of  his  collection,  the  necessity  for  its 
personal  supervision,  the  building  of  his  library,  and  the  em¬ 
bellishment  and  adornment  of  his  house  and  gardens,  we  think 
it  safe  to  say  that  he  travelled  but  little  in  foreign  countries 

^Lamento  Dima  Cortigiana  Ferrarese  Laquale  per  Hauere  11  Mai  Franzese  si  Con- 
duxe  Andare  in  Carrecta,  Compuesta  p.  Maestro  Andrea  Venitiano,  8°. 

“  O  Dio,  ah  Dio,  ah  Cielo,  o  forte,  al  forte 
O  furia  infernal,  morbo  Francese 
Chempaurito  fai  fugir  la  morte.” 

Este  libro  costo  en  peruso  un  quatrino  a  4  de  Setiembre  de  1530,  y  el  ducado  de  oro 
vale  420  qnatrines. 

^  Constituciones  et  Regulce  Cancellarice,  1492.  Cost6  en  Roma  6  quatrines  d  de 
20  de  Setiembre  de  1530. 

^  Nicolo  da  Bologna.  Oratione.  Bologna,  1526.  Este  libro  costo  en  Bologna  6 
quatrines  en  13  de  nouiembre  de  1530  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale  456  quatrines. 

While  the  title  is  in  Italian,  the  text  is  in  Latin. 

4  Viazo — Questo  Sotto  Scritto  Sie  Tutto  el  Viazo  de  Andare  in  Jerusalem. 

Este  libro  costo  en  Modena  i  quatrin  a  28  de  Nouiembre  de  1530.  Y  el  ducado  de 
oro  vale  468  quatrines. 

5  Matutino  Nel  Flora  del  Matutino.  Pauia,  A.  Este  libro  costo  en  Plazencia 
de  lombardia,  5.  quatrines  a.  g  de  Deciembre  de  1530,  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale  480 
quatrines. 

6  Cato,  questo  sie  La  Cato  Disponito.  Este  libro  costo  15.  dineros  er.  genoua, 
diciembre  de  1530. 

7  Julia  Madona:  Incomenza  Uno  Divoto  Psalmo  Co  Oratione  de  Impetrare  Gratie 
da  Dio.  Sauone,  1521.  Este  libro  costo  i  quarto  en  Turin  a.  14  de  Enero  1531  y  el 
ducado  de  oro  vale  212  quartos. 

This  was  one  of  the  many  vohrmes  pillaged  from  the  Bibliotheca  Columbina  and 
sold  at  Paris  ir^  1885. 

La  Complainte  de  Lescuizer.  Este  libro  costo  3  quartos  en  Turin  ^18  Enero  de 
I  S3 1'  y  el  ducado  de  oro  vale  212  quartos. 

^Oratione  Devotissima  di  Santo  Maitheo  Apostolo.  Este  libro  cost6  i.  quatrine 
en  Padua  £.  4  de  Abril  de  1531  y  el  ducado  de  oro  uale  280  begos. 

9  Petri  de  Resceniiis  in  Commudum  Verbalium.  Cost6  170  maravedis  enValladolid 
d  29  de  Noviembre  de  1531. 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  441 

and  devoted  himself  to  his  home  in  Seville.  The  very  absence 
of  these  annotations  lends  probability  to  this  view.  When 
books  came  to  him  at  Seville  he  had  his  catalogue  in  which  to 
enter  the  cost,  and  there  was  no  need  to  inscribe  the  price  in 
the  book  itself  of  his  purchases.  When  he  was  away  from  home 
and  bought  a  book,  for  the  sake  of  convenience  its  guard-folio 
served  the  purpose  of  a  catalogue  entry,  and  to  this  habit  of 
Ferdinand  we  owe  our  knowledge  of  his  itineraries,  and  by  his 
memoranda  we  follow  him  from  city  to  city. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1534  he  again  made  a  visit  to 
the  university  town  of  Alcala  de  Henares.' 

The  summer  of  the  year  1535  saw  him  once  more  travelling 
in  France,  where  he  secured  books  at  Montpellier.^  In  October 
and  December  he  was  at  Lyons. ^ 

Diego  Columbus,  the  elder  brother  of  Ferdinand,  died  near 
Toledo  in  February,  1526,  but  the  complications  relative  to  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  his  heirs  were  only  adjusted  in  1536. 
The  settlement  was  the  result  of  a  judgment  rendered  by  the 
Cardinal  Loaysa  and  Ferdinand  Columbus,  the  opinion  being 
delivered  January  28,  1536,  and  becoming  operative  on  Sep¬ 
tember  8,  1536.  Thus  a  portion  of  the  days  of  1535  and  1536 
must  have  been  given  by  Ferdinand  to  this  laborious  work. 
His  brother’s  widow,  Doha  Maria  de  Toledo,  came  across  from 
San  Domingo  to  secure  the  rights  of  her  children,  and  we  may 
assume  that  this  loyal  member  of  the  Columbian  family  used 
his  utmost  endeavours  to  promote  the  interests  of  his  nephews 
and  nieces.  His  own  labours  at  Seville  in  his  library  were  now, 
partially  at  least,  assumed  by  Johannes  Vasaeus,  who  had  come 
to  Spain  from  the  Low  Countries,  and  who  was  studying  and 
writing  history  while  he  acted  as  librarian  of  this  magnificent 
collection  of  books. 

*  Tabulce  Longit.  et  Latitud.  Planetarum.  Lovanii.  Este  libro  cost6  68  mrs.  en 
Alcala  de  Henarcs,  por  Enero  de  1534. 

^  D.  Haymoniis,  Viri  Sanciissimi.  in  Psahnos  Ex planatio.  Parisiis.  1532.  Este 
libro  cost6  20  sueldos  en  Montpelier,  d  7  de  Julio  de  1535  y  el  ducado  vale  47  sueldos. 

^Oeuure  Tres  Subtille  de  I’Art  de  Arithmeticque.  Lyon,  1515.  Este  libro  cost6 
76  dineros  en  Leon,  por  Octubre  de  1535. 

BedcB  Presbiter  Opus.  Basilea2,  1533.  Este  libro  costd  18  sueldos  en  Leon  d  6 
de  Diziembre  de  1535  y  el  ducado  vale  47  sueldos  y  medio. 

It  was  while  in  this  cit}’'  that  he  received  a  legal  paper  in  relation  to  the  inherit¬ 
ance  of  Jean  Antoine,  Doctor  of  Laws,  who  died  in  his  service,  as  he  wrote  on  the  said 
paper — Yo  le  Rescibi  en  Leon  de  Francia. 


442 


Christopher  Columbus 

Ferdinand  was  at  Barcelona  '  in  the  early  summer  of  1536,  at 
Lerida  ^  in  July,  and  the  following  month  at  Valladolid.^  While 
in  this  last  named  city  he  met  and  had  personal  intercourse 
with  the  Bishop,  Juan  de  Zumarraga,  who  had  lately  come 
from  IMexico  to  report  on  the  condition  of  his  charge.  It  is  to 
this  great  priest  that  we  owe  the  introduction  of  printing  into 
the  New  World.  The  first  press  was  carried  from  the  city  of 
Seville  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  there  set  up  for  operation 
somewhere  about  the  year  1539.  It  was  from  the  printing 
establishment  of  the  Crombergers  in  Seville,  and  Johannes 
Cromberger  himself  accompanied  it  and  handled  its  mechanism. 
As  one  of  the  best  printers  in  Spain,  with  his  printing  house  not 
far  from  the  Columbian  Library  itself,  Ferdinand  must  have 
known  both  the  first  American  printer,  Johannes  Cromberger, 
and  his  distinguished  patron,  Juan  de  Zumarraga,  the  Bishop 
of  Mexico. 

It  was  about  the  year  1537  that  Ferdinand  assisted  in  the  ex¬ 
humation  of  the  remains  of  the  first  Admiral  and  of  his  brother 
Diego,  then  buried  in  the  chapel  of  the  monastery  of  Las  Cue¬ 
vas.  This  was  pursuant  to  a  Royal  edict  dated  June  2,  1537,  but 
the  fulfilment  of  the  command  did  not  occur  until  some  time  after. 
In  November,  1537,  he  received  a  new  pension  from  the  Em¬ 
peror.  He  was  occupied  both  with  his  great  library  and  with 
this  project  of  establishing  an  Imperial  College  for  the  study 
of  mathematics  and  the  sciences. 

Ferdinand  Columbus  died  at  his  home  in  Seville  on  the 
morning  of  Saturday,  July  12,  1539.  He  was  buried  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Seville,  the  only  member  of  his  family  to  have  this 


'  Practica  Mercantivol  Sermon  Lemosin  Composta  per  Joan  V  at  allot  de  la  Ciutat 
de  Mallorques,  Lugduni,  1521.  Este  libro  cost6  enquadernado  43  dineros  en  Bar¬ 
celona,  por  Junio  de  1536. 

^  Suspensio  Domini  Julii  Pape  Secundi  ab  Omnitam  in  Spiritualibus  Quam  in 
Temporalibus  Papali  Administrationem.  Este  libro  cost6  2  dineros  en  Lerida  d  2  de 
Julio  de  1536. 

3  Johannes  de  Zumarraga  Universis  et  Singulis  R.  P.  Ac  Fratribus  in  Christo  ex 
Maioreti  Oppido  Kl.  Jan.  1533,  4.  Este  libro  me  dio  el  mesmo  autor  en  Valladolid, 
d  25  de  Agosto  de  1536. 

Eleganzias  Romanzadas.  Este  libro  cost6  28  mrs.  en  Valladolid  d.  de  Se- 
tiembre  de  1536. 

Ferdinand  must  have  remained  at  Valladolid  until  the  close  of  the  year  1536, 
for  we  find,  according  to  M,  Duro,  Colon  y  la  Historia  Pdsiunia,  Charles  V.  donated 
him  a  sum  of  money  from  the  Royal  revenues  of  Cuba, — part  of  which  was  to  go  to 
the  library, — and  this  document  is  executed  at  Valladolid,  November  20,  1536, 


443 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library 

honour.  The  traveller  may  still  see  his  tombstone  in  the  prin¬ 
cipal  nave,  a  few  steps  in  front  of  the  choir.  Of  the  personal 
appearance  of  Ferdinand  we  do  not  know  much.  His  portrait 
had  been  painted  at  some  time  in  his  life,  or  we  infer  that  it 
was  painted  from  life,  since  the  Spanish  historian,  Argote  de 
Molina,  in  his  Aparato  d  la  Historia  de  Seville,  declared  that  in 
1592  Ferdinand’s  portrait  hung  in  his  studio.  It  is  believed  he 
was  of  a  ruddy  complexion  like  his  father.  He  was  tall  of 
form,  of  physical  proportions  somewhat  abnormal,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  notwithstanding  provision  had  been  made 
for  a  coffin  of  largest  size,  so  corpulent  was  his  body  that  an¬ 
other  had  to  be  made  of  still  greater  dimensions.  He  was  of  a 
most  amiable  character,  and  neither  age  nor  bodily  infirmity 
ruffled  his  spirit.  He  was  a  celibate,  but  he  never  had  taken 
holy  orders  nor  assumed  priestly  responsibilities,  although  he 
v/as  devout  and  religious  in  principle  and  in  practice.  As  we 
have  elsewhere  remarked,  there  was  a  touch  of  pathos  in  the 
humility  with  which  he  asked  burial  in  the  Cathedral  Church 
and  the  implied  expectation  of  the  Chapter’s  refusal.  Neither 
chancel  nor  nave  in  that  old  church  of  Seville  has  ever  held 
among  the  living  or  among  the  dead  a  nobler,  better,  more  gen¬ 
erous  man  than  Don  Ferdinand  Columbus,  the  scholar’s  friend. 

There  is  sometimes  a  desire  in  the  living  to  speak  after 
death  to  those  who  stand  by  one’s  tomb,  and  Ferdinand  had 
himself  composed  a  verse  of  eight  lines  which,  in  case  he  was 
destined  to  be  buried  at  sea,  or  a  grave  was  found  for  him  in 
a  foreign  land,  was  to  be  placed  upon  a  tablet,  and  his  friends 
were  charged  with  the  duty  of  engraving  it  upon  the  Cathedral 
walls : 

“  Aspice  Qvid  Prodest,  Totvm  svdasse  Per  Orbem 
At  Qve  Orbem  Patris  Ter  Peragrasse  Novvm; 

Qvid  Placidi  Baetis  Ripam  Finxisse  Decoram; 

Divitiasqve  Genium  Post  habvisse  Mevm, — 

Vt  Tibi  castalii  serarem  Nvmina  Fontis 
Offerremqve  simvl  Qvas  Ptolaemevs  opes 
Si  Tenvi  Saltern  Transcvrrens  Mvrmvre  Sexvm 
Nec  Patri  Salve,  nec  Mihi  Dicis  Ave.” 

It  was  a  modest  e]:)itaph,  the  honest  expression  of  work 
proposed  and  of  labour  accomplished,  and  the  pious  desire  for 
remembrance  and  for  prayers.  But,  alas!  even  the  precaution 


444 


Christopher  Columbus 

of  composing  one's  own  epitaph  will  not  assure  the  deliverance 
to  the  world  of  one’s  message.  The  executors  of  Ferdinand 
instead  raised  to  his  memory  this  memorial,  with  its  abundant 
mixture  of  error  and  mistake: 

“  Aqvi  yaze  el  M.  Magnifico  S.  D.  Hernando 
Colon,  el  qval  aplico  y  gasto  toda  sv  vida 
y  hazienda  en  avmento  de  las  letras  y 
jvntar,  y  perpetvar  en  esta  civdad  todos  svs 
libros  de  todas  las  ciencias,  qve  en  sv  tiempo 
hallo  y  en  redvcirlo  a  qvatro  libros  fallecio 
en  esta  civdad  a  12  de  Jvlio  de  1539  de  edad  de 
30  ahos,  9  meses,  y  14  dias,  fve  hijo  del  valeroso 
y  memorable  S.D.  Christ.  Colon,  primero  Almite 
qve  descvrio  las  Yndias,  y  nvevo  mvndo, 
en  vida  de  los  cat.  R.  D.  Fernando  y  D.  Ysabel  de 
gloriosa  memoria,  a  ii  de  Oct.  de  1492  con  tres 
galeras  y  90  personas,  y  part  [io]  del  pverto 
de  Palos  a  descvrir  las,  a  3  de  Agosto  antes, 
y  bolvio  a  Castilla  con  victoria  a  7  de  Maio  Fzc] 
d’l  aho  sigviente  y  .  .  .  torno  despves  otras  dos 

veces  a  poblar  loqve  descvrio.  Fallecio  en 
Valladolid  a  20  de  Agosto  pm]  de  1506  anos. 

Roga  Dios  por  ellos.” 

If  this  epitaph  was  correct,  and  if  Ferdinand,  on  July  12, 
1539,  was  aged  fifty  years,  nine  months,  and  fourteen  days,  he 
must  have  been  born  September  28,  1488.  Ortiz  de  Zuniga 
said  that  Ferdinand  was  born  a  viente  y  nueve  de  agosto  como 
parece  de  papeles  originates  suyos  que  tiene  nuestra  Santa  Iglesia, 
— “on  the  twenty  and  ninth  of  August,  as  appears  from  the 
original  documents  on  file  in  our  church.  ’  ’  But  in  the  Declar- 
aciones  del  Albacea  we  read: 

“  Porqne  por  memorias  suyas  fidedignas  paresze  que  nacio  en  Cdrdova 
a  quinze  dias  del  mes  de  Agosto,  dia  de  la  Asuncion  de  nuestra  Senora  ano 
de  mill  e  quatrocientos  e  ochenta  e  ocho.” 

“As,  according  to  his  memorials,  worthy  of  belief,  it  appears  that  he 
was  born  in  Cordova  on  the  Fifteenth  day  of  the  month  of  August,  the  Day 
of  the  Ascension  of  our  Lady,  in  the  year  1488.” 

The  reader  will  observe  that  the  date  of  the  return  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  from  his  first  voyage  is  also  incorrect,  as  is  the  more 
important  date  assigned  to  his  death  at  Valladolid. 


445 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library 

By  his  Will '  Ferdinand  left  his  property,  including  his  vast 
collection  of  books  and  manuscripts,  to  his  nephew  Don  Luis, 
son  of  his  elder  brother  Diego.  This  son  Luis  was  his  nephew 
and  the  head  of  that  house  to  which  Ferdinand  held  irregular 
relationship.  The  effects  of  the  testator  were  to  be  sold  and 
their  proceeds  devoted  to  the  care  and  increase  of  his  library. 
The  bequest  was  hampered  with  a  provision:  if  Don  Luis  did 
not  accept  this  charge,  the  property  should  go  to  the  Cathedral 
Chapter  of  Seville  with  the  same  condition,  and,  failing  the 
Chapter’s  acceptance,  they  should  pass,  bequest  and  condition, 
to  the  monastery  of  St.  Paul  in  the  city  of  Seville. 

Ferdinand  Columbus,  it  must  be  understood,  was  not  col¬ 
lecting  for  the  mere  sake  of  possessing.  His  object  was  to 
leave  the  world  the  free  use  of  the  vast  collection  of  books  his 
intelligence  and  his  fortune  had  gathered.  It  was  to  be  open 
to  all  inquiring  students.  There  were  to  be  established  fellow¬ 
ships,  precursors  of  the  Chair  of  Bibliography  still  awaiting  its 
place  in  modern  universities.  Ferdinand  was  himself  an  ac¬ 
complished  bibliographer.  He  had  studied  the  systems  pre- 


*  These  were  the  terms  of  the  will,  not  dissimilar  from  those  we  would  employ 
to-day : 

“  I  leave  the  remainder  of  my  fortune  to  be  applied  to  the  care  and  increase  of  my 
library :  I  order  that  the  whole  of  the  revenues  shall  be  annually  employed  for  this 
purpose,  and  that  if  a  single  year  shall  pass  without  this  expenditure  being  made, 
the  legatee  shall  lose  his  rights  and  shall  be  deprived  of  the  charge  of  the  books  as 
well  as  of  the  revenues  thereto  annexed  and  that  the  legatee  next  in  line  shall  succeed 
thereto. 

“  I  direct  that  if  by  the  fault  of  those  in  charge,  ten  volumes  are  stolen  or  lost,  he 
or  they  shall  pay  ten  ducats  for  each  volume,  if  in  two  years’  time  he  or  they  shall  not 
have  found  or  replaced  them.  Moreover  the  one  in  whose  charge  they  have  been  will 
lose  his  position  and  his  guardianship  of  the  library  as  well  as  the  revenues  connected 
therewith,  and  he  will  transfer  without  delay  the  control  of  the  same  to  the  succeeding 
legatee  upon  the  same  conditions. 

“Dexo  por  eredero  d  D.  Luis  Colon,  Almirante  de  las  Yndias,  mi  sobrino,  en  el 
remaniente  de  mis  bienes,  con  tal  cargo  6  condicion  que  gaste  cada  ano  en  aumento  y 
conservacion  de  la  libreria  perpetuamente  cien  mill  mrs. ;  6  si  no  quiere  acetar,  dexo 
por  eredero  d  la  fdbrica  de  la  Yglesia  Mayor  desta  ciudad,  con  tal  cargo  que  sc  conpre 
de  mis  bienes  tanta  renta  que  baste  para  sustenar  la  libreria  de  la  forma  y  manera 
(pie  la  dexo  ordenado.  E  si  no  acetare  al  monesterio  de  S.  Pablo  de  esta  ciudad, 
el  cual  dicho  monesterio  y  cada  uno  de  los  arriba  qui  acetare  mi  herencia  haga  se 
cumpla  lo  que  dexo  ordenado  de  mi  libreria,  6  compre  de  mi  hacienda  renta  que 
bastare  para  aumentalla  e  conservalla.” 

“I  leave  the  remainder  of  my  property  to  Don  Luis  Columbus,  Admiral  of  the 
Indies,  as  my  heir,  with  the  charge  and  condition  that  he  shall  spend  each  year,  per¬ 
petually,  100,000  maravedis  in  the  increase  and  preservation  of  the  library:  and  if  he 
does  not  wish  to  accept  the  inheritance,  I  leave  it  to  the  Cathedral  Church  of  this  city, 
as  my  heir,  with  the  condition  that  a  sufficient  income  shall  be  appropriated  from  my 
property  to  sustain  the  library  in  the  form  and  manner  that  1  have  ordered.  And  if 
it  is  not  accepted.  I  leave  it  to  the  monastery  of  S.  Pablo  of  this  city,  which  said 
monastery  and  each  one  of  those  above  who  may  accept  my  inheritance,  shall  cause 
what  I  have  ordered  in  regard  to  my  library  to  be  fulfilled,  and  shall  appropriate  from 
my  property  a  sufficient  revenue  to  augment  and  preserve  it.” 


446 


Christopher  Columbus 

vailing  in  the  principal  libraries  of  Europe,  and  had  out  of  his 
knowledge  devised  a  plan  for  indexing  and  classifying  books 
which  greatly  facilitated  their  use.  He  had  himself  partially 
prepared  a  most  full  and  instructive  catalogue,  and  in  his 
Memorial  for  the  Preservation  of  the  Library,  he  purposed  leav¬ 
ing  the  world  not  only  a  large  and  choice  .selection  of  books, 
but  a  method  of  reaching  their  contents  worthy  of  a  modern 
school  of  the  science  of  bibliography. 

First,  a  catalogue  alphabetically  arranged  according  to  au¬ 
thors  and  their  works. 

Second,  a  catalogue  arranged  under  contents. 

Third,  a  digest  of  the  various  works  gathered  in  one  book. 

Fourth,  a  general  table  of  subjects. 

“Memorial  de  D.  Fernando  al  Emperador  sobre  la  conservacion  de  la 
Biblioteca.  Appendice  B. 

“Memoria  de  la  orden  que  llevaba  Colon  en  su  libreria. 

“  Reduciendo  a  orden  alfabetico  todos  los  autores  que  ha  habido,  dici- 
endo .  Tal  autor  compuso  tal  y  tal  libro ;  poniendo  todas  las  obras  que  oviere 
hecho,  asimesmo  por  orden  alfabetico,  para  que  con  mayor  facilidad  sean 
halladas  las  obras  y  sus  autores.  [Memorial  al  Emperador.] 

“  Otro  libro  diviso  por  titulo  de  las  ciencias  generales,  como  es  Theo- 
logia,  Jus  canonicum,  Jus  civile,  etc,  y  en  cada  titulo  de  estos  pone  por 
orden  alfabetico  todas  las  especies  o  individuos  que  tiene  aquella  ciencia, 
expresando  los  libros  que  hay  escritos  en  ella.  [Ibidem.'] 

“Un  libro  en  que  se  dice  y  refiere  la  summa  y  sentencia  de  lo  que  cada 
libro  contiene,  que  en  efecto  es  un  epitome  6  compendio  del  tal  libro 
[Ibidem.] 

“De  proposiciones  ordenadas  por  alfabeto,  segun  la  diversidad  de  las 
materias,  en  que  dice:  sobre  tal  cosa  escribe  sulano  esto  en  tal  parte,  y 
sulano  esto  en  tal.  [Ibid.]” 

“Memorandum  of  Don  Ferdinand  to  the  Emperor  in  regard  to  the 
preservation  of  the  Library.  Appendix  B. 

“Memorandum  of  the  order  observed  by  Columbus  in  his  Library. 
[This  memorandum  was  drawn  up  after  the  death  of  Don  Ferdinand  and 
when  the  library  had  not  yet  been  transported  to  the  monastery  of 
St.  Paul;  that  is  to  say  between  July  1539  and  April  1544.] 

“Reducing  to  alphabetical  order  all  the  authors  which  he  possessed, 
saying:  such  an  author  composed  such  and  such  a  book:  placing  all  the 
works  which  he  had,  likewise  in  alphabetical  order,  so  that  the  works  and 
their  authors  may  be  found  with  greater  facility.  [Memorandum  to  the 
Emperor.] 

“Another  book  divided  into  titles  of  the  general  sciences,  such  as 
Theology,  Jus  canonicum.  Jus  civile,  and  under  each  of  these  titles  he 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  447 

places  in  alphabetical  order  all  the  sub-divisions  or  sub-titles  of  that 
science,  giving  under  these  sub-divisions  the  proper  books.  [Ibidem.] 

“A  book  in  which  is  told  and  related  the  sum  and  substance  of  what  each 
book  contains,  which,  in  effect,  is  an  epitome  or  compendium  of  such  book. 
[Ibidem.] 

“Of  propositions  alphabetically  arranged  according  to  the  variety  of 
the  matters.  .  .  .” 

In  his  Will  he  speaks  of  a  proeedure  to  be  followed  in  adding 
to  the  library,  which  some  have  supposed  was  suggested  by  the 
method  he  used  himself;  the  books  which  his  heirs  might  pur¬ 
chase  in  six  cities — in  Rome,  Venice,  Nuremberg,  Antwerp, 
Paris,  and  Lyons — should  all  be  gathered  in  the  last-named  city, 
Lyons,  and  from  there  be  despatched  to  Seville.  He  probably 
mentioned  these  cities  simply  as  centres  of  the  Continental 
book-trade  of  those  days,  Rome  and  Venice  for  Italy,  Nurem¬ 
berg  for  Germany,  Antwerp  for  the  Low  Countries,  and  Paris 
and  Lyons  for  France.  A  large  number  of  his  books  came  from 
French  dealers,  and  therefore  it  was  natural  to  have  them 
brought  together  at  Lyons,  carried  down  the  river  to  Marseilles, 
and  thence  to  the  Guadalquivir  River  and  Seville.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  we  have  no  account  of  his  dealings  with  the 
printers,  the  booksellers,  and  the  binders  of  his  day.  The  illus¬ 
trious  visitors  to  Spain  from  foreign  countries  all  wended  their 
way  to  this  library,  and  many  of  them  were  entertained  by  Fer¬ 
dinand  Columbus  and,  in  some  instances,  as  in  the  cases  of  Nicolas 
Claynaerts  and  Johannes  Vasasus,  they  became  inmates  of  his 
family  circle.  The  former  of  these  distinguished  men  frequently 
referred  to  this  library  in  his  letters  published  at  Antwerp  in 
1566.  And  if  this  interest  was  true  of  the  foreigners,  what  a 
source  of  instruction  must  this  collection  have  afforded  native 
and  adopted  Spaniards!'  Peter  Martyr,  Oviedo,  Gomara,  Se¬ 
pulveda,  and  his  greater  antagonist,  our  own  Bartolome  de 
las  Casas,  the  fighting  Christian  and  Christian  fighter. 

It  is  not  a  pleasing  spectacle  to  see  a  generous  bequest  made 
in  a  mean  manner.  Many  of  the  richest  givers  have  bestowed 

'  We  do  not  speak  of  other  characters  equally  distinguished  in  their  day.  but 
whose  names  in  our  day  are  no  longer  on  the  lips  of  men:  F’edro  Mexia,  who  wrote 
Silva  de  Varia  Leccion,  printed  at  Seville,  1543;  Juan  de  Mai  Lara;  Cieza  de  Leon, 
Parte  I^rimera  de  la  Chronica  del  Peru.  Seville,  1553;  Geronimo  Zurita,  Anales  de 
la  Corona  de  Aragon.  1562;  Florian  de  Ocampo,  Crdnica  General  de  Espaha.  Zamora, 
1533;  and  many  others  might  be  mentioned  as  debtors  to  the  library  and  as  inter¬ 
ested  in  its  riches. 


448 


Christopher  Columbus 

property  with  the  mean  hand  of  a  niggard.  How  large  a  part 
of  giving,  particular!}^  testamentary  giving,  is  ignorant,  mis¬ 
guided,  and  harmful!  Men  leave  fortunes  to  build  libraries  that 
their  names  may  be  read  on  the  corner-stone.  The  executors  of 
the  will  may  fill  the  building  with  rubbish  or  a  smattering  of 
published  lore.  The  skill  of  the  builder  is  not  so  important  as 
the  wisdom  of  the  librarian.  Ferdinand  was  generous  with  his 
collection  and  wise  in  the  method  of  his  bestowal.  He  offered 
the  Emperor  to  give  it  to  any  city  in  Spain  which  that  monarch 
might  designate,  and  to  add  to  his  collection  books  published 
ever}uvhere  in  Europe.  This  offer  was  not  accepted,  and  its 
future  lay  in  the  hand  of  fate.  When  Ferdinand  died,  his  books 
had  passed  a  mark  mentioned  by  him  in  a  letter  to  his  nephew, 
15,370  in  number,  an  immense  collection  to  have  been  made 
by  one  person  alone  and  unaided.  When  we  speak  of  large 
libraries,  we  forget  the  number  of  bequests,  the  long  line  of 
librarians,  the  multitude  of  purchases,  the  absorption  of  entire 
collections.  In  those  days  the  market  was  not  flooded  with 
cheap,  common,  and  worthless  books.  Writer  and  publisher 
were  serious  in  intent.  The  press  was  fruitful,  but  had  not  yet 
come  to  transmit  the  germs  of  intellectual  disease. 

It  is  probable  that  the  books  left  by  Ferdinand  were  not 
fewer  than  twenty  thousand  at  the  time  of  his  death.  This 
immense  treasure  was,  then,  offered  to  his  nephew  and  the  head 
of  the  house  of  Columbus,  Don  Luis  Columbus,  third  Admiral 
of  the  Indies.  Don  Luis  and  his  active  and  admirable  mother, 
Doha  Maria,  were  in  San  Domingo,  and  time  passed  without 
any  signs  of  acceptance  of  the  charge  on  the  part  of  Luis.  In 
August,  1540,  the  Cathedral  Chapter  applied  for  a  judicial 
decision  as  to  the  inheritance,  and,  September  13,  1540,  an 
order  was  made  to  Don  Luis  asking  for  his  decision.  Years 
passed  and  no  answer  came  from  him.  He  was,  perhaps,  as 
some  think,  awaiting  his  majority.  Born  in  1521  or  1522,  his 
twenty-fifth  birthday  came  only  in  1546  or  1547.  However 
this  may  be,  it  was  by  a  letter  of  April  7,  1544,  that  his  mother, 
acting  for  him,  authorised  the  third  provisional  heir,  the  mon¬ 
astery  of  St.  Paul,  to  transfer  the  books  into  their  convent. 
After  the  manner  of  the  time,  the  authorisation  of  Don  Luis,  or 
rather  of  Dona  Maria,  was  posted  on  the  principal  door  of  the 
library.  This  authorisation  did  not  in  so  many  words  bestow 


449 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library 

the  library  on  the  monastery.  On  the  contrary,  it  distinctly 
said  that  the  monastery  was  to  be  its  custodian.  The  purpose, 
however,  was  evidently  to  lodge  it  there  permanently.  At  all 
events,  there  was  wild  alarm  in  the  Chapter  House,  and  judiciary 
proceedings  were  begun  a  week  later,  April  15,  1544,  to  secure 
the  bequest  for  the  Cathedral.  The  suit  was  speedily  successful, 
and  on  July  25,  1544,  the  property  was  ordered  to  be  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  Chapter  of  the  Cathedral  of  Seville,  which  im¬ 
mediately  proceeded  to  appoint  Rodrigo  de  Navarre te — name 
to  be  more  illustrious  many  generations  afterwards — to  be 
Librarian-in-Chief,  with  the  paltry  salary  of  four  thousand 
maravedis.  But  the  decision  of  a  court  is  often  followed  by 
delay  in  its  execution,  and  years  followed  before  the  books  were 
all  transferred.  A  public  body,  like  an  individual,  may  be 
wondrous  hot  while  on  the  chase  through  the  mazes  of  a  court, 
and,  like  him,  grow  cool  to  carelessness  when  once  the  game 
is  in  its  bag.  The  monks  of  St.  Paul  were  obliged,  as  late  as 
the  year  1552,  to  complain  that  the  Will  of  Ferdinand  was  not 
obeyed,  and  before  the  Court  at  Granada  they  obtained  an 
order  requiring  the  Chapter  at  once,  within  six  days,  to  remove 
to  its  care  all  the  books  and  manuscripts  belonging  to  the 
library.  It  had  rested  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Paul  for  eight 
years.  This  salon  is  now  put  to  public  civil  use,  and  the  Legis¬ 
lature  of  the  province  now  meets  within  its  walls.  The  library, 
known  from  1539  to  1544  as  Bibliotheca  Fernandina,  is  hence¬ 
forth  to  be  called  Bibliotheca  Columbina.  Alas!  It  no  longer 
filled  the  wishes  of  the  testator.  It  was  closed.  In  the  year 
1592  Argote  de  Molina  exclaimed  in  bitterness:  “The  Library 
of  Ferdinand  Columbus  is  closed,  and,  although  gathered  for 
the  purpose  of  study  and  work,  it  serves  positively  no  person 
and  no  purpose.”  It  was  first  installed  in  the  Moorish  wing  of 
the  Cathedral,  in  a  great  apartment  described  as  situated  be¬ 
neath  the  Nave  del  Lagarto  or  Lizard  \^ault,  so  called  because 
of  the  carved  gigantic  lizard  on  the  ceiling.  This  was  called 
the  Gallery  of  the  Orangery, — Galcria  del  Patio  de  los  Naranjos. 
The  upper  story  of  this  gallery  was  divided  into  two  parallel 
aisles,  separated  by  a  thick  wall,  one  opening  on  the  street  and 
one  on  the  Orangery.  This  thick  wall  had  been  erected  in  the 
year  of  the  Hegira,  593 — 1215  a.d. — by  Almarnor  Jacob,  King  of 
the  Moors  in  Spain.  The  aisles  or  galleries  did  not  communicate, 

VOL  III. — 29. 


450 


Christopher  Columbus 

Which  held  the  library?  Juan  de  Loaisa,  having  charge  of  the 
repairs  in  the  year  1678,  reported  that  the  collection  was  then 
upon  the  same  shelves  which  it  had  occupied  for  a  hundred  and 
twenty-six  years.  On  the  other  hand,  a  Spanish  writer,  Pablo 
de  Espinosa  de  los  Monteros,  in  a  work  entitled  Teatro  de  la 
Santa  Iglesia  Metro politana  de  Sevilla,  printed  at  Seville,  1635, 
says ; 

“Encima  de  las  Capillas  de  la  Nave  del  Lagarto,  esta  la  libreria  desta 
Santa  Iglesia,  en  una  pieza  que  tiene  de  largo  ciento  y  cincuenta  pies,  y  de 
ancho  veynte,  y  de  alto  treinta.  A  la  parte  de  Oriente  tiene  seys  ventanas 
con  vidrieras,  y  esta  toda  rodeada  de  estantes  de  lindas  maderas  de  quinze 
pies  de  alto  con  veynte  mil  cuerpos  de  libros.” 

“Over  the  Chapels  of  the  Nave  del  Lagarto,  is  the  library  of  this  holy 
Church,  in  a  room  which  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  ft.  long,  twenty  ft.  wide, 
and  tliirty  ft.  high.  There  are  six  glass  windows  on  the  eastern  side,  and 
the  room  is  all  surrounded  with  shelves  fifteen  ft.  high  made  of  beautiful 
woods,  containing  twenty  thousand  volumes.’’ 

The  only  one  of  the  two  galleries  having  six  windows  is  the 
one  facing  the  street, — one  or  two  are  since  walled, — and  this 
eorresponds  to  the  description  given  by  Espinosa.  Rafael 
Tabares,  who  for  fifty  years  was  connected  with  the  library, 
said  to  Gallardo  that  “la  Biblioteca  Columbina  existio  primero 
en  la  pieza  que  llaman  ahora  [en  1823]  de  las  velas  6  tapices”; 
and  Harrisse,  who  knew  well  the  library,  declares  that  this 
description  is  exact,  and  that  since  1852  certain  exterior  orna¬ 
ments,  such  as  were  used  on  fete  days,  were  placed  in  the  salon 
opening  on  the  street.  It  may  then  be  said  that  this  great 
library,  so  interesting  to  the  Ameriean,  was  first  installed  in  the 
gallery  or  salon  opening  on  the  street,  and  that  in  1678,  when 
the  roof  required  repairs  and  other  changes  were  to  be  made, 
it  was  placed  in  the  salon  opening  on  the  Orangery.  The  visitor 
who  will  travel  to  this  shrine  will  have  some  interest  in  know¬ 
ing  he  is  worshipping  the  real  relics. 

We  may  call  Johannes  Vasaeus  the  first  librarian  of  Ferdi¬ 
nand’s  library.  His  duties  had  ended,  however,  sometime 
before  the  latter’s  death,  and  when  that  event  occurred  Juan 
Perez  was  installed  as  librarian.  He  is  mentioned  in  the  Will: 
“  Juan  Perez  dwells  in  my  house."  When  the  library  was  shifted 
to  the  monastery  of  St.  Paul  it  is  probable  it  was  no  longer  open 


451 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library 

to  the  public  or  enjoyed  the  sympathetic  care  of  a  librarian. 
The  Chapter  of  the  Cathedral  appointed  Rodrigo  de  Navarrete, 
when,  in  1544,  it  was  in  the  receipt  of  the  judicial  decision,  but 
whether  he  was  retained  when  the  Chapter  actually  came  into 
possession  of  the  books  we  do  not  find  recorded.  Juan  de 
Loaisa  flourished  about  the  year  1680,  and  was  the  most  famous 
of  the  long  line  of  the  good,  bad,  and  indifferent  care-takers  of 
this  great  collection.  We  know  not  where  to  place  him  in  this 
list,  but  we  do  know  that  he  found  it  necessary  to  report,  in 
an  inventory  which  he  made  April  ii,  1684,  to  the  Dean  and 
Chapter,  that: 

“Caben  solo  4  6  5000  cuerpos  de  libros  no  mas,  esto  es,  tomos  6  volu- 
menes:  pero  tambien  es  certissimo  lo  que  dice  el  mismo  D.  Fernando  Colon 
y  afirman  las  historias  que  esta  libreria  pasaba  de  20,000  libros.” 

‘‘It  contains  only  4  or  5000  books,  no  more;  that  is,  tomes  or  volumes; 
but  what  Don  Ferdinand  himself  says  and  the  histories  affirm  is  also  very 
certain,  that  this  library  exceeded  20,000  books.” 

Thus  we  see  that  the  ravages  had  begun  long  before  the  book¬ 
seller  of  to-day  prepared  his  catalogues.  After  Loaisa ’s  death 
by  the  plague  in  the  year  1707,  the  library  seems  to  have  been 
absolutely  abandoned.  It  is  said  the  little  children  in  that 
quarter  of  Seville  were  suffered  to  play  within  its  galleries  and 
to  amuse  themselves  with  the  miniatures  which  adorned  the 
precious  manuscripts.  One  eye-witness  testifies  to  seeing  books 
and  manuscripts  thrown  aside  and  decaying  in  the  gutters.  In 
the  eighteenth  century  Rafael  Tabares  was  appointed  librarian, 
and  in  the  year  1783  he  made  a  very  complete  inventory.  Ex¬ 
treme  caution  must  be  had  in  estimating  the  losses,  for  fre¬ 
quently  in  cataloguing  several  pamphlets  or  their  manuscript 
originals  would  be  numbered  under  one  item.  In  the  year  1832 
Jose  Fernandez  de  Velasco,  the  most  famous  of  the  modern 
Columbian  librarians,  was  appointed  to  this  ])osition,  and  en¬ 
tered  at  once  on  a  task  of  building  up  the  library  So  incessant 
were  his  labours  and  his  appeals  for  ecclesiastical  and  civil 
help,  that  in  the  month  of  February,  1859,  the  library  had 
extended  to  great  proportions  and  occupied  additional  space, 
the  middle  wall  between  the  galleries  being  demolished.  Fer¬ 
nandez  died  in  the  year  1879,  and,  as  often  happens,  the  pen¬ 
dulum  swung  from  that  point  on  the  arc  marked  care  to  that 


452  Christopher  Columbus 

marked  indifference.  At  the  time  of  his  death  there  were 
between  two  thousand  and  three  thousand  of  the  original  Fer¬ 
dinand  collections  remaining.  It  was  probably  not  in  his  time 
that  the  shrinkage  took  place  of  from  five  thousand  in  1680  to 
less  than  three  thousand  in  1879.  Indeed,  such  a  loss  would  be 
inconsistent  with  the  care  and  love  he  bestowed  on  his  books. 
Therefore  we  assume  the  loss  was  prior  to  1832. 

To-day,  out  of  the  15,370  books  and  manuscripts  bequeathed 
by  Ferdinand,  comparatively  few  remain  to  tell  of  his  generosity. 
But  how  was  this  collection  dispersed  in  modern  times?  Ferdi¬ 
nand  Columbus  said  sometme  before  his  death  that  he  had  col¬ 
lected  15,370  books.  Espinosa,  as  we  have  just  seen,  said  there 
were  20,000  books  on  the  shelves.  Of  these,  some  may  have 
belonged  originally  to  the  Chapter  itself.  Where  are  these  books 
to-day?  It  is  true  that  there  is  a  large  library  in  the  city  of 
Seville  and  that  it  goes  by  the  name  of  Bibliotheca  Columhina, 
but  of  the  original  Bibliotheca  Columbina  or  Bibliotheca  Ferdinan- 
da  only  a  fragment — a  pitiful  handful — refnains.  These  15,370 
books  were  all  bought  before  the  year  1539,  the  year  of  Fer¬ 
dinand’s  death.  Of  these  there  remain  probably  not  more  than 
2000  items. 

A  library  is  no  better  than  its  librarian.  When  its  attend¬ 
ants  and  its  overseers  are  ignorant  or  indifferent,  it  languishes 
and  its  books  disappear.  There  were  times  when  the  Colum¬ 
bian  Library  was  in  wise  and  efficient  hands.  There  were  other 
times  when  there  were  permitted  ravages  such  as  the  nobler 
animal  which  lives  in  and  on  books  never  could  produce.  When 
and  how  these  books  disappeared  no  one  can  tell.  The  disper¬ 
sion  of  a  portion  only  can  be  recounted.  One  day  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1884,  a  Paris  collector  of  rare  and  ancient  books 
received  from  Spain  a  lot  of  books  which  were  offered  him  for 
sale.  These  books  had  all  been  printed  previous  to  the  year 
1539,  and  in  almost  every  instance  there  had  been  removed  by  the 
knife  or  by  chemicals  the  mark  of  previous  ownership,  in  many 
cases  the  guard-folio  being  rubbed  where  there  had  once  been 
inscriptions.  One,  however,  had  the  stamp  and  hall-marks  of 
the  Bibliotheca  Columbina,  and  happily  fell  under  the  vigilant 
eye  of  Henry  Harrisse,  who  carried  to  the  public  his  discovery 
and  uttered  his  cry  of  shame.  By  this  time  another  and  still 
another  lot,  and  still  others — parcel  after  parcel,  package  after 


Ferdinand  Columbus  and  his  Library  453 

package — arrived  in  Paris,  and  its  precious  atoms  were  spread 
on  the  narrow  shelf  that  lines  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
Seine  and  which  forms  the  longest  library  in  the  world. 
The  Spanish  Government  was  aroused.  In  one  lot  brought 
into  Paris  for  sale  in  November,  1884,  there  were  over 
three  hundred  of  these  precious  books,  once  the  property  of 
Ferdinand  and  all  collected  by  his  careful  hand.  There  was 
one  bookseller,  actually  a  Spaniard  and  actually  a  bookseller 
of  Seville,  who  had  the  audacity  to  print  a  list  of  books  exclu¬ 
sively  from  the  famous  library  and  which  he  offered  for  sale. 
Harrisse  only  pointed  at  her  ministers  one  finger  of  shame. 
The  world  pointed  countless  fingers.  A  member  of  the  Cortes 
demanded  an  inquiry.  The  minister  within  whose  province 
those  matters  lay  replied.  The  bequest  was  to  a  religious  order. 
The  Government,  the  civil  Government,  the  State  was  not  re¬ 
sponsible.  Then  came  the  answer  that  the  Government,  the 
civil  Government  the  State  had  driven  out  the  old  owner,  the 
religious  order.  Does  not  the  State  inherit  where  there  is  no 
owner,  and  does  not  the  State  become  responsible  for  what  it 
inherits?  But  the  damage  was  done.  The  loss  was  irretriev¬ 
able.  It  is  true  that  some  Spanish  book-stalls  were  forced  to 
yield  their  contents  to  the  State  and  a  few  books  belonging  to 
the  library  were  thus  restored  ;  but  the  majority — the  great 
majority,  the  bulk — may  be  said  to  be  for  ever  lost. 

But  there  still  remain  in  the  famous  library  the  seven  bib¬ 
liographical  gems  which  were  once  in  the  hands  of  the  first 
Admiral, — books  whose  margins  transmit  to  us  to-day  his 
thoughts,  his  sentiments,  his  beliefs,  and  his  hopes.  In  the 
midst  of  the  devastation  which  overtook  the  famous  library  we 
may  be  grateful  that  these  were  spared.  And  these  seven  books 
we  will  discuss  at  length  in  the  following  pages. 


CHAPTER  CXXIII 


THE  HANDWRITING— 


Thirty-three  of  these  manuscript  pieces  bear  the  signature 
of  Columbus  in  one  form  or  another. 

Fifteen  are  signed  with  his  name  and  with  both  of  his  pe¬ 
culiar  monograms: 


.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xfo  Kerens. 


Eight  are  signed  with  his  marine  title  and  with  his  large 


monogram : 


.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 
X  M  Y 
el  Almirante. 


Four  are  signed  with  his  name  and  with  his  large  monogram: 

.S. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 
Xpo  Ferens. 

Four  are  signed  simply: 

Xpo  ferens. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  when  the  Admiral  signs  simply 
his  name,  the  participial  portion  seems  to  be  in  small  letters. 

One,  No.  XXXIII.,  is  signed  Xpo  Ferens,  with  the  large 
monogram  and  in  addition  his  titles  of  “el  Almirante,”  “Viso 
Rey,”  and  “Gobernador  General.” 


454 


455 


The  H  a  n  d  w  r  i  t  i  n  g —  Contm  ^ced 

One  is  signed  with  his  marine  title,  “  el  Almirante,”  and  both 
his  large  and  small  monograms. 

Columbus  made  use  of  two  monograms  in  connection  with  his 
ordinary  signature,  the  most  important  of  which  consists  of 
seven  letters. 

The  significance  of  these  seven  capital  letters  in  the  mono¬ 
gram  has  never  been  satisfactorily  settled.  Columbus  attached 
especial  importance  to  this  monogram,  and  when  the  Majorat 
was  instituted  he  provided  that  his  heirs  and  successors  should 
for  ever  employ  its  peculiar  form. 

“Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  any  other  who  shall  inherit  this  entail,  after 
inheriting  and  coming  into  possession  of  the  same,  shall  sign  with  my  sig¬ 
nature  which  I  now  employ  which  is  an  X  with  an  S  over  it  and  an  M  with 
a  Roman  A  over  it  and  over  that  an  .S  and  then  a  Greek  Y  with  an  S  over 
it,  preserving  the  relations  of  the  lines  and  the  punctuation.’’  ' 

A  cross  was  generally  marked  by  Columbus  at  the  head  of 
any  piece  of  paper  on  which  he  was  to  write.  The  superstitious 
were  in  the  habit  of  using  this  cross  to  drive  away  evil  spirits. 
With  Columbus  it  was  a  pure  act  of  devotion.  The  mysterious 
monogram,  when  employed,  is  always  at  the  bottom  of  his  writ¬ 
ing.  In  one  holograph  writing  in  the  possession  of  the  House  of 
Berwick  and  Alba  ^  is  an  impression  in  wax  of  a  seal  bearing 
these  seven  letters,  and  underneath  a  terrestrial  globe,  the  whole 
somewhat  injured  by  time. 

A  clue  to  the  meaning  of  the  combination  of  letters  in  his 
large  monogram  has  been  sought  in  the  Latin  sentence  with 
which  Ferdinand  says  his  father  frequently  began  his  writings: 

'"Jesus  cum  Maria  sit  nobis  in  via" :  “May  Jesiis  and  Mary 
be  with  us  in  our  way." 

These  words,  with  the  possible  exceptions  of  the  name  Jesus 
being  interpreted  into  the  Greek  Xptffros,  and  of  the  name 
Maria,  do  not  aid  in  deciphering  the  monogram.  It  will  be 

‘  The  Spanish  words  are  Con  sus  Rayas  y  Virgules:  with  their  lines  and  commas. 
We  have  given  the  phrase  the  interpretation  which  to  us  seems  most  natural. 

^  Autografos  de  Cristdbal  Colon  y  Papeles  de  America,  los  Publica  la  Dnqiiesa  de 
Berwick  y  de  Alba  Condesa  de  Sirucla.  Folio,  Madrid,  1802. 

When  .‘V.  Jal,  in  1834,  examined  the  Genoa  example  of  the  Codice  Diplomatico  he 
said  he  saw  “back  of  the  frontispiece  the  seal  which  Columbus  used  when  after  his 
discovery  of  America,  he  was  made  an  .Admiral.”  (Jal,  De  Paris  a  Naples,  Paris, 
1836.)  No  such  seal  is  now  found  in  the  Codex. 


45^ 


Christopher  Columbus 

observed  that  the  letter  S  in  the  first  line  is  inclosed  in  two 
periods,  thus,  .S.;  the  first  and  third  letters  only  in  the  second 
line  are  likewise  inclosed  each  in  two  periods,  thus : 

.S.  A  .S. 

while  there  are  no  periods  whatsoever  in  the  third  line.  This 
employment  of  periods  or  stops,  together  with  the  order  men¬ 
tioned  by  Columbus,  has  led  most  writers  to  regard  the  second 
line  as  subordinate  and  accessory  to  the  third  line.  Beginning 
with  the  bottom  line  and  reading  upward,  we  interpret  the 


S  [ancta] 

s 

A 

S 

0 

U 

T 

I 

H 

s 

P 

I 

R 

E 

p 

A 

S 

0 

X 

M 

Y 

CHRISTUS,  MARIA  SANCTA,  JOSEPHUS 

and  we  incline  to  this  interpretation.  This  would  account  for 
the  absence  of  a  period  after  the  letter  A,  indicating  that  it  was 
to  be  followed  by  another  word  suggested  by  the  letter  imme¬ 
diately  over  it,  an  S  which  is  supplied  with  the  period  necessary 
to  the  completion  of  the  name  Maria  Sancta,  or,  as  we  would 
say,  Holy  Mary.  Spotorno,  seeking  to  connect  the  subscription 
monogram  more  closely  with  the  old  form  of  subscription, 

JESUS  CUM  MARIA  SIT  NOBIS  IN  VIA, 

interprets  the  initial  .S.  in  the  first  or  uppermost  line  as  an  im¬ 
perative  prayer,  reading  the  whole; 

SALVA-ME,  CHRISTUS,  MARIA,  JOSEPHUS 
Save  me,  O  Christ!  O  Maria!  O  Joseph! 

Among  the  interpretations — some  of  which  are  forced  and 
some  of  which  are  impossible — are  found  the  following: 


457 


The  Handwriting — Co7ttimted 

SERVUS 

SVM  ALTISSIMI  SALVATORIS 
XRISTE  MARIA  YESU 
I  am  the  servant  of  the  Most  High  Saviour, 

O  Christ,  Mary,  Jesus! 

SALVET-ME 

SALVATOR  ADJVVET  SVCCVRAT 
XSTVS  MARIA  YOSEPHUS 
The  Saviour  shall  save,  aid,  succour  me; 

O  Christ,  Mary,  Joseph! 

SALVE 

SANCTA  ALMA  SANCTISSIMI 
CHRISTI  MATER  YTO  XPlSTfi  FERENS 
Hail,  Holy  Mother,  bearer  of  the  Most  Blessed  Son  Christ! 

SERVUS 

SVPPLEX  ALTISSIMI  SALVATORIS 

CHRISTUS  MARIA  YOSEPH 

The  humble  servant  of  the  Most  High  Saviour, 

O  Christ,  Mary,  and  Joseph! 

SERVIDOR 

SUS  ALTEZAS  SACRAS 
CHRISTO  MARIA  YSABEL 

The  servant  of  their  Most  Sacred  Majesties 
Christ,  Mary,  and  Isabella. 

SALVO 

SANCTUM  ALTISSIMUM  SEPULCRUM 
XRISTE  MARIA  JESUS 

I  am  to  save  the  Most  Holy  Sepulchre, 

Oh  Christ,  Mary,  and  Jesus! 

SUM 

SEQVAX  AMATOR  SERVVS 

XRISTI  MARI^  YOSEPHI 

I  am  the  follower,  adorer,  servant 
of  Christ,  Mary,  and  Joseph. 

vSARACENOS 

SVBIVGAT  AVERTAT  SVMMOVEAT 
XSTUS  MARIA  YOSEPHUS 
The  three-fold  power  of  Christ,  Mary,  and  Joseph  shall  subjugate,  turn 
away,  and  remove  the  Saracens. 


45S 


Christopher  Columbus 


This  last  interpretation  is  offered  by  those  who  remember 
the  purpose  of  Columbus  to  devote  his  energies  and  fortune  to 
the  subjugation  of  the  Moslems  and  the  recovery  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre.  It  is  a  strange  fact  that  we  have  preserved  to  us 
no  signed  writing  of  Columbus  prior  to  his  discovery.  The 
monogram  would  seem  to  have  been  adopted  subsequent  to  that 
event,  for  in  the  letter  written  to  Luis  de  Santangel,  announcing 
the  discovery,  he  signed  himself  El  Almirante  and  that  alone, 
using  the  title  for  the  first  time  When  the  letter  to  Gabriel 
Sanchez  was  translated  into  Latin,  it  read: 

CHRISTOFOR^  COLOM  OCEANE  CLASSIS  PREFECT^ 


Christopher  Columbus,  Admiral  of  the  Ocean  Fleet. 


In  addition  to  the  seven-lettered  monogram,  Columbus 
generally  used  another,'  which  he  placed  to  the  left  and  below 
his  signature: 


This  was  intended,  doubtless,  for  the  name  of  Jesus,  the  J 
and  S  being  interwoven.  It  occurs  in  not  less  than  sixteen  of 
the  pieces.  The  lower  left-hand  corner,  where  it  always  ap¬ 
pears,  in  some  letters  is  torn  away,  and  perhaps  it  was  originally 
placed  there  in  them  also. 

The  real  study  of  the  handwriting  of  Columbus  begins  when 
we  turn  to  the  printed  books  or  manuscript  volumes  in  which 
occur  notes  written  by  the  hand  of  some  careful  and  earnest 
reader.  At  the  very  beginning  we  must  recall  the  fact  stated 
by  Ferdinand  Columbus  that  his  father  could  write  in  such  a 
hand  as  would  obtain  for  him  a  means  of  livelihood.^  In  other 
words,  he  could  write  like  a  professional  scribe,  and  all  scribes 
adopt  a  uniform  writing  resembling,  each  form  of  itself,  a  font 
of  letters  of  peculiar  type.  This  regularity  of  writing  in  any 

'  See  this  cipher  as  employed  by  Columbus  in  our  No.  VIII  d.,  where  it  is  particu¬ 
larly  distinct  and  clear. 


459 


The  H  and  writing — Coiitiniied 

one  person’s  hand  affords  beauty  of  appearance  in  the  manu¬ 
script,  ease  in  its  deciphering  by  the  reader,  and  mechanical  fa¬ 
cility  in  rapid  and  uniform  production  by  the  scribe  himself. 
It  thus  comes  that  some  writers  have  two  or  more  distinct  styles 
of  handwriting,  a  thing  common  to  many  writers  in  many 
times,  as,  for  instance,  to  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Sir  Francis  Bacon, 
Sir  Philip  Francis,  and  William  Makepeace  Thackeray.'  It  is 
also  to  be  observed  that  the  handwriting  of  a  man  changes  with 
advancing  years.  Compare  the  hand  of  a  man  past  fifty  years 
with  his  writing  at  thirty,  and,  while  there  are  similarities  here 
and  there,  the  writing  as  a  whole  presents  marked  differences. 
Columbus  suffered  much  from  gout  or  rheumatism,  and  in  a 
letter  to  his  son,  after  the  return  from  his  fourth  voyage,  de¬ 
clares  : 

“My  infirmity  does  not  admit  of  my  writing  except  at  night,  since  the 
daytime  deprives  my  hands  of  strength.” 

A  further  observation  is  that  a  man  adapts  his  style  of 
writing  to  the  space  before  him.  For  instance,  he  will  write 
a  larger  hand  on  his  letter  paper  than  upon  the  narrow  mar¬ 
gin  of  a  printed  book.  If  the  annotation  upon  a  margin  is 

'  Leonardo  da  Vinci  adopted  a  strange  style  for  his  best  hand,  a  specimen  of 
which  is  in  the  Author’s  collection  of  autographs.  He  wrote  words  in  square  charac¬ 
ters  from  right  to  left,  inverting  them  so  that  to  read  his  writing  a  mirror  was  an 
essential  feature  at  one  end  of  the  correspondence. 

Bacon  sometimes  used  the  running  German  hand  of  the  early  sixteenth  century, 
but  when  he  had  occasion  to  write  to  the  King  his  writing  was  in  a  diminutive  Italian 
character  like  his  signature. 

Sir  Philip  Francis  is  an  example  of  a  man  adopting  a  second  style  of  handwriting, 
which,  while  preserving  those  personal  characteristics  common  to  the  man  himself, 
is  a  great  improvement  in  beauty  and  regularity  over  his  ordinary  hand.  And  here, 
en  passant,  we  may  call  absurd  the  notes  of  late  so  frequently^  appearing  in  the  press 
of  America  to  the  effect  that  the  authorship  of  Junius  is  no  longer  to  be  attributed 
to  Sir  Philip  Francis,  since  two  letters  have  been  discovered  written  and  signed  by 
Junius  during  a  period  when  Francis  was  known  to  have  been  absent  from  England. 
If  the  references  are  to  the  letters  we  think  they  are,  from  having  had  them  in  our 
own  hands,  we  can  positively  as.sert  they  are  not  in  the  hand  of  the  Junius.  They 
are,  it  is  true,  signed  Jumus,  but  they  were,  like  many  others,  attempts  to  gain  a  hear¬ 
ing  in  an  imitated  voice — rather  than  hand — easily  detected.  Any  person  at  all 
acqrrainted  with  autographs  will  discern  the  difference  between  the  real  and  false 
Junius.  The  best  proof  of  all  is  that  these  reputed  lately  found  letters  did  not  deceive 
the  publisher  Woodfall.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Junius  hand  was  not 
adopted  for  the  use  of  that  character  alone.  The  reader  will  recall  the  letter  to  the 
famous  Belle  of  Bath. 

As  for  the  two  hands  of  Thackeray,  they  are  well  known  to  all  collectors.  In  this 
instance  again,  the  .second  or  adopted  hand  is  the  more  beautiful. 


460 


Christopher  Columbus 

important,  he  will  take  tinusual  pains  to  write  legibly,  approach¬ 
ing  the  character  of  small,  type-like  letters,  and  type-like  letters 
are  either  round  or  square,  not  angular  or  irregular.  Moreover, 
in  writing  on  the  margin  of  books,  one  is  unconsciously  led  to 
imitate  somewhat  the  printed  type. 

As  we  have  said,  the  Italian  Government,  under  the  aus¬ 
pices  of  the  Minister  of  Public  Instruction,  caused  to  be  made 
a  most  elaborate  and  scientific  examination  of  the  handwriting 
of  Christopher  Columbus,  and  this  work  was  under  the  direction 
of  Signor  Cesare  de  Lollis,  who  availed  himself  of  the  assistance  of 
two  experts,  L.  T.  Belgrano  and  M.  Stagliano,  both  members 
of  the  Royal  Commission.  The  result  of  their  labours  was  in¬ 
cluded  in  a  report,  dated  Rome,  October  5,  1892,  and  shortly 
after  published  under  the  title  Autograft  di  Cristoforo  Colombo, 
and  also  in  a  supplement  issued  two  years  afterward.  For  pur¬ 
poses  of  examination,  the  writing,  or  alleged  writing,  of  Colum¬ 
bus  has  been  divided  into  classes  or  series. 

Series  A  includes  twenty-four  of  the  forty-two  letters  or  docu¬ 
ments  we  have  previously  given.  Since  the  great  Italian  work 
was  issued  other  pieces  have  been  discovered,  and  all  have  been 
arranged  in  what  we  believe  to  be  a  chronological  sequence. 
This  is  the  important  series,  since  the  writings  ’which  compose  it 
are  undisputed,  all  being  in  the  evident  hand  of  Columbus 
except  No.  XXXVIIII.,  which,  however,  bears  his  signature. 
These,  then,  are  relied  upon  as  witnesses  in  establishing  the 
maker  of  certain  other  writings,  for  the  most  part  brief  notes 
and  postillcE,  found  as  described  in  the  other  series. 

Series  B  contains  the  holograph  annotations  of  Columbus 
found  on  the  guard-folio  and  the  margins  of  the  Historia  Return 
Ubique  Gestarum,^  composed  by  ^neas  Sylvius,  or,  as  he  was 

“Pii.  II.  Pontificis  Maximi.  Historia  Rervm  Vbique  Gestarvm.  Cvm  Locorvm 
Descriptione  non  Finita  Asia  Minor  Incipit.  [Colophon  on  recto  of  1  ^°]  Pii.  ii.  Ponti. 
maximi  historic  rerum  ubiq3  geftaru  prima  pars  finitur:  &  imprellioni  Venetiis 
dedita:  per  lohannem  de  colonia  fociumcp  eius  lohannem  manthen  de  Gherretzem 
anno  millefimo.  CCCCLXXVII.” 

On  the  verso  of  this  folio  is  a  Register. 

This  book  was  probably  with  Columbus  on  his  fourth  voyage,  since  we  find  him 
quoting  from  it  in  his  famous  letter  dated  July  7,  1503.  The  reader  will  find  on  the 
recto  of  the  last  leaf  of  signature  A  an  account  of  the  nation  Messagetcs,  and  Columbus 
seems  to  think  this  same  people  may  have  been  found,  expressing  some  doubt,  how¬ 
ever,  since  there  were  no  signs  of  the  horses  caparisoned  with  saddles  and  bridles  of 
gold. 


461 


The  Handwriting — Continued 

called  in  Italian,  Eneo  Silvio  Piccolomini,  who  for  six  years  sat 
upon  the  Pontifical  throne  as  Pius  II. 

This  series  includes  the  whole  of  the  famous  ToseanelH  letter, 
the  important  passage  relative  to  the  presence  of  Columbus  in 
Lisbon  in  the  year  1485,  when  Dr.  Josephus  reported  to  the 
King  concerning  Guinea,  besides  many  geographical  and  scien¬ 
tific  notes. 

Series  C  includes  the  notes  found  in  a  printed  edition  of 
Imago  Mttndi,^  by  Petrus  Abacus.  It  is  on  the  margin  of  the 
folio  whieh  begins  chapter  viii.,  De  Quantitate  Terre  Habit- 
abilis,  that  is  found  the  important  passage  relative  to  the  maker 
of  the  note  having  been  at  Lisbon  when  Bartholomew  Diaz  re¬ 
turned  from  his  voyage  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  perhaps 
the  maker’s  participation  in  that  discovery. 

Series  D  contains  marginal  annotations  to  the  Latin  abridg¬ 
ment  of  Marco  Polo ’s  ^  book. 

^  Tractatus  Varii,  scilicet  Imago  Mundi,  De  Legibus  et  Seciio,  De  Correctione  Kalen- 
darii,  De  V ero  Ciclo  Lunari,  De  Concordantia  Astronomice  Veritatis,  cunt  Theologia  et 
cum  Historica  Narratione. 

PrcBtor  hos  opuscula  quwdam  I.  Gersonis. 

This  edition  of  the  Imago  Mundi  is  undated  and  bears  no  colophon  to  indicate  its 
press.  It  is,  however,  in  the  type  of  Johannes  de  Westphalia,  whose  press  was  at  work 
in  Louvain  from  1473,  when  he  is  thought  to  have  printed  for  Martens  d’Alost,  until 
the  year  1496.  The  edition  may  be  recognised  by  its  having  forty-one  lines  to  a 
full  page.  Although  the  author,  Petrus  Abacus  or  Pierre  d’Ailly,  as  he  was  named 
in  French,  is  called  "easily  the  most  learned  among  his  contemporaries,”  the  present 
work  is  simply  a  compilation  from  other  writers,  notably  Roger  Bacon.  It  is  from 
this  book  that  many  have  accused  Columbus  of  drawing  his  only  knowledge  of 
Aristotle,  Pliny,  Ptolemy,  and  later  writers.  We  read  in  Libro  de  Profecias: 

"  Ya  dije  que  para  la  ejecucion  de  la  impresa  de  las  Indias,  no  me  aprovecho  razon, 
ni  matematica,  ni  mapa  mundos  ” :  “I  have  already  said  that  in  the  execution  of  my 
undertaking  of  the  Indies,  I  have  not  availed  myself  of  reason,  or  of  mathematics, 
or  of  maps  of  the  world.” 

No  one  should  interpret  this  literally.  It  was  indited  when  the  aged  Admiral 
was  broken  in  mind  and  body  and  when  he  was  simply  trying  to  refer  his  success  to  the 
purposes  of  Deity  working  out  through  his  humble  instrumentality  the  prophecies  of 
old. 

“  From  a  letter  to  Henry  Harrisse  (see  Notes  on  Columbus ,  p.  218)  by  Senor 
Lcmandez,  formerly  the  librarian  of  the  Columbian  library  at  Seville,  we  learn  that 
the  title  of  the  book  here  in  question  is; 

Marcus  Paulus  de  Venecia  de  Consueiudinibus  et  Condicionibus  Orientalium  Re- 
gionmn. 

The  learned  librarian  was  probably  deficient  in  the  quality  of  exactness,  but  his 
description  enables  us  to  identify  the  edition  with  Hain’s  13244. 

"Inciptt  prologus  in  libro  domini  Marci  Pauli  de  V enetiis  de  consuetudinibus  et 
conditionibus  orientalium  regionumC 

In  fine: 

Explicit  liber  domini  Veneciis.  Deo  Gracias. 


462 


Christopher  Columbus 

Series  E  comprises  holograph  annotations  found  on  the 
margins  of  the  Natural  History  of  Pliny,  translated  into  Italian 
by  Christopher  Landino,  and  printed  at  Venice  in  1489/ 

Series  F  contains  many  annotations  in  the  hand  of  Chris¬ 
topher  Columbus  found  in  the  manuscript  work,  Lihro  de  las 
Profecias,  which  occupied  the  thoughts  of  the  aged  Admiral 
toward  the  end  of  his  days. 

The  body  of  the  work  is  probably  largely  in  the  hand  of 
Father  Don  Gaspar  Gorricio,  the  Carthusian  monk  with  whom  he 
corresponded,  and  whose  semi-legal  services  were  employed  for 
the  Admiral  both  at  Seville  and  at  the  Court. ^ 

Series  G  consists  of  holograph  notes  scattered  on  the  margins 
of  an  edition  of  Plutarch’s  Lives,  translated  into  the  Castilian 
tongue  by  the  historian  Alfonso  de  Palengia,  and  printed  in 
Seville  July  2,  1491. 

Series  H  is  the  single  holograph  line  with  the  monogram  sig¬ 
nature  of  Columbus,  which  has  only  lately  come  to  light,  having 


Quarto,  74  folios,  the  verso  of  74  being  blank,  signatures  from  a^ — k3. 

It  has  neither  date,  place,  nor  name  of  printer. 

Proctor,  8936,  reports  three  copies  in  the  British  Museum  and  refers  this  edition 
to  the  press  of  Gerardus  Leeu  at  Gouda. 

Campbell  in  his  Typographie  Neerlandaise ,  No.  1434,  refers  this  edition  to  the 
press  of  Gerardus  Leeu  at  Antwerp,  Circa  1485.  He  says  this  edition  has  also  been 
attributed  to  the  press  of  Martins. 

There  is  not  any  doubt  about  the  press  from  which  this  book  came,  and  we  can 
confidently  say  it  was  printed  by  Gerardus  Leeu,  but  whether  from  the  press  which 
he  established  at  Gouda  in  1477  and  which  he  continued  until  1485,  or  in  Antwerp, 
to  which  city  he  removed  his  press  in  1485,  we  cannot  affirm.  The  best  bibliographers 
have  accepted  the  date  of  1484  and  assigned  the  printing  to  the  Gouda  press.  A  Ger¬ 
man  edition  came  from  the  press  of  Friedrich  Creusner  at  Nuremberg  in  1477  (Hain, 
13245;  Proctor,  2137.)  and  an  Italian  edition  was  printed  at  Venice  by  Zoanne  Bap- 
tista  da  Sessa  Milanese,  June  13,  1496  (Hain  13243;  Proctor  5590). 

The  undated  edition  belonging  to  Columbus  must  have  been  earlier  than  the  Italian, 
but  not  so  old  as  the  German.  If  Columbus  read  this  book,  and  his  notes  certainly 
imply  its  perusal,  he  could  not  have  identified,  from  the  description  of  Marco  Polo, 
the  wild  coast  of  Veragua  with  the  country  of  the  Great  Khan,  nor  the  islands  of  the 
West  Indies  with  those  of  Asia,  the  meanest  of  which  was  rich  in  civilisation  and 
bustling  with  the  activities  of  commerce. 

'  This  is  No.  13107  in  Hain  and  No.  5156  in  Proctor’s  Index  to  Early  Printed  Books 
in  the  British  Museum.  It  is  folio  in  form  and  is  printed  in  Roman  characters.  It  is 
from  the  press  of  Bartholomeus  de  Zanis  and  is  dated  September  12,  1489. 

^  Las  Vidas  de  Plutarco,  the  first  Spanish  edition  of  Plutarch,  was  from  the  press  of 
Paulus  de  Colonia  in  the  city  of  Seville,  and  with  him  worked  the  firm  of  printers  some¬ 
times  called  the  Three  Associates,  Johannes  Pegnizer  de  Nuremberg,  Magnus  Ale- 
manus,  and  Thomas  Alemanus, — todos  son  quadernos.  The  present  book  is  folio  in 
form,  in  two  volumes,  double  column,  351  folios.  Gothic  characters — se  cabaro  de  im- 
primir  a  dos  dias  del  mes  de  Julio,  de  MCCCCXCI .  afios. 


The  Handwriting — Contmued  463 

been  found  on  the  first  folio  of  the  1478  Ptolemy."  We  have 
placed  this  piece  in  our  chapter  cxxi.  as  No.  xxxx. 

The  possession  by  Columbus  of  this  book  gives  us  a  thrill  of 
pleasure,  for  we  like  to  think  this  man  was  au  courant  with  all  that 
had  been  written  and  published  about  the  world’s  geography. 
It  is  interesting  as  showing  whence  came  his  knowledge  of 
Ptolemy’s  location  of  the  island  of  Thyle  in  latitude  63°  north. 
The  last  degree  of  northern  latitude  shown  on  this  map  is 
marked  63°,  and  its  parallel  cuts  the  island  of  Thyle. 

Series  A  presents  us  with  different  types  of  the  Admiral’s 
handwriting  connected  by  common  characteristics.  Perhaps 
the  type  with  which  we  are  most  familiar  is  that  found  in  Letters 
XVIII.  and  XVI 1 1 1.,  both  of  which  have  been  many  times  re¬ 
produced  in  fac-simile,  particularly  during  the  last  decade  of 
years.  In  this  type  we  notice  first  a  marked  angularity  in  the 
entire  writing,  with  an  inclination  of  the  letters  toward  the 
right;  the  small  letter  r  formed  by  two  joints  diverging  from 
the  bottom  to  the  top,  of  which  the  left  joint,  instead  of  being 
more  pronounced  than  the  right,  as  it  should  be,  rises  not  so 
high  and  goes  off  horizontally  to  the  left,  like  the  r  in  the 
third  word  of  the  third  line  of  Letter  XVI 11. ;  the  very  peculiar 
small  e,  unlike  that  in  any  other  writing,  devoid  of  any  sugges¬ 
tion  of  a  curve,  being  formed  by  two  lines,  one  horizontal,  the 


‘  “Clavdii  Ptolem^i  Alexan 
Drini  Philosophi  Geograph 
Iam  Arnoldvs  Bvckinck  e 
Germania  Rome  Tabvlis  JE 
Neis  in  Pict  Vris  Formatam 
Impressit 

“Sempiterno  Ingenii  Artifi 
CiiQVE  Monvmento,  Anno 
Dominici  Natalis. M.  CCCC. 

LXXVIII.  VI.  Idvs  Octobris. 

Sedente  Sixto.  nil.  Pont. 

Max.  Anno  Eivs.  VIII.” 

Bibliographically,  this  Rome  edition  is  the  most  rare  with  the  single  exception  of 
the  Stobnicza  Ptolemy  printed  at  Cracow  in  1512.  This  edition  of  1478  is  the  first 
to  contain  maps, — the  reader  doubtless  knows  well  that  the  so-called  1462  edition  is 
simply  an  error  of  date.  The  maps  are  27  in  number  and  are  engraved  on  copper. 
In  passing  we  may  remark  that  this  1478  Ptolemy  is  one  of  the  first  two  books  to  con¬ 
tain  copper  engravings  and  that  it  is  the  only  book  known  to  have  issued  from  the 
press  of  Amoldus  Buckinck  at  Rome. 

The  editor,  Domitius  Calderinus,  carefully  collated  several  Latin  manuscripts 
with  a  very  ancient  copy  which  had  been  corrected  by  Gemistus.  Copies  are  in  the 
Lenox,  Carter-Brown,  Ayres,  and  Thacher  libraries.  The  Author  has  reproduced  the 
map  of  the  world  found  in  this  edition  in  his  Continent  of  America. 


464 


Christopher  Columbus 

other  running  do\yn  from  the  left  to  the  right,  but  the  two  not 
connected,  like  the  e  in  the  fifth  word  of  line  16  in  Letter  No. 
XVIII. ;  the  long  5  reaching  below  the  line  as  far  as  the  lower 
half  of  an  /;  and,  finally,  the  marks  of  abbreviation,  using  lines 
almost  straight  instead  of  the  usual  curved  ones.  Attention 
ma}"  also  be  called  to  the  manner  of  making  the  small  letters 
b,  g,  h,  p,  p,  t,  V,  and  the  peculiar  mark  like  the  Arabic  numeral 
2  placed  under  the  cedilla,  as  in  lines  2,  3,  9,  10,  and  14  of  Let¬ 
ter  No.  XVIIII. 

If,  now,  the  reader  will  apply  these  idiosyncrasies  in  holo¬ 
graphy  to  the  different  letters  and  documents  in  Series  A, 
although  he  will  be  struck  with  the  want  of  uniformity  in  the 
style  of  writing,  he  will  for  himself  determine  the  hand  which 
wrote  them,  and  will  be  able  to  assign  all  of  them  to  the  hand  of 
Christopher  Columbus,  except  No.  XXXIX.,  which  is  in  the 
hand  of  Diego  de  Penalosa,  the  scribe  who  wrote  the  Book  of 
Privileges.  At  first  sight,  for  example,  No.  III.  does  not  seem 
at  all  like  No.  XVIIII.,  but  when  the  peculiar  letters  are  sought 
one  finds  them  in  both  pieces.  When  No.  III.  is  compared 
with  No.  VIIL,  the  reader  may  be  willing  to  admit  their  simil¬ 
arity  after  and  including  line  29  of  the  second  leaf,  while  declin¬ 
ing  to  accept  the  lines  going  before.  The  line  of  demarcation 
seems  very  plainly  marked  between  the  different  hands,  and 
yet,  in  our  judgment,  they  form  two  types  of  the  same  individual 
hand.  Compare,  for  instance,  the  word  ansy  in  line  29  with 
the  same  word  in  line  19  above.  Are  they  not  clearly  in  the 
same  hand?  Notice  the  peculiar  use  of  a  mark  like  the  Arabic 
numeral  2,  indicating  the  cedilla  in  the  word  gerca  in  line  9,  in 
the  word  calqado  in  line  1 1 ,  and  in  the  word  alteqias  in  line  2 1  of 
the  same  folio;  and  then  notice  the  use  of  that  peculiar  cedilla 
in  Letters  No.  XVIII.  and  No.  XVIIII.  We  mention  these 
last  two  holograph  pieces,  the  one  written  to  Nicolb  Oderigo 
and  the  other  to  the  Governors  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George,  be¬ 
cause  most  readers  have  formed  their  ideas  of  the  handwriting 
of  Columbus  from  these  two  letters.  Here,  already,  are  three 
different  types,  denoting  to  the  indifferent  observer  three  sepa¬ 
rate  hands,  yet  which  on  closer  examination  appear  to  be 
simply  variations  of  the  same  personality.  The  presence  of 
discrepancies  and  differences  amounts  to  nothing  in  the  pre¬ 
sence  of  similarities  in  such  peculiarly  formed  letters  as  e,  g,  h, 


465 


The  Handwriting — Co7ttimted 

p,  r,  s,  t,  V,  y,  and  the  cedilla.  When  the  reader  first  glances 
at  the  line  quoted  from  Psalm  xcii.,  found  in  No.  XXXX.,  he 
will  perhaps  reject  it  as  not  in  the  hand  of  Columbus.  It  cer¬ 
tainly  seems  to  belong  to  a  fourth  type.  But  regard  the  pecu¬ 
liar  b  in  myrabilcs,  the  queer  final  5  in  six  of  the  seven  words 
in  the  sentence,  also  the  v  in  the  first  word,  and  then  turn  to 
No.  XVIII.  and  No.  XVIIII.,  and  discover  how  often  these 
three  letters  occur  there. 

The  remaining  series — other  than  Series  A — are  all  con¬ 
tained  in  printed  or  manuscript  books  in  the  Columbian  li¬ 
brary.  It  may  be  that  of  the  many  books  dispersed  from  this 
famous  repository,  time  and  searching  may  bring  to  light  other 
examples  of  the  Admiral’s  handwriting.  We  may  now  exam¬ 
ine  the  manuscript  copy  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter  found  on  the 
blank  or  first  guard-folio  in  the  Historia  Rerum  Ubiquc  Gesta- 
rum,  by  .-Eneas  Sylvius.  The  book  has  104  folios,  the  verso 
of  folio  104,  or  1  10,  containing  the  Registrum,  and  immediately 
following  this  is  the  leaf  bearing  this  famous  letter.  Whether 
this  letter  was  first  recognised  by  Signor  Don  Jose  Fernandez 
Velasco,  employed  in  the  Columbian  library,  or  by  the  dis¬ 
tinguished  American  scholar,  Henry  Harrisse,  is  a  question  out¬ 
side  of  our  present  inquiry.  It  suffices  to  say  that  it  was  Mr. 
Harrisse  who  first  brought  it  to  the  notice  of  the  world  by  re¬ 
producing  it  in  his  Don  Ferdinand  Columbus,  Historiador  de  Su 
Padres  Las  Casas  had  the  original  letter  of  Toscanelli,  or  a 
contemporaneous  copy  thereof,  written  in  Latin,  to  Columbus, 
in  his  hands,  together  with  the  Spanish  translation.  Here,  on 
this  blank  folio  in  a  favourite  book,  Columbus  appears  to 
have  copied  the  Latin  text.  Whoever  examines  carefully  this 
writing  may  judge  for  himself  whether  or  not  it  be  in  the  hand 
of  Christo])her  Columbus.  For  ourselves,  applying  the  chiro- 
graphical  peculiarities  with  which  we  have  become  familiar  in 
Series  A,  we  believe  the  writing  was  made  by  the  Discoverer 
himself. 

One  must  remember  that  the  writer  is  inscribing  in  a  limited 
space  an  important  document.  He  employs  a  finer  hand  than 
he  is  accustomed  to  use  in  ordinary  letter- writing.  A  full  folio  in 
the  example  of  the  Historia  Rcrum  Ubique  Gestarum,  in  the 
Author’s  collection  of  incunabula,  measures  279  millimetres  in 

^  Printed  at  Seville  in  1871. 


VOL.  HI. — 30. 


466 


<1  '■  'i 


^  s'*!:  • 

J;  j'1'5 


‘CJT' 

U  ^  ^  so 

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l^'v  h' t"  -i  t 


■-irifm 


< 

-N  -r. 


v''>  i  J  f 
IV  T  l4  f  ^ 

D^^C.  <^  '^1-  l<  L-_  . 

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1 1  r^  * 


I 

Miiiii 

-  -*'  ft-?'.  S  i  X 

_ _ A  •  .  U  t  .  ^ 


X  :  -;  N?  0  s’^!*  . 

i  t-t  s 

:'  '■  ^-^'1  5  '  ip'-’ 

-  5  f‘i  —  ^'i  * 

■5  «  f  *  li  'j.  i  s  V 


.  ^  f  ^  in 


T  «  <l^K  -/ 


'|l^r.l'i-!ii^'i  |irilt-i  j  f  r-i^a-i;  ti-ri  k^ 

z^A  '  '  ^  ^  ^<1 S  H^.sjs  T.l  £  .r 

- ^  .  /*.  -  •  •  ■  -  ^  .  g  ■  .-»■ -I,  ,  ♦  1^.^ -*»■■-  Xs  ,  fiiM  ^ 


Fac^simile  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter  as  Copied  in  Latin  by  the  Hand  of  Columbus  on  the  Guard-Folio  of 
Historia  Rerum  Ubiqtie  Gestarum”  by  .Fneas  Sylvius,  Printed  at  Venice  in  IHJ. 

The  Transliteration  and  Translation  of  this  Present  Letter  will  be  Found  in  Vol.  /.,  p.  jog. 


The  Handwriting — Contintied  467 

length  by  206  millimetres  in  width.  We  have  no  signed  holo¬ 
graph  of  Columbus  prior  to  the  discovery,  and  there  being 
every  reason  to  believe  that  the  Toscanelli  letter  was  copied  some¬ 
where  about  the  year  1480,  we  have  no  definite  means  of  com¬ 
paring  the  space  occupied  in  two  immediately  contemporaneous 
writings.  But  measuring  the  fac-simile  of  the  holograph  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Governors  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George,  we  find  the 
folio  is  31 1  millimetres  in  length  by  218  millimetres  in  width. 
In  the  holograph  letter  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George  there  are  24 
lines — counting  four  for  the  signature — and  241  words,  while 
in  the  holograph  document  under  discussion  there  are  36  lines 
and  655  words.  In  a  space  much  smaller,  our  writer  is  en¬ 
deavouring  to  inscribe  nearly  three  times  as  many  words. 
Necessarily,  then,  he  is  obliged  to  write  a  much  smaller  hand, 
and,  as  the  holograph  document  is  important,  the  writing  is 
unusually  plain  and  legible.  If  we  apply  from  the  writing  in 
Letter  No.  XVIIII.  such  tests  as  the  small  letters  e,  g,  h,  p,  s,  t, 
and  V,  we  will  find  them  present  in  the  copy  of  the  Toscanelli 
Letter.  The  peculiar  form  of  the  e  is  of  itself  almost  sufficient 
to  identify  the  two  styles,  and  to  prove  that  the  same  hand 
wrote  both.  It  is  impossible  that  two  individuals  could  em¬ 
ploy  a  dozen  or  more  idiosyncrasies  in  writing  common  to 
each.  On  first  glancing  at  the  Toscanelli  Letter  it  seems  written 
on  a  different  slant  or  angle  from  the  horizontal  form  of  the  pre¬ 
vailing  style  in  Series  A.  It  is  so  in  reality,  and  if  we  ourselves, 
habitually  writing  at  a  marked  angle,  were  to  attempt  to  write 
with  great  particularity,  we  would  unconsciously  change  the 
angle.  A  departure  from  the  usual  style  of  writing  leads  to 
greater  care  in  forming  the  letters,  and  this  greater  care  pro¬ 
duces  a  ]3iece  of  writing  differing  in  general  appearance  and  as 
a  whole  from  another  piece  written  naturally  and  carelessly. 
It  is  only  by  a  minute  examination  of  the  individual  letters  and 
characters  that  we  are  able  to  detect  the  single  mind  that  em¬ 
ployed  the  single  hand. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  small  letter  e,  the  manner 
of  forming  which  is  peculiar  to  Columbus.  In  Letter  No.  XVIIII., 
the  Bank  of  St.  George  Letter,  in  the  first  word  of  line  8  the 
reader  will  see  this  oddly  formed  character.  The  word  cuento, 
abbreviated  to  cueto.  If  the  reader  will  turn  to  the  Toscanelli 
Letter,  first  word  in  the  second  line,  he  will  find  this  e  in  the 


468 


Christopher  Columbus 

word  Ferdinand.  Not  to  travel  out  of  this  same  second  line, 
we  find  it  occurring  in  the  seventh,  eighth,  tenth,  eleventh,  four¬ 
teenth,  sixteenth,  and  eighteenth  words.  It  is  particularly 
plain  as  the  final  letter  of  the  seventh  word,  in  salute  contracted 
from  sahitcui. 

The  small  letter  g  in  the  name  Diego,  the  sixth  word  in  the 
sixth  line  of  No.  XVIIIL,  the  Bank  of  St.  George  Letter,  is  pe¬ 
culiar  to  Columbus.  If  we  turn  to  the  Toscanelli  Letter,  in  the 
same  second  line  this  letter  occurs  in  the  twelfth,  sixteenth,  and 
eighteenth  words. 

The  letter  h,  so  common  in  Spanish,  is  not  often  met  with 
in  Latin.  We  find  the  same  characteristic  method  of  forming 
this  letter  in  his  Bank  of  St.  George  Letter,  used  in  the  fourteenth 
word  of  the  fifth  line,  except  that  the  letter  is  more  stiff  in  the 
latter  and  without  the  curves  permissible  with  greater  spaee. 

In  the  tenth  word  of  line  five  in  the  Bank  of  St.  George  Let¬ 
ter,  the  reader  will  find  the  letter  p  with  a  line  underneath  and 
crossing  the  lower  part  of  the  letter,  rising  a  little  from  left  to 
right,  the  crossing  denoting  a  contraction.  If  we  turn  to  the 
eighteenth  word  in  line  three  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter,  we  find 
exactly  the  same  letter  with  the  same  line  underneath,  running 
upward  also. 

The  fourth  word  in  the  second  line  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George 
Letter  presents  us  with  the  small  letter  r  peculiar  to  Columbus. 
The  second  word  in  the  same  second  line  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter 
shows  us  this  letter.  In  his  usual  formation  of  this  letter  Co¬ 
lumbus  carries  the  second  part  or  right-hand  branch  of  the 
letter  much  above  the  first  part  or  left-hand  branch.  He  had 
an  abundance  of  room  in  his  ordinary  letters  and  documents  in 
which  to  indulge  this  tendency,  but  in  the  Toscanelli  Letter  he 
is  obliged  to  husband  his  space,  and  although  this  peculiarity 
of  the  letter  r  is  marked  in  the  name  Martini,  it  is  not  so  notice¬ 
able  in  repetitions  of  the  letter. 

The  small  letter  5,  with  its  lower  part  descending  below  the 
line,  is  a  formation  peculiar  to  Columbus.  In  the  ninth  word 
of  the  second  line  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George  Letter,  in  the  word 
esta  is  an  example  of  this.  We  find  it  in  the  sixth  and  seventh 
words  of  the  same  second  line  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter. 

The  small  letter  t  is  peculiar  to  Columbus.  In  the  eighth 
word  of  the  fifth  line  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George  Letter,  in  the 


469 


The  H  andwriting  Continued 

word  Santa,  the  reader  will  observe  the  manner  of  forming  the 
last  consonant.  In  the  Toscanelli  Letter,  in  the  second,  seventh, 
ninth,  tenth,  fourteenth  words  of  this  same  second  line,  this 
letter  occurs.  In  some  instances,  as  in  the  fourteenth  word  of 
the  eighth  line  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter,  the  letter  curving  a 
little  to  the  right  at  the  bottom  shows  a  marked  resemblance 
to  a  printed  curved  capital  e,  or  as  he  himself  employs  it  in 
Eiigenius  in  line  twenty  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter. 

The  small  v  is  manifestly  peculiar  to  the  writer  of  both 
letters. 

The  letter  v  is  worthy  of  much  study  in  this  comparison. 
Out  of  the  twenty-four  examples  which  we  have  of  this  letter 
in  the  signature  of  Columbus,  we  find  in  twenty-two  the  point 
of  contact  between  the  two  lines  forming  the  letter  nearer  the 
top  than  the  bottom.  This  peculiarity  will  be  found  in  the 
third  word  of  the  nineteenth  line  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter. 

The  character  z  is  the  same  in  both  the  Bank  of  St.  George 
Letter  and  the  Toscanelli  Letter,  comparing  it  as  found  in  the 
first  word,  line  nine,  of  the  former  with  the  0  found  in  the  eight¬ 
eenth  word  of  line  fifteen  in  the  latter,  again  making  allowance 
for  the  greater  freedom  in  covering  the  abundant  space  of  the 
Bank  of  St.  George  Letter,  and  permitting  a  swing  at  the  end  of 
the  letter. 

There  is  a  general  rotundity  in  both  types  of  writing,  which 
is  a  test  of  identification.  The  employment  of  the  same  sort 
of  lines  for  periods  and  half-stops  is  another  means  of  discover¬ 
ing  the  same  hand  in  both  writings.  The  waving  line  over  the 
letters  m  and  n  to  denote  an  abbreviation  affords  us  a  remark¬ 
able  resemblance.  Compare  the  mark  in  the  last  word,  Litze 
for  Luzen,  in  line  three  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George  Letter  with 
the  seventh  word  in  line  twenty-six,  Pates  for  Patens,  in  the 
loscanelli  Letter.  As  we  have  said,  the  presence  of  one  or 
more  examples  of  a  ]3urely  personal  peculiarity  in  handwriting 
overweighs  in  evidence  the  presence  of  a  multitude  of  differences. 

The  authenticity  of  this  Toscanelli  Letter  is  now  a  matter  of 
importance.  Of  late  there  has  been  apparently  a  concerted 
attempt  to  belittle  the  efforts  of  Columbus.  That  he  actually 
made  his  voyage  of  discovery,  and  that  from  the  time  of  his 
return  there  was  established  a  highway  of  travel  between  the 
Old  World  and  the  newly  discovered  countries,  are  facts  which 


4/0 


Christopher  Columbus 

all  admit.  But  it  is  alleged  that  some  one  shortly  before  him 
passed  over  the  ocean  to  the  New  World,  and  not  only  to  the 
New  World,  but  to  that  particular  spot  in  it  called  the  island 
of  Santo  Domingo  or  Espahola,  and  that  therefore  Columbus 
was  only  an  imitator  and  no  more  entitled  to  the  honours  of 
discoverer  than  the  person  or  persons  who  made  voyages  to  the 
New  World  subsequent  to  his  own.  We  have  already  consid¬ 
ered  the  Story  of  the  Pilot,  as  it  is  called  in  Columbian  history. 
It  is  now  important  enough  in  its  relationship  of  cause  to  effect 
to  be  briefly  repeated  here. 

In  1535,  Oviedo  {Historia  General  de  las  Indias,  lib.  ii.,‘cap. 
iv.)  mentions  this  story  for  the  first  time,  and  accompanies 
the  story  with  the  assertion  that  he  himself  did  not  believe  it 
to  be  true.  The  story,  as  told  by  Oviedo,  is  devoid  of  all  detail, 
and  relates  in  a  most  general  way  that  a  pilot  was  driven  by  a 
storm  to  an  island  in  the  Atlantic  far  to  the  westward,  that  he 
succeeded  in  returning  to  the  Old  World,  was  received  by  Co¬ 
lumbus  into  his  own  house  in  the  island  of  Porto  Santo,  and, 
dying,  left  to  his  kind  host  his  journals,  charts,  and  papers. 
Having  said  this  much,  Oviedo  remarks: 

“Pero  aquesta  novela  assi  anda  por  el  inundo  entre  la  vulgar  gente  de 
la  manera  que  es  dicho.  Para  mi  yo  lo  tengo  por  falso.” 

“But  this  story  goes  throughout  the  world  among  the  common  people 
in  the  manner  which  is  told.  As  for  myself,  I  consider  it  false.” 

Gomara,  in  his  work  under  the  same  title,  mentions  this 
story,  but  embellishes  it  with  additions: 

“  Some  [he  says]  report  this  pilot  to  have  been  an  Andalusian  trafficking 
to  the  Canaries  and  to  Madeira,  on  the  occasion  of  this,  his  last  and  sad 
voyage;  others  declare  he  was  a  Biscayan,  having  commercial  relations 
with  England  and  France ;  still  others  say  he  was  a  Portuguese  who  traded 
back  and  forth  between  the  Mine  of  St.  George  and  the  Indies.  .  .  .  All, 

however,  are  in  agreement  in  reporting  that  this  pilot  died  in  the  house  of 
Columbus,  into  whose  hands  fell  all  his  papers  as  well  as  the  Journal  of  his 
voyage,  with  the  description  and  the  altitude  of  the  lands  discovered  and 
visited.” 

An  Inca,  a  native  Peruvian,  published  a  work  in  Lisbon  in 
1609,  and  repaints  with  more  colour  and  detail  the  account 
given  by  Gomara.  The  farther  away  we  get  from  the  incident 
the  greater  distinctness  does  it  assume.  This  Inca,  Garcilasso 


The  Handwriting — Contimted  471 

de  la  Vega,  says  the  Pilot  was  Alonzo  Sanchez  of  Huelva,  that 
he  was  sailing  from  the  Canaries  to  the  Madeiras  in  the  year 
1484  when  a  storm  drove  his  ship  to  what  is  now  called  the 
island  of  Santo  Domingo;  that  he  with  five  companions  re¬ 
turned  to  the  island  of  Terceira,  in  the  Azores,  where  he  was 
received  by  Columbus  in  his  own  house.  Whoever  told  this 
story  seemed  to  realise  the  propriety  of  having  the  Pilot  depart 
from  the  Canaries,  as  did  Columbus,  land  at  Espanola  as  did 
Columbus,  and  arrive  on  his  homeward  journey  at  the  Azores 
as  did  Columbus.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  Columbus  never 
lived  in  the  island  of  Terceira,  nor  in  any  one  of  the  Azores 
group.  In  laying  the  scene  in  the  year  1484,  and  in  bestowing 
upon  Columbus  the  maps,  journals,  and  papers  of  the  Pilot  by 
which  the  former  had  suggested  to  him  the  propriety  and  the 
feasibility  of  a  westward  journey  to  new  lands,  the  Peruvian 
historian  has  sought  to  render  him  independent  of  Toscanelli. 
Garcilasso  de  la  V ega  repeated  the  story  just  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  years  after  the  alleged  event  occurred.  He  affirms 
that  the  story  was  told  him  when  a  lad  by  his  father.  This 
father  could  not  have  been  an  eye-witness.  He  was  an  Inca  of 
Peru.  When  the  discovery  took  place  he  could  not  have  been 
more  than  a  mere  child  himself. 

Herrera,  a  Spanish  historian  of  reputation,  writing  at  the 
beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  does  not  even  refer  to 
this  tale.  Nevertheless,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  there  was 
current  a  story  to  the  effect  that  Columbus  had  known  a  sailor 
who  had  been  driven  by  a  storm  to  some  western  land.  Las 
Casas  says  that  when  he  first  went  to  the  island  of  Espanola, 
which  was  in  the  year  1502,  he  heard  the  story.  It  is  plain  that 
Las  Casas  mentions  this  story  as  a  single  thread  in  a  cable  of 
cause,  and  that  he  is  arguing  that  no  one  thread  made  the 
cable;  no  one  cause,  however  strongly  contributory,  produced 
in  the  mind  of  Columbus  his  great  purpose  or  led  alone  to  the 
final  discovery.  In  view  of  the  testimony  of  the  good  Bishop 
of  Chiapas,  we  must  admit  the  precedence  of  the  story  of  the 
Pilot. 

But  it  never  occurred  to  any  writer  of  the  sixteenth  or 
seventeenth  century  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  wipe  out  of 
Columbian  history  any  connection  on  the  part  of  the  Florentine 
savant.  This  attempt  has  been  reserved  for  the  present  age.  It 


472 


Christopher  Columbus 

is  now  claimed  that  Paolo  Toscanelli  never  corresponded  with 
Christopher  Columbus  and  never  heard  of  him  and  of  his  am¬ 
bition.  How,  then,  do  they  account  for  the  existence  of  ap¬ 
parently  a  contemporaneous  Latin  transcription  of  the  letter 
in  a  book  acknowledged  to  have  belonged  to  the  family  of 
Columbus,  or  for  the  appearance  of  the  Spanish  translation  in 
the  Historia  of  Las  Casas,  or  for  its  publication  in  the  1571 
Italian  edition  of  the  Historic  by  Ferdinand  Columbus?  If 
Columbus  was  in  personal  communication  with  Toscanelli  prior 
to  1482,  when  the  latter  died,  and  if  the  latter  really  did  say 
that  he  understood  from  letters  actually  written  by  Columbus 
that  he  already  contemplated  a  journey  westward  to  the  Land 
of  Spices,  manifestly  the  charge  of  his  indebtedness  to  the 
Pilot,  be  that  Pilot  Andalusian,  Biscayan,  or  Huelvian,  was 
false  and  worthless.  How,  then,  may  one  dispose  of  this  Tos¬ 
canelli  correspondence  and  its  apparent  significance?  It  was 
the  result  of  a  conspiracy,  they  affirm.  The  conspirators  were 
Bartholomew  Columbus,  the  brother  of  Columbus;  Ferdinand 
Columbus,  the  son  of  Columbus;  Bartolome  de  las  Casas,  the 
Apostle  of  the  Indians;  and  some  even  add  to  the  little  band 
Don  Luis  Columbus,  the  grandson  of  the  Admiral.  It  was  a 
conspiracy  formed  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  the  family  hon¬ 
our.  The  story  of  the  Pilot  had  assumed  such  proportions,  and 
its  believers  had  become  so  numerous  shortly  after  the  death 
of  the  Admiral,  that  it  was  necessary  to  show  another  and  in¬ 
dependent  source.  Therefore  a  letter  was  fabricated  as  coming 
from  a  philosopher  of  world-wide  repute,  who  acknowledged 
having  received  from  Christopher  Columbus  a  declaration  of  his 
purpose : 

“Paul,  the  physician,  to  Christopher  Columbus,  greeting.  I  perceive 
your  great  and  noble  desire  to  go  to  the  place  where  the  spices  grow.’’ 

No  Spanish  pilot,  no  predecessor  whose  vessel  had  actually 
furrowed  its  western  way  to  this  Land  of  Spices,  should  take 
from  Columbus  his  honour  of  first  proposing  to  cross  the  inter¬ 
mediate  ocean  spaces.  A  great  scientist,  the  first  authority  of 
his  day,  had  borne  witness  to  an  earlier  purpose  of  Columbus 
to  do  this  very  thing.  The  Admiral  was  dead.  He  could  not 
reach  his  honours  living.  Dead,  he  could  not  even  preserve  his 


The  Handwriting — Contimied  473 

name  from  slander.  The  object  was  laudable;  therefore  Las 
Casas  could  close  his  eyes  to  the  deceit  and  join  the  group  of 
fabricators.  But  the  school  of  critics  which  seeks  to  promote 
this  charge  of  conspiracy  is  confronted  with  the  Latin  copy  of 
the  Toscanelli  Letter  in  the  guard-folio  of  the  Historia  of  Pius 
11.  The  copy  is,  then,  recognised  by  this  school  as  in  the 
handwriting  of  Bartholomew  Columbus,  and  it  becomes  neces¬ 
sary  to  eliminate  Don  Luis  from  the  transaction,  since  he  was 
not  born  until  Bartholomew  had  been  dead  some  years.  Fer¬ 
dinand  presents  himself  in  his  Historic  as  so  alive  to  any  attack 
on  his  father’s  good  fame  that  he  naturally  becomes  a  member 
of  the  group.  It  is  difficult  to  explain  the  part  played  by  Las 
Casas.  He  is  the  earliest  authority  for  the  story  in  point  of 
time,  declaring  that  he  heard  it  when  he  first  went  to  Espah- 
ola,  which  was,  as  we  have  said,  in  the  year  1502.  He  did  not 
particularly  love  the  Admiral.  No  tongue  ever  said  such  harsh 
things  of  the  latter  as  Las  Casas  said  of  him  when  he  became 
an  emancipator.  He  did  not  love  Bartholomew  Columbus,  for 
he  accused  him  of  rigour  and  cruelty.  But  if  Bartholomew 
Columbus  fabricated  the  Latin  copy  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter  as 
a  result  of  a  conspiracy,  or  with  a  view  to  present  Columbus  as 
having  adopted  the  purpose  of  sailing  westward  and  of  having 
revealed  that  purpose  to  Toscanelli,  why  is  there  no  allusion  to 
it  in  the  Latin  copy?  Neither  the  preliminary  matter  contain¬ 
ing  the  passage  above  quoted  nor  any  portion  of  the  second 
letter  written  Columbus  by  the  Florentine  will  be  found  in 
that  copy.  That  is  the  kernel  in  the  nut  of  this  conspiracy, — 
the  association  of  Columbus  with  Toscanelli  and  the  revelation 
to  the  latter  of  his  purpose  already  formed. 

Now,  if  this  transcript,  instead  of  being  in  the  hand  of 
Bartholomew,  is  shown  to  be  in  the  proper  hand  of  Chris¬ 
topher  Columbus,  the  conspiracy  story  falls  to  the  ground  in 
shameful  dust,  or  else  the  Admiral  himself  subsequent  to  the 
discovery  was  the  chief  conspirator.  We  believe  that  a  care¬ 
ful  and  minute  examination  of  this  copy  with  the  admitted 
specimens  of  the  writing  of  ChristO])her  Columbus  will  disclose 
the  truth,  that  one  hand,  although  at  periods  far  a])art,  made 
these  specimens  and  the  Toscanelli  transcri])t.  The  reader  now 
sees  the  importance  of  dwelling  on  the  subject  of  the  hand¬ 
writing  of  the  great  Discoverer. 


474 


Christopher  Columbus 

We  reproduce  farther  on  a  fac-simile  of  another  important 
annotation  in  this  same  example  of  the  Historia  of  Pius  II.,  and 
which  we  believe  to  be  in  the  autograph  of  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus.  It  is  peculiarly  important  because  of  the  passage  in  the 
second  line  from  the  bottom; 

“y  desde  el  comien^o  del  mundo  fasta  esta  era  de  .1481.  son  .5241. 
anos”  ;  “and  from  the  commencement  of  the  world  until  this  era  of  1481, 
there  are  5241  years.’’ 

This  annotation,  then,  fixes  the  date  of  at  least  one  of  these 
entries  in  the  book  of  Pius  II.  The  reader  will  observe  that 
the  writing  is  not  in  Latin  as  in  the  Toscanelli  letter,  but  in  a 
Castilian-Portuguese  mixture.  Christopher  Columbus  had  been 
already,  in  this  era  of  1481,  many  years  in  Portugal,  while  we 
have  news  of  Bartholomew  as  residing  at  Genoa  in  June,  1480. 
In  the  short  period  of  six  months  or  a  year,  even  if  we  assume 
that  he  immediately  after  this  date  went  into  Portugal,  he 
could  hardly  have  so  familiarised  himself  with  the  two  lan¬ 
guages  as  to  express  himself  in  literary  composition.  This  note 
does  not  fix  the  date  of  the  Toscanelli  correspondence,  but  it 
does  strongly  indicate  that  it  was  previous  to  the  year  1481. 
The  hand  we  now  have  is  at  first  glance  different  from  that 
found  in  the  Toscanelli  Letter.  It  is  a  modification,  improved 
in  its  tout  ensemble  over  any  former  style  we  have  examined,  but 
manifestly  the  same  hand  which  inscribed  the  letters  of  Series  A 
and  the  Toscanelli  Letter.  Observe  the  same  characteristics, 
the  same  peculiarities,  except  that  here  the  small  5  no  longer 
falls  below  the  line. 

Another  very  important  annotation  found  in  this  volume 
gives  evidence  that  the  writer,  whoever  he  may  be,  was  at  Lis¬ 
bon  several  months  after  March  in  the  year  1485,  when  there 
returned  to  Lisbon  the  expedition  sent  out  under  Doctor  Joseph, 
the  physician  and  astrologer  of  King  John  11.  The  writer  not 
only  was  present  when  Doctor  Joseph  reported  to  the  King  the 
results  of  his  labour,  but  he  had  himself  verified  some  of  his 
findings  when  he  was  at  the  Fort  of  the  Mine,  which  was  the 
San  Jorge  de  Mina.  Here  we  observe  the  same  characteristic 
letters,  e,  g,  h,  p,  r,  s,  t,  and  the  same  marks  for  abbreviation 
and  punctuation.  It  is  curious  to  observe  in  this  note  the  pres- 


475 


The  H  and  writing —  Contin  tied 

ence  of  both  forms  of  the  small  5,  the  one  falling  below  the  line 
and  the  other,  as  in  the  form  used  in  the  preceding  note,  coming 
down  only  to  the  line  itself.  The  reader  will  observe  that  the 
figure  8  in  this  note  is  the  same  as  the  figure  8  in  the  note  that 
precedes.  The  peculiar  final  small  5  in  the  words  los  ydolos  is 
precisely  the  final  .?  occurring  in  the  quotation  from  Psalm 
xcii.,  our  No.  XXXX.  It  would  be  a  strange  thing  if  the  hand 
of  Bartholomew  or  some  other  hand  had  written  this  quotation 
from  the  Psalms  and  carried  it  to  Christopher  Columbus  for  his 
signature,  attesting  not  the  sentiment  of  Bartholomew  or  the 
anonymous  writer,  but  the  expression  of  his  own  conception  of 
the  Divine  Power  on  the  Great  Deep.  We  must  conclude  that 
Christopher  Columbus  wrote  the  inscription  in  No.  XXXX.  and 
the  note  in  relation  to  Doctor  Joseph. 

Another  instance  of  the  versatility  of  the  penman  may  be 
noticed  in  the  two  forms  of  writing  the  initial  letter  in  the  same 
proper  name,  Josepius,  in  the  final  line,  and  Josepio  in  the  last 
line  of  this  note. 

The  terrestrial  figure  here  reproduced  ‘  was  drawn  upon  the 
last  blank  folio  of  the  Historia  Rcrum  Ubique  Gestarum. 

The  next  important  Columbian  book  is  the  example  of 
Imago  Mundt  already  described.  The  margins  of  this  precious 
volume  are  covered  with  inscriptions.  Probably  the  leaf  which 
is  richest  in  the  annotations  is  that  which  begins  chapter  viii. 
of  the  work  and  which  the  annotator  has  numbered  13.  On 
the  left-hand  margin  is  the  .  note  relative  to  the  discovery  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  by  Bartholomew  Diaz,  and  on  the  right 
hand,  among  five  other  notes,  is  the  famous  quotation  from 
Aristotle,  pronouncing  his  remarkable  theory  concerning  the 
navigable  space  between  the  shores  of  Spain  and  the  beginning 
of  the  Indies,  and  which  he  asserted  could  be  traversed  in  a  few 
days. 

The  King  of  Portugal,  toward  the  end  of  August,  i486,  sent 
an  expedition  consisting  of  three  vessels  to  the  south.  Bar¬ 
tholomew  Diaz  was  commander  of  the  fleet  and  captain  of  one 
of  two  boats  of  fifty  tons  each,  the  other  being  in  charge  of 
Jodo  Infante.  A  third  and  smaller  vessel  was  in  charge  of 
Pedro  Diaz,  brother  to  the  commander,  and  contained  the  pro¬ 
visions  for  the  expedition  and  objects  for  trading.  Under 

'  Sec  page  478. 


OVIDIVS”. 


K«»t  *tU-  VVo*  '>^ 

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^  •»  ;;.  .’,'1^  J.'„  ^  w.>.  <>;-••'  '•  5^-""*“ 

^  ..«.'.Kh.»  -»••■*'••->» - 

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Facsimile  of  Page  from  “Historia”  of  Pius  II.  in  Autograph  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

476 


OVIDIVS. 

carmina 

tenentes  planetas  q«os  in  figura  sunt  in  panno  J.  d.  ducis, 

Sic  vbi  dispo^itan  qnfsqwts  fuit  ille  deorum 

Congerint  secuit  setanqnc  in  menbra  redegit 

Satumns 

vltimus  algendo  tardo  peregrine  meato 
me  notat  annosum  senile  pigrum. 

Principio  terram  nec  non  equallis  ab  omni 

Parte  foret  magni  specien  glomerauft  in  orbis 

Jupiter 

Anbio  signiferi  clara  cun  lampade  girum 

Gaudentem  me  fax  esse  serena  notat. 

Tunc  freta  diffudtt  rapidisqn^  tumescere  ventis 
lussit  &  abite  circumdare  litora  terre. 

Mares 

Mari  sintillo  radians  quia  me  claro  arcius  vrget 

Ignitun  roseus  me  probat  esse  color. 

Addidit  &  fontes  inmensaqnc  stagna  lacusqne 

Fluminaqnc  obliquis  cinxit  decliuia  ripis 

Sol 

Feruoris  sum  fons  &  luminis  omnis  orrigo 

Illustrans  toto  quicqnxd  in  orbe  patet. 

Que  diuersa  locis  partim  sorbentur  ab  ipja 

In  mare  perueniunt  partim  canpoqnc  recepta 

Venus 

Lustras  zodiacum  radianti  liciem  vesper 

Lucifer  apellor  sperus  atone  venus. 

Liberioris  aque  pro  ripis  litora  pulsant 
lussit  &  extendi  canpos  subsistere  valles. 

Mercuriwi 

Lunari  coniunta  globo  loca  transuolo  mangna 

Igneus  &  gelor  corpore  lue  pede. 

Fronde  tegi  siluas  lapidosos  surgent  montes 

Inminet  his  aer  qui  quanto  est  pondere  terre 

Luna 

Solis  luce  micans  percurro  climata  celi 

In  fima  sonpnifero  tenpore  rore  mandens 

Pondere  aque  leuior  tanto  est  honerosior  igne 

Illic  &  nebulas  illic  consistent  nubes  IVSIT. 

Zodiacus 

Etatem  rerum  seriem  distiguo  diernm 

Et  mihi  sunt  mete  per  celi  clima  planete. 

Esta  es  la  coenta  de  la  criagion  del  mondo  segondo  lo  Judios. 


.130. 

Viuio  Adan  .cxxx.  anos  y  estonges  engeudro  aset 
.105. 

viuio  aset  .cv.  anos  y  estonges  enge«dro  enos 
.90. 

viuio  enos  .xc.  anos  y  estowges  ingejzdro  cayna^t 
.70. 

viuio  caynaw  .lxx.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  malalchel 
.65. 

viuio  Malabchel  .lxv.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  Jared 
.162. 

viuio  Jared,  clxij.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  enoch 
.65. 

viuio  enoch  .lxv.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  mathusalen 
.187. 

viuio  matusalen  .clxxxvii.  anos  y  estonges  ingewdro  lamech 
.182. 

viuio  lamech  .CLXXXir.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  noe 
.500. 

viuio  noe  .vc.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  sen 

y  sen  hauia  cicnto  quando  foe  el  diluvio 
asi  ^ue  de  la  criagion  del  mondo  hasta  el  dilubio  son  .1656.  anos 
viuio  sen  dos  anos  despois  de  los  ciento  sobrr  dichos  y  despois 
del  diluvio  estonges  ingendro  arfaxat 
Viuio  arfaxat  .xxxv.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  sala 
Viuio  sala  .xxx.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  heber 
viuio  heber  .xxxriij.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  phalech 
viuio  phalech  .xxx.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  reu 
viuio  reu  .xxxv.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  saruch 
viuio  saruch  .xxx.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  nacor 
viuio  nacor  .xxix.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  thare 
viuio  thare  .lxx.  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  abraam 
y  des  del  diluuio  hasta  que  nacio  abraatn  son  .ccicv.  .295.  anos 
y  segundo  los  Judios  son  .292. 
viuio  abraam  ciento  anos  y  estonges  ingendro  ysac 
viueo  ysac 

.400. 

desqwc  nagio  ysac  hasta  que  saliron  de  egipto  .cccc.  anos 
y  desqwc  saliron  de  egipto  hasa  que  se  fabrico  la  prim^’ra  casa  480.  anos 
y  desqnt?  foy  fabricada  la  prfmcra  casa  fasta  su  destrucion  sen  .410.  anos 
y  desqne  foy  destruida  la  primera.  casa  fasta  la  salida  del  catiuerio 
de  babilonia  a  .lxx.  anos  y  estonges  se  comengo  la  segunda  casa 
y  duro  la  segunda  casa  .400.  anos 

y  desqnc  nacio  abraam  fasta  que  foe  destniido  la  segunda  casa  .1088.  anos 
y  desde  la  destrugion  de  la  2^  casa  fasta  segundo  los  iudios  fasta  agora 
siendo  el  aho  del  nagimento  de  nnc5/ro  senor  de  .1481.  son  .1413-  anos 
y  desde  el  comiengo  del  mundo  fasta  esta  era  de  .1481.  son  .5241.  anos 
...mundo...  .5244. 


Transliteration  of  Folio  from  “  Historia.” 


477 


r 


§ 


o 

a 


^cidems  rcctuw 
in  ispania 


circul2i5  QC{uinoKia\is 


circulus  articus 
circulus  eq«tnoxtalis 


occidens  obliquw 
v6i  sinuw  sinarwwi 


X 


o-a 

N  ^ 

'C  *5 

O  S 


Diagram  on  Folio  of  “  Historia”  in  Hand  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

478 


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corxco 


I 


....  q«o<f  .  .  .  rex  portugalie  misit  in  guinea  awno  dowzni  .1485.  magister  Jhosepius  fixicus  eius  &  astrologus 

[ad  comjpiendum  {comperiendum?)  altitudinem  solis  in  totta  guinea  qwt  omnia  adinpleuit  &  renunciauit  dito  serenissimo  regi  me  presente  quod 
....  aiiijs  in  die  -xi.  marcij  inuenit  se  distare  ab  eq^moxiad  ^radns  .v.  minute  in  insula  vocata  de  los  ydolos  que  est  prope 
[sierr]a  lioa  &  hoc  cum  maxima  diligencia  pr^Jcurauit  posiea  yero  sepe  ditns  serenissimus  rex  misit  in  guinea  in  allijs  locis  pos^^a 
....  &  sempi?r  inuenit  concordari  com  ip5o  yiagistro  Josepio  qnar^  sertum  ha6eo  e55e  castrum  mine  sub  linea  eqMtnoxiali 


B:  ■  /i.'s 

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A-.l  '■y'*'  •  Sw^  *-  '■  ■.  ■  ^ 

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sw^-awssnsewK.?! 


. vt  subito  nascatar  porsimolum  pon^  in  remoHo  semiHe  in  aceto  per  spacjzfm  .iijn>.  dieritm  postea.  fere  ipra  sub  aselis  dies  tres&  quando 

. volueris  semina  ipra  &  subito  ii:  hora  .i.  nascatar  &  comedat!«r 

. acipiuiit  puluer  solphari  quem  ponunt  super  eum  &  cobusta  recedit  ipsam  moliunt  &  foadaut  cum  salmoniaco  &  se.  .  . 

. .  .  &  aliawaudo  ponuut  de  puluere  aurifabris  cum  q«a  solidaiit  reduntur  (.f)  albir  cum  sale  &  aceto 

par  la  matinada  de  jueues  el  .6.  salmo  q«e  comieKsa  vt  quid  deus  repulisti  in  finem  et  sequitar  opcratas  est  salutem  ia  medio  terre 


Holograph  Notes  by  Christopher  Columbus  Found  in  the  “  Historia.” 


479 


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Folio  of  the  ''Imago  Mundi”  with  Marginal  Notes  in  the  Hand  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

480 


jj-  rt 


2}. 


3ta  quod  hoc  a«no  de  .88. 
iiie«se  decemdri  apulit  \n  vlix*p(?«am 
irt\iflIom€us  didacus  capitaweus 
lum  carauelarttw  quern 
.iserat  Serenissimus  rex  '^rtugallit  in 
lipea  ad  te^tanduw 
rraw  &  renuwciauit 
ijo  serenissimo  xegi  pr<?ut  nauiga- 
;rit  vltra  yan  naui- 
itu«  leuche  .600.  \idelicet 
.50.  ad  austr^/m'  et  .250. 

1  zquilonem  vsque  vno  promonforivm 
*r  ipj*/m  nowi«atu^  cabo 
;  boa  esperanga  quew* 
agesinba  estimamus 
uique  in  eo  loco  i^uenit  se 
stare  p^r  astrolabiuff*  vltra 

.  lea  eqz/tnoc}<2li  gradus 
5.  quew  viumum  locum 
stat  ab  vlixbona 
uche  .3100.  quern 
agium  pictauit  & 
ripsit  de  leucha  in  leu* 
la  in  vna  carta  naui* 
icionis  vt  occuli  vi- 
u  oste«deret  ipjo  serenissimo 
fj  in  q«ib«j  omnihus  i;zterfui 

h  f^;;cordat  cum  dita  marini 
iem  ptholoraeus  eme«* 
it  de  p^rag?'aci(7«e  ad  gara* 
awtes  q«:  disit  prragratum 
isse  vltra  equwoalem  stadii 
7500.  quod  ^iholomeus  impug- 
it  &  emewdat 

c  iordat  cum  petro  de  ayliaco 
wt/aqtfa  no«  cop^rit  .3.  q«ar/as 
rre 

c  :ordat  quod  mare  sit 
•I  nauigabilem  nec 
fpedit  maximam  ardorem. 


&  durat  vnus  dies  in  vno  loco  per  vnum  mensem  In  ali6  per  duos  In  alio 
per  tres  vel  plus  .  &  proporcionaliter  est  longior  ilia  nox  hyemis.  Sexta  est 
que  illi  qui  habitarent  recte  sub  polo  haberent  per  medium  anni  Solem  super 

orizon- 

tem  &  continuum  dierti  &  per  aliud  dimidium  continuam  noctem  Et  ita  si  vocemus 
diem  totum  tempus  quo  Sol  est  super  o^izontem  non  haberent  toto  inno  nisi  vnum 
diem  &  noctem.  Et  sicut  dictum  est  de  ista  medietate  terre  que  est  versus  po]um 
articum  similiter  intelligendum  est  de  alia  medietate  versus  antarticum  &habitatori- 
bus  eius  Et  hec  omnia  sine  alia  probatione  exemplariter  patent  in  spera  materiali. 

De  quantitate  terre  habitabilis  Capitulurn  octauum/ 

Ad  inuestigandum  quantitatem  habitationis  teite  intelligendiyn^gj^^quod Jia- 
bitatio  dupliciter  consideratiit.  Uno  modo  respectu,  celj' 

Solem  potest  habitari  &  quantum  non.  &  de  ^'o^supenv^  g 


Alio  modo  consideratur  respectu  aque  scilicet  quantum;-aqua  i 

'  ,,xhoc.  i«^^est  consj2 

randum.  De  quo  varie  sunt  opiniones  sapi^tutfiT  Narrj.PtholoHSns  libratde 
dispositione  spere  .  vult  quod  fere  sexta  pars4er«^est  habitabilis prop^eraotrdrrt.  & 
totum  residuum  est  coopertum  aqua.  .  Et  ita  in  ^Igamesti  libro  .11.  porfit  quod 

habita- 

tio  nota  non  est  nisi  in  quarta  terre  scilicet  in  qua  habitamus  Cuius  longitude 

est  ab 

oriente  in  occidens  .  &  est  medietas  equinoxialis  Et  eius  latitude  est  ab  equi- 

noxiali 

in  polum  .  &  est  quarta  coluri.  Sed  Aristotiles  in  fine  libri  celi  &  mundi .  vult  quod 
plus  habitetur  quam  quarta.  Et  Auerroys  hoc  confirmat  Et  dicit  Aristotiles  quod 
mare  paruum  est  inter  finem  Hyspanie  a  parte  occidentis  &  inter  principium  Indie 
a  parte  orientis.  Et  non  loquitur  de  Hyspania  citeriori  que  nunc  Hyspania  com- 
•muniter  nominatur  .  sed  de  Hyspania  vlteriori  que  nunc  Africa  dicitur. 
de  qua  certi  auctores  loquuntur .  vt  Plinius  Orosius  &  Ysidorus.  In- 
super  Seneca  libro  quinto  naturalium  dicit  quod  mare  est  nauigabile'  in  pau- 
cis  diebus  si  ve'ntus  sit  conueniens.  Et  Plinius  docet  in  naturalibus  li¬ 
bro  secundo  .  quod  nauigatum  est  a  sinu  Arabico  vsque  ad  gades  Herculis  non 
multum  magno  tempore  .  vnde  ex  hiis  &  multis  aliis  rationibus  de  quibus 
magis  tangam  cum  Ipquar  de  Oceano  concludunt  aliqui  apparenter  quod  ma¬ 
re  non  est  tantum  quod  possit  cooperire  tres  quartas  terre.  Accedit  ad  hoc  auc- 
toritas  Esdre  libro  suo  quarto  .  dicentis  quod  sex  partes  terre  sunt  habita- 
te  &  septima  est  cooperta  aquis  .  cuius  libri  auctoritatem  sancti  habuerunt 
in  reuerentia  .  &  veritates  sacras  per  eum  confirmarunt.  Et  ideo  videtur  quod 
licet  habitatio  nota  Ptholomeo  et  eius  sequacibus  sit  coartata  infra  quar- 
tam  vnam  plus  tamen  est  habitabile.  Et  Aristotiles  circa  hoc  plus  .  potu- 
it  nosse  auxilio  Alexandri.  Et  Seneca  auxilio  Neronis  .  qui  ad  inuestigan¬ 
dum  dubia  huius  mundi  fuerunt  solliciti.  Sicut  de  Alexandro  testantur 
Plinius  libro  octauo  .  et  etiam  Solinus.  Et  de  Nerone  narra,t  Seneca 
libro  de  naturalibus.  Unde  illis  magis  videtur  credendum  quam  Ptholomeo 

vel  eti¬ 
am  quam  Albategni  qui  adhuc  minus  ponit  esse  habitabiie  .  videlicet  solum  duo- 

decimam 

partem  .  sed  deficit  in  probatione  sicut  posset  ostendi  sed  breuitatis  causa  transeo 


sub  polo  artico  in  toto  atmo  no« 
ej/<iisi  vnum  diem  &  vnam  noctem  et 
simihVrr  sub  polo  antartico. 


aristotiles 

intfr  finem  ispanie  et  princip«um 
indie  eiT  mare  paruum  et  naui- 
gabile'ia  paucis  diebus 


plinius 

nauigatum  est  a  sinu  arabico  vsqur 
ad  gades  nou  multum  maguo  tempore 

esdre 

sex  partes  terre  sunt  haiitate  et  .7* 
est  coprrta  aquis 

nota  quod  hcatus  ambroxtas  &  Aurelius 
augustiuus 

&  alij  plures  haiuetunl  Esdram  prr  pra- 
Jihetam 

&  aprebaueruKt  librara  suum  vt  iafertaj 
apparr/  per  ea  qae  hie  extreti  ex  suis 
libris  &  ypocraphi  no«  videatar 

&  hoc  ditum  petri  comestor  caacordat 
ia  illo  de  aqua  de  qua  si  caasideremus 
prr  ea  que  ad  pr«cTis  vidimus  per  naui- 
gaciaaes 

inuenietar  illud  esse  verum 


functus  augustinus  de  ciuitatte  dei 

I  nciscus  de  meronis  ia  veritatibas  ait  Duodectma  veritas  quod  postqaam  iudei  redieraat  de  babilonia  port  raalachiam  ageum  &  zachariam  qai  tuac  prapheta- 

t  jat  Et  esdram  noa  habueraat  praphf/am  vsqar  ad  saluacwais  adueatum  niri  Zachariam  pafrem  lohannis  &  senem  simeonem  Sc  gloriosissimum  lokannem  baptwtam  ia  vltimo  capiValO  &C, 
1  quo  acipitar  vnum  notabille  quod  esdras  fuit  prophets.  8c  ideo  eius  praphrria  licet  noa  habeatar  ia  canone  videtur  auctentica  Sc  caafirmatar  qaea  beatus  ambroxius 
*  ;at  ipram  accipieado  ditum  illius  prophetie  raorietar  fillius  raeus  Ihrras  Sc  rttauertetar  spculum 

1  ras  comestor  msgister  istoriaram  ecc/rdasticaram  ait  Tercia  die  sub  firmameato  aquas  Cijagregauit  dras  ia  vnum  locum  qa^  licet  plura  obtineaat  loca 
t  en  qaia  omars  ctjatinuaatar  ia  viserribar  terre  ia  vnum  locum  dicte  suat  roagregate  Sc  potum  esse  vt  aque  que  totum  spac/um  aeris  ocupabaat  vaporabiles  solida... 

7  licum  obtineaat  locum  vrl  terra  paululum  subcedit  vii  eas  tamqaam  ia  matrice  ceacluderct  Sc  sic  aparuit  arida  .  quoniam  lateas  sub  aquis  preprie  hie... 

X  est  sed  cum  aparuit  arida  eadem  dicitur  terra  quia  territar  pedibar  aaimaatium  vrl  tribar  circumporitis  elemeatir  dicitur  solum  quia  solida  dicitur  telus 
i  jlcrat  labores  homiaum  congregaciane  aquaram  vocatar  maria  ebreo  ydiomate  quod  quaslibr/  congregaeione  aquaram  vocatar  maria  campleto  (f) 
t  )  opere  aquaram  sub  dicitur  Sc  vidit  dras  quod  erret  bonum  &  addidit  aliud  opus  illi  cam  dixit  gerainet  terram  nec  de  oprre  ge... 
r  di  taatum  iatelligeadum  est  sed  de  poteaeza  id  quod  poteas  sit  gerrainare  Sc  hoc  ia  eapitulo  de  oprre  tereij  diei 
7  'laus  de  lira  super  genetcin  id  dicit 


Transliteration  of  Holograph  Notes  by  Christopher  Columbus  on  Folio  of  the  "Imago  Mundi." 

481 


482 


Christopher  Columbus 

Prince  Henry  the  Navigator  the  Diaz  family  had  already  ac¬ 
complished  great  things,  one  Jo2,o  Diaz  having  been  a  compan¬ 
ion  of  Gil  Eannes,  and  another,  Diniz  Diaz,  having  been  first  of 
explorers  to  pass  the  Senegal  in  latitude  16°  north  of  the  equa¬ 
tor.  Since  their  day  vessels  had  been  making  their  way  farther 
and  farther  south,  until  now  it  was  reserved  for  the  members 
of  the  illustrious  Diaz  family  to  set  for  a  time  a  limit  to  south¬ 
ern  explorations,  and  to  add  new  lustre  to  the  name  of  Portugal 
and  to  the  active  grandnephew  of  the  Navigator.  Bartholomew 
named  the  tempestuous  point  he  had  discovered  Cabo  Tormen- 
toso,  or  Stormy  Cape,  in  remembrance  of  the  perils  of  its  coast, 
but  when  he  made  his  report  to  King  John  he  rechristened  it 
the  Cabo  de  Boa  Esperanga,  or  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  since  it 
pointed  a  westward  road  to  the  Indies.  After  a  voyage  of  sixteen 
months  and  seventeen  days  Diaz  returned  to  Lisbon  in  Decem¬ 
ber,  1487,'  where  he  was  received  with  honour  by  the  King." 

The  annotator,  in  speaking  of  this  expedition  and  of  its 
return  to  Lisbon  in  December,  1487  (the  error  of  writing  88 
may  have  been  a  lapsus  calami,  or  the  writer  may  have  begun 
the  year,  as  many  did  in  those  days,  at  Christmas  time),  where 
it  was  received  by  the  King,  adds  this  expression,  “/w  quibus 
omnibus  interfui":  ''In  all  of  which  I  had  a  part."  This  ex¬ 
pression  may  be  taken  to  mean  that  the  annotator  made  a 
member  of  the  little  expedition,  or  that  he  simply  was  present 
in  Lisbon  when  the  King  received  Diaz  with  that  form  and 
ceremony  due  to  the  news  of  such  an  event.  Bartolome  de 
las  Casas  saw  this  example  of  the  Imago  Mundi,  read  there  the 
manuscript  entry  on  the  margin,  and  declared  that  it  was  in  the 

’  Barros,  Dacada  Primeira  da  Asia,  printed  at  Lisbon  in  1752  (see  vol.  i.,  Book  III.) 
says  of  the  departure  of  this  expedition  under  Diaz: 

“Partirao  no  fin  de  Agosto  do  deto  anno  de  quatro  eentos  et  outenta  et  seis”: 
“They  started  the  last  of  August,  of  the  said  year  of  i486.” 

And  of  its  return : 

“en  Dezembro  do  anno  de  quatro  eentos  et  sete  .  .  .  auendo  dezasis  meses 

et  dezasete  dias  que  erao  partidos  delle 

“In  Deeember  of  the  year  1487  .  .  it  being  sixteen  months  and  seventeen 

days  that  they  had  gone  from  there.” 

*  In  the  note  on  the  Zona  Torida  the  writer  says: 

“The  torrid  zone  is  habitable  beeause  to-day  the  Portuguese  sail  there  and  it  is 
most  populous  and  below  the  equinoetial  line  is  the  Fortress  of  Mina  belonging  to 
the  most  serene  King  of  Portugal,  which  we  had  seen.” 

If  Columbus  had  gone  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  he  would  have  mentioned  it,  as, 
if  he  had  made  this  entry  previous  to  such  an  expedition  to  the  end  of  Africa,  he 
would  have  made  a  subsequent  entry,  as  he  has  frequently  done  in  his  annotations. 


The  Handwriting — Contimied  483 

handwriting  of  Bartholomew  Columbus/  To  many  this  testi¬ 
mony  is  authoritative: 

“Yo  halle,  en  libro  viejo  de  Cristobal  Colon,  de  las  obras  de  Pedro  de 
Aliaco  .  .  .  escritas  estas  palabras  en  la  margen  del  tratado  De 

Imagine  Mundi,  Cap.  8°,  de  la  misma  letra  y  mano  de  Bartolome  Colon, 
la  cual  muy  bien  conoci,  y  agora  tengo  hartas  cartas  y  letras  suyas, 
tratando  deste  viaje.” 

“I  found,  in  an  old  book  of  the  works  of  Pedro  de  Aliaco  belonging  to 
Christopher  Columbus  .  .  .  these  words  written  on  the  margin  of 

the  tract  De  Imagine  Mundi,  Chapter  8,  in  the  hand  of  Bartholomew 
Columbus  himself,  whom  I  knew  very  well,  and  I  now  have  many  of  his 
letters  and  writings  relating  to  this  voyage.” 

A  few  lines  farther  on  in  his  Historia  Las  Casas  acknowledges 
himself  in  some  perplexity  as  to  whether  this  passage  was  in¬ 
tended  by  Bartholomew  to  refer  to  himself  or  his  brother 
Christopher ; 

‘‘  No  se  si  las  escribio  de  si  6  de  su  letra  por  su  hermano  Cristdbal” :  “I 
do  not  know  if  he  wrote  these  things  of  himself  or  if  he  intended  them 
for  his  brother  Christopher.” 

Christopher  Columbus  was  in  Spain  the  first  part  of  the  year 
1487,  having  on  August  27,  1487,  received  four  thousand  mara- 
vedis  at  the  command  of  the  Sovereigns,  who  were  then  at  the 
siege  of  Malaga.  He  was  probably  in  Spain  with  Beatriz  En¬ 
riquez  in  the  middle  part  of  the  month  of  November  in  the  year 
1487.^ 

Bartholomew  Columbus  was  in  London  in  the  month  of 
February,  1488,  when  he  dated  the  map  of  the  world  presented 
to  King  Henry  VI 1.  He  must  have  been  there  some  time  to 
have  gained  an  audience  with  the  King. 

It  is  evident  from  the  public  entries  relative  to  pensions  and 
subsidies  that  Christopher  Columbus  could  not  have  been  upon 
the  Diaz  expedition  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  assertion 

'  Historia  de  las  Indias,  lib,  i.,  cap.  xxvii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  213. 

^  Ferdinand  Columbus  was  born  at  Cordova  August  15,  1488. 

“  Porque  por  memorias  suyos  fidedignas  parcsze  que  naci6  en  Cordova  d  quinze 
dias  del  mes  dc  Agosto,  dia  de  la  Asuncion  de  nuestra  Senora,  ano  de  mill  4  quatro- 
cientos  4  ochcnta  4  ocho. — [Declaraciones  del  Albacea.]” 

“  Because  according  to  memorandums  of  his,  worthy  of  belief,  it  appears  that  he 
was  born  in  Cordova  the  15th  day  of  the  month  of  August,  the  day  of  the  Ascension 
of  our  Lady,  in  the  year  1488.” 


484 


Christopher  Columbus 

of  Ferdinand  and  the  words  of  the  Admiral  quoted  by  him  show 
that  he  had  frequently  gone  on  voyages  to  Guinea: 

“Yo  he  andado  veinte  y  tres  ahos  en  la  mar,  sin  salir  della  tiempo  que 
se  haya  de  contar,  y  vi  todo  el  Levante  y  Poniente,  que  dice  por  ir  al  Sep- 
tentrion,  que  es  Inglaterra,  y  he  andado  la  Guinea.” 

“I  have  been  twenty-three  years  upon  the  sea,  without  leaving  it  for 
anv  length  of  time  sufficient  to  be  noted,  and  I  saw  all  the  East  and  the 
West,  as  it  is  called  in  going  to  the  North,  which  is  England,  and  I  have 
travelled  through  Guinea.” 

If  he  had  voyaged  to  the  extremity  of  the  continent  either 
he  or  Ferdinand  would  have  mentioned  his  connection  with  the 
Portuguese  solution  of  the  Indian  problem.  Therefore  we  dis¬ 
miss  the  idea  that  Christopher  Columbus  was  actually  on  the 
expedition  itself.  Was  he  at  Lisbon  when  the  expedition  re¬ 
turned?  The  historians  give  us  no  closer  date  than  December, 
1487,  for  its  return.  This  might  be  late  in  December,  which 
would  have  afforded  plenty  of  time  for  Christopher  Columbus 
to  make  a  journey  from  Cordova  to  Lisbon.  The  Guadalquivir 
was  navigable  for  large  vessels  from  its  mouth  to  Cordova,  and 
the  journey  to  the  Tagus  from  the  Guadalquivir  was  a  question 
only  of  days.  In  the  matter  of  time  it  is  more  likely  Christo¬ 
pher  could  have  gone  to  Lisbon  from  Cordova  between  Novem¬ 
ber  1 5  and  the  latter  part  of  December  than  that  Bartholomew 
could  have  gone  from  Lisbon  to  London  between  December  and 
February,  the  date  of  his  map. 

On  the  margin  of  another  folio  of  the  Imago  Mundi,  in  the 
same  hand,  we  have  an  annotation  made  in  hoc  anno  1491  and 
after  die  ii  marcii.  Now,  to  assume  that  Bartholomew,  who 
was  then  in  France,  made  this  as  well  as  the  other  annotations 
in  this  same  hand  will  require  that  he  should  have  returned 
this  book  to  Christopher  shortly  after  having  written  this  par¬ 
ticular  note,  in  order  that  the  latter  could  have  taken  the  book 
with  him  on  his  first  voyage.  It  would  seem  to  us  as  if  the 
elder  brother  had  this  book  with  him  during  his  dark  days  in 
Spain,  and  that  its  spirit  of  speculation  and  divination  was  one 
of  the  sources  of  his  strength  and  hope. 

But  Bartholomew  seems  to  us  excluded  from  consideration 
as  the  writer  of  this  note,  because  he  is  excluded  from  the 
authorship  of  the  note  made  in  this  era  of  1481,  when,  as  we 


The  Handwriting — Contintied  485 

have  shown,  he  could  hardly  have  learned  the  Spanish  and  Por¬ 
tuguese  tongues. 

A  study  of  this  note  will  disclose  the  fact  that  whoever 
copied  the  Toscanelli  Letter  into  the  guard-folio  of  the  Historia 
of  Pius  II.  also  inscribed  this.  Regard  the  same  small  letters. 
Regard,  also,  the  formation  of  the  figures  88  in  the  present 
note  and  figure  8  in  the  1481  of  the  computation  note.  Com¬ 
pare  the  four  letters  in  vlixiponam  in  line  two  and  the  same 
word  in  line  twenty  of  the  Diaz  note,  with  the  same  letters  in 
the  contraction  of  the  name  of  the  Portuguese  capital,  as  found 
in  line  twenty-nine  in  the  Toscanelli  letter.  Compare  the  word 
Guinea  in  line  six  of  the  Diaz  note  with  the  same  word  in  line 
four  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter.  The  word  eqiiinoctiali  is  the  same 
in  line  eighteen  of  the  Diaz  note  and  in  line  eight  of  the  Tos¬ 
canelli  Letter.  The  word  carta,  in  line  twenty-four  of  the  Diaz 
note,  is  the  same  as  in  line  seven  of  the  Toscanelli  Letter,  in  each 
instance  the  first  three  letters  being  joined  together  and  dis¬ 
united  from  the  next  letter,  t.  The  word  terrain,  in  line  seven 
of  the  Diaz,  is  like  the  same  word  in  line  ten  of  the  Toscanelli 
Letter,  the  t  being  lower  than  the  letters  following  and  the  same 
mark  denoting  the  omission  of  the  final  m.  When  we  come  to 
applv  the  test  of  the  individual  letters,  e,  d,  g,  and  the  like, 
we  have  an  embarrassment  of  proof.  The  reader  in  compari¬ 
sons  must  make  allowance  for  the  finer  hand  in  the  Diaz  note. 
Just  as  the  writer  was  obliged  to  narrow  his  hand  in  the  Tos¬ 
canelli  Letter  beyond  that  employed  in  the  Bank  of  St.  George 
Letter,  so  here  he  is  obliged  still  further  to  confine  his  letters, 
owing  to  the  want  of  space  afforded  by  the  margin. 

The  notes  on  the  right-hand  margin  are  important  in  this 
inquiry  of  personality.  The  writer  says  in  his  second  note: 
“  Aristotiles  inter  finem  Ispanie  et  principium  Indie  est  mare 
parvum  et  navigahile  in  paucis  diebus":  “Aristotle  declares  that 
the  sea  is  small  between  the  shores  of  Spain  and  the  beginning 
of  India  and  that  it  is  navigable  in  a  few  days.’’ 

In  his  Historie  Ferdinand  Columbus  says  of  his  father’s 
writings : 

“  I  will  tell  here  what  I  have  found  among  his  writings  upon  the  matter.” 

He  then  asserts  that  among  the  chief  inspirations  acknow- 


4S6 


Christopher  Columbus 

ledged  by  his  father  was  Aristotle,  in  the  end  of  the  second 
book  of  Hcavcti  atid  Earth,  where  he  says  that  “from  the  Indies 
one  can  pass  to  Cadiz  in  a  few  days.’’  We  believe  Ferdinand  is 
alluding  to  this  very  book  and  its  marginal  note.  If  this  note 
was  in  the  handwriting  of  his  uncle  Bartholomew,  Ferdinand 
would  not  have  accurately  quoted  it  as  taken  from  his  father’s 
writings.  It  would  have  represented  the  uncle’s  belief  in  Aristotle, 
not  the  father’s  belief.  The  second  note  below  this  is  a  short 
reference  to  a  quotation  from  Esdras: 

“Accedit  ad  hoc  auctoritas  Esdre  libro  suo  quarto  dicentis  quod  sex 
partes  terre  sunt  habitate  &  septima  est  cooperta  aquis.” 

“  Besides  this  there  is  the  authority  of  Esdras  in  his  fourth  book  saying 
that  six  parts  of  the  earth  are  habitable  and  the  seventh  part  is  covered 
with  water.” 

When  we  were  reading  the  letter  written  to  the  Sovereigns 
by  Columbus  on  the  occasion  of  the  third  voyage,  we  found  him 
indulging  in  some  quotations: 

“Aristotle  says  that  the  world  is  small  and  that  there  is  little  water  and 
that  one  may  pass  easily  from  Spain  to  the  Indies — Cardinal  Petrus  Abacus 
cites  this  in  adopting  the  opinion.” 

Again : 

“This  second  writer — ^Esdras — says  that  of  the  seven  parts  of  the  world, 
six  have  been  discovered  and  the  other  is  covered  with  water — which 
authority  is  accepted  and  approved  by  the  holy  personages  such  as  Saint 
Augustin  and  Saint  Ambroise.  .  .  .  These  saints  say  that  Esdras 

was  a  prophet  the  same  as  Zacarias,  the  father  of  St.  John  and  . 
Simon,  authorities  equally  cited  by  Francis  de  Mariones.”  ' 

It  SO  happens  that  at  the  bottom  of  this  same  page  we  find 
a  note  in  which  Franciscus  de  Meronis  is  saying: 

“  Et  Esdram  non  habuerunt  prophetam  usque  ad  salvacionis  adventum 
nisi  Zachariam  patrem  Johannis  &  Senem  Simeonem. 

'  In  the  Relation  of  the  Third  Voyage,  this  passage  immediately  follows  the 
reference  to  Aristotle’s  opinion  as  to  the  proportion  of  land  to  water  on  the  earth’s 
surface ; 

“Which  authority  is  approved  by  the  Saints,  who  authorise  the  third  and  fourth 
books  of  Esdras.  the  same  as  St.  Augustine  and  St.  Ambrose  in  his  Examenon.  where 
he  alleges:  ‘My  son  Jesus  will  come  there  and  my  son  Christ  will  die’:  and  they  say 
that  Esdras  was  a  prophet,  and  also  Zacharias,  father  of  St.  John  and  the  blessed 
Simon:  which  authorities  Francisco  de  Mayrones  also  alleges.” 


The  Handwriting — Contimted  487 

Here,  then,  on  one  and  the  same  folio  we  find  quotations  to 
which  Columbus  makes  repeated  references.  In  a  note  on  one 
of  the  margins  of  a  page  in  the  Imago  Mundi  we  read: 

“Vide  in  cartis  .13.  id  quod  ibi  annotavi  spectantibus  isto  capitulo 
quod  aqua  non  coperit  tres  quartes  terre  &  quod  omnem  marem  sit  navi- 
gabile.” 

This  is  the  language  of  one  who  considered  himself  the  sole 
annotator  of  all  the  writings  covering  the  several  pages.  It  is 
found  six  pages  farther  on  than  the  note  we  first  quoted,  and 
no  one  can  doubt  that  the  writer  expected  the  readers  to  recog¬ 
nise  all  the  annotations  as  his  own.  Is  it  conceivable  that  two 
persons  should  be  equally  interested  in  reading  on  the  same 
subject,  that  one  should  quote  the  same  kind  of  passages  in  a 
book,  and  that  the  other  should  refer  to  those  quotations  as  if 
they  were  his  own?  In  this  instance  the  three  passages  are 
found  quoted  on  the  same  folio  of  the  same  book.  If  Bartholo¬ 
mew  Columbus  made  these  annotations  we  must  believe  Chris¬ 
topher  and  he  were  equally  interested,  not  in  maritime  discov¬ 
eries  which  might  very  well  be,  but  in  the  weird  and  mysterious 
foreshadowing  of  such  discoveries  in  the  writings  of  seers  and 
prophets;  that  Bartholomew  stopped  to  jot  them  down  on  the 
margins  of  a  book  he  was  reading ;  that  Christopher  owned  this 
book  and  was  in  the  habit  of  reading  it;  that  years  afterward, 
when  the  Admiral  was  finishing  his  third  voyage,  he  quoted 
from  this  book,  mentioning  the  very  notes  in  the  order  of  tfieir 
occurrence.  Whoever  reads  the  letters  of  Columbus,  whoever 
appreciates  his  imaginative  character  and  discovers  how  re¬ 
ligious  thoughts  controlled  his  movements,  will  find  these  anno¬ 
tations  perfectly  natural  to  such  a  man.  They  appear  perfectly 
unnatural  so  far  as  they  express  the  character  of  Bartholomew 
Columbus.  It  would  seem  to  us  that  the  internal  and  ex¬ 
ternal  evidence  point  to  the  same  hand  guided  by  the  same 
mind  in  annotating  the  pages  of  the  Historia  of  Pius  II.  and  the 
Imago  Mundi  of  Cardinal  d’Ailly,  and  that  the  hand  and  mind 
were  those  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

The  reader  will  find  in  the  Raccolta  many  specimens  of  the 
annotations  contained  in  the  other  series  or  in  the  examples  of 
the  printed  books  of  Marco  Polo,  the  Natural  History  of  Pliny, 


4S8  Christopher  Columbus 

Plutarch's  Lives,  and  the  manuscript  work  called  Lihro  de  las 
Profccias.' 

We  confess  that  our  interest  in  the  annotations  does  not 
follow  beyond  those  found  in  the  Imago  Mundi  and  a  very  few 
in  the  book  of  Marco  Polo. 

The  student  should  be  grateful  to  the  enlightened  liberality 
of  the  Italian  Government  for  the  elaborate  publication  of  the 
Report  made  and  published  by  the  Minister  of  Public  Instruc¬ 
tion  on  the  handwriting  of  Columbus.  This  valuable  work  was 
issued  at  Rome  in  1892  and  1894.  A  close  study  of  the  notes 
made  upon  the  margins  of  books  and  papers  in  his  possession 
will  contribute  to  a  knowledge  of  the  Discoverer  and  reveal  to 
us  the  thoughts  of  his  heart. 

•  In  the  Appendix  the  reader  will  find  translated  portions  of  this  remarkable 
composition  of  Columbus. 


PART  VIIII 

LOS  RESTOS 


489 


CHAPTER  CXXIV 
RIGHT  OF  SEPULTURE 

Plutarch  tells  us  that  there  were  inscribed  over  the  sepul¬ 
chre  of  Cyrus  these  words: 

“O  man,  whosoever  thou  art  and  whencesoever  thou  comest, — for  come  I 
know  thou  wilt, — /  am  Cyrus  who  builded  the  Empire  of  Persia;  therefore 
erivy  me  not  this  bit  of  earth  in  which  my  body  lies.” 

Alexander  passed  that  way  and  read  the  King’s  petition. 
The  words  from  the  dead  moved  him,  and  he  caused  the  in¬ 
scription  to  be  cut  again  in  Greek  letters  below  the  Persian 
characters,  that  all  the  world  might  read  the  message. 

Cyrus  knew  that  mortal  man  would  visit  his  tomb  from 
generation  to  generation.  He  had  made  an  empire  out  of  many 
countries,  a  nation  out  of  many  tribes,  and  he  knew  he  was 
entitled  to  be  remembered.  The  place  of  sepulture  of  a  great 
man  should  be  of  interest  to  the  world.  We  approach  it  with 
reverence.  We  draw  from  it  the  lessons  of  life  and  listen  while 
it  speaks  to  us  of  our  own  mortality.  We  raise  costly  monu¬ 
ments  over  the  great  dead,  and  then  we  visit  and  re-visit  their 
shrines  to  do  homage  and  to  inspire  our  hearts.  Our  intelli¬ 
gence  tells  us  there  is  no  longer  any  connection  between  the 
body  and  the  departed  soul.  Superstition  whispers  us  the  spirit 
still  haunts  the  place  which  holds  what  was  once  its  earthly 
tabernacle.  Whatever  sentiment  may  move  us,  it  is  grievous 
to  be  told  that  the  tomb  before  which  we  stand  is  empty  of  its 
tenant,  or  is  inhabited  by  the  dust  of  an  uninvited  guest.  If 
the  literary  world  were  told  that  the  admonition  of  the  poet 
whose  bones  were  placed  beneath  the  stones  of  the  little  church 
in  Stratford-on-Avon  had  not  been  respected,  and  that  these 


49 1 


492 


Christopher  Columbus 

sacred  relics  had  been  removed  to  another  tomb,  there  would 
be  no  peace  until  the  truth  was  known.  The  scholar  and  the 
pilgrim  might  worship  the  poet’s  memory  as  well  under  a  tablet 
within  the  walls  of  Westminster  as  standing  beside  another 
tomb  in  some  country  church,  but  they  must  know  the  true 
place  of  burial  and  the  genuineness  of  the  venerated  dust. 

Where  are  the  remains  of  Columbus,  the  Discoverer  of  a  New 
World?  If  in  Seville,  we  can  do  him  honour  in  Seville  and  make 
pious  pilgrimages  to  that  Spanish  city.  If  the  tomb  in  that 
city  covers  the  ashes  of  some  unknown  dead,  and  if  another 
sepulchre  holds  the  true  remains,  there  can  be  no  peace  until 
testimony  be  taken  in  the  court  of  historical  inquiry  and  judg¬ 
ment  rendered  on  fact  and  on  presumption.  If  the  traveller 
indulges  in  sentiment  before  the  tomb  in  Seville  when  the  verit¬ 
able  remains  of  Columbus  lie  in  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Domingo, 
he  performs  a  solemn  farce.  If  we  say  words  of  veneration 
before  the  high  altar  of  the  St.  Domingo  Cathedral  when  the 
true  dust  of  the  Discoverer  sleeps  in  a  Spanish  city,  our  speak¬ 
ing  is  mockery.  To  some  minds  an  inquiry  concerning  the  last 
resting-place  of  the  remains  of  Columbus  will  be  a  sleeveless 
errand  and  the  settlement  of  the  truth  of  meagre  moment. 

While  human  nature  yields  to  sentiment  and  fancy,  while 
the  living  who  are  yet  alive  remember  the  dead  who  are  already 
dead,  while  a  dutiful  observance  is  to  be  discharged  with  form 
and  ceremony,  while  sculptured  stone  transmits  to  posterity  the 
memory  of  a  man  who  was  good  and  of  a  deed  which  was  great, 
so  long  will  the  world  hold  it  a  pious  purpose  to  establish  with 
certainty  the  place  where  rest  the  ashes  of  Columbus. 


CHAPTER  CXXV 


THIRDS,  EIGHTHS,  AND  TENTHS 

When  Columbus  returned  from  his  fourth  and  last  voyage 
in  the  fall  of  1504,  he  came  to  Spain  a  broken  and  disappointed 
man.  His  thirds  in  the  partnership  met  with  no  acknowledg¬ 
ment.  His  eighths  and  tenths  remained  unpaid.  The  dying 
Isabella  could  not  hear  him  ask  for  his  rights.  His  honours 
were  not  confirmed.  His  purse  was  the  wallet  of  the  poor  com¬ 
moner  rather  than  the  full  bag  of  a  part  owner  of  the  Xew 
World.  Another  administered  the  office  which  should  have 
been  his.  An  ungrateful  King  held  back  from  him  his  share  of 
revenues  which  another  Governor,  Nicolas  de  Ovando,  was  send¬ 
ing  home  from  Espanola.  He  was  an  Admiral  without  a  caravel, 
a  prince  without  a  principality,  the  partner  of  a  King  without 
power  to  touch  a  maravedi  of  kingly  profits.  From  a  deserving 
pensioner  he  became  an  unwelcome  creditor.  As  the  Court  was 
moving  northward,  the  King  promised  him  rewards  when  they 
were  returned  to  Andalusia.  The  treasury  would  open  at  Cor¬ 
dova.  Recompense  would  be  paid  in  Castile,  not  in  Aragon. 

When  the  Admiral  landed  at  San  Lucar  on  the  seventh  of 
November,  1504,  he  made  his  way  to  Seville,  and  perhaps  for  a 
time  took  up  his  abode  with  the  monks  of  the  Carthusian  order, 
whose  monastery  was  near  that  city.  We  think  he  then  must 
have  had  a  house  '  and  a  home  of  his  own,  for  his  state  was  such 
as  indicated  a  person  of  consequence.  He  had  servants  and  mes¬ 
sengers,  stewards  and  agents.  While  in  Seville  an  infirmity — 
the  gout,  which  long  had  troubled  him — took  hold  upon  him 
with  increased  sharpness,  and  in  a  letter  dated  in  that  city  on 
the  twenty-first  day  of  November,  1504,  written  to  his  son 

'Certainly  in  January,  1502,  the  Admiral  had  his  own  house  in  the  Parish  of 
St.  Mary  in  Seville. 


493 


494 


Christopher  Columbus 

Diego,  who  was  then  with  the  Court  at  Medina  del  Campo,  the 
Admiral  fears  to  undertake  the  journey  thither  lest  the  cold 
should  aggravate  his  disease.  On  Monday,  the  first  day  of 
December,  1504,  he  writes  to  Diego  that  he  desires  him  to  speak 
to  the  King — he  really  says  “their  Majesties,’’  showing  that  at 
this  date,  five  days  after  her  death,  he  had  not  heard  of  the 
fatal  result  of  Isabella’s  illness — of  his  malady,  and  to  tell  him 
how  impossible  it  was  for  him  to  go  to  Court  and  kiss  his  royal 
hands.  In  this  same  letter  he  declares  that  his  infirmity  will 
not  permit  him  to  write  during  the  day,  when  he  has  no  control 
over  his  hands,  but  such  writing  as  he  does  himself  is  aeeom- 
plished  in  the  hours  of  the  night.  The  next  day  he  sends  to  the 
Court  his  brother  Bartholomew,  known  in  the  history  of  the 
New  World  as  the  Adelantado,"  and  Diego’s  younger  brother 
Ferdinand,  the  illegitimate  son  of  Columbus  by  Beatriz  En¬ 
riquez.  It  is  important  for  the  Admiral  to  have  faithful  friends 
at  Court,  and  thus  he  is  left  alone  in  Seville.  He  constantly 
hopes  to  be  able  to  travel,  and  has  a  litter  prepared  and  ready 
to  set  out,  but  his  gout  and  the  cold  which  aggravates  it  eounsel 
him  to  remain  in  Seville. 

It  has  been  customary  to  describe  Columbus  at  this  time  as 
in  something  approaching  actual  want.  This  is  not  so.  There 
is  a  vast  difference  between  that  poverty  which  does  not  admit 
of  keeping  up  the  appearance  of  a  princely  estate  or  even  of 
maintaining  a  respectable  establishment,  and  that  degree  of 
poverty  whieh  makes  shelter  and  food  doubtful  and  perplexing. 
In  his  letter  to  Diego,  written  on  Friday,  December  13,  1504, 
the  Admiral  tells  him  that  Ferdinand  carries  with  him  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  ducats,  a  part  of  which  will  be  for  him,  and,  more¬ 
over,  he  carries  a  letter  of  credit  upon  some  merchants.  “  Make 
sparing  use  of  this  money,”  he  writes,  “for  I  have  aceumulated 
in  the  Indies  only  four  thousand  Castellanos  instead  of  the  eleven 
or  twelve  thousand  with  which  the  world  credits  me.  ”  Farther 

^  The  King  and  Queen  created  Bartholomew  Columbus  Adelantado  of  the  Indies 
by  a  Royal  patent  dated  from  the  Court,  then  in  the  town  of  Medina  del  Campo,  July 
22,  1497,  thus  confirming  the  appointment  made  by  Columbus  on  the  second  voyage, 
and  which  he  was  fully  empowered  to  make  according  to  his  Privileges.  This  office, 
described  by  Salazar  de  Mendopa  in  his  Origen  de  las  Dignidades  printed  at  Toledo  in 
1618,  is  equivalent  to  a  President  or  Chief  Justice  of  the  Kingdom  in  time  of  peace 
and  to  a  Captain-General  in  time  of  war,  Harrisse  regards  the  position  as  correspond¬ 
ing  to  the  ancient  office  of  Grand  Seneschal  in  France. 


495 


Thirds,  Eighths,  and  Tenths 

on  in  the  same  letter  he  says;  “I  send  thee  with  this  another 
letter  of  credit  upon  some  merchants.  I  have  already  told  thee 
the  motives  which  exist  for  moderating  thine  expenses;  have 
for  thine  uncle  great  respect  and  act  towards  thy  brother  as  an 
elder  should  towards  the  younger;  thou  hast  no  other  and, 
thank  God,  he  is  such  a  one  as  thou  canst  desire;  he  is  born 
with  a  good  disposition,  which  he  happily  is  inclined  to  culti¬ 
vate.”  Again,  in  the  same  letter,  he  says:  ‘‘If  Agostin,  the 
Italian,  and  Frangois  de  Grimaldo,  are  not  willing  to  give  thee 
such  money  as  thou  needest,  find  out  others  who  will  give  it 
thee.  When  I  receive  thy  notes,  when  I  see  thy  signature,  I 
will  on  sight  pay  whatever  thou  hast  received,  because  I  have 
no  one  here  at  present  by  whom  I  can  remit  any  specie  to  thee.” 
This  is  certainly  not  the  language  of  one  without  resources. 
Moreover,  when  he  executed  verbally  his  confirmation  of  his 
Will  the  day  before  his  death,  seven  of  his  servants  were  wit¬ 
nesses  to  his  act.  Such  a  household  does  not  suggest  domestic 
poverty.' 

In  the  presence  of  the  King  asking  for  his  rights,  demand¬ 
ing  that  their  co-partnership  papers  be  acknowledged  and  the 
specifications  be  fulfilled,  Columbus  is  a  beggar.  At  Seville, 
with  his  family  representatives  gone  to  Court  in  his  interests, 

'  It  is  true  that  in  a  letter  intrusted  to  Diego  Mendez  addressed  to  their  Majesties 
dated  from  the  Indies,  in  the  island  of  Jamaica,  July  7,  1503,  written,  he  himself  says, 
while  in  the  island  of  Dominica,  the  Admiral  complains:  “Twenty  years  of  service  in 
the  midst  of  fatigues  and  of  perilous  work  have  profited  me  nothing,  so  that  to-day  I 
do  not  possess  in  Castile  a  roof  to  cover  my  head  [no  tengo  cn  Castile  una  teja];  if  I 
wish  to  eat  or  rest  myself,  I  may  do  so  at  a  tavern  and  for  the  most  part  this  resource 
is  denied  me  because  I  have  not  the  wherewithal  to  pay  my  bill.”  In  1502,  the  year 
before,  he  certainly  possessed  a  house  in  Seville  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary.  Again  in  the 
same  letter  he  says:  “  I  have  not  even  a  small  bit  of  money  to  contribute  to  an  offer¬ 
tory.”  The  original  Spanish  of  this  letter  cannot  be  found.  Early  reference  to  a  simi¬ 
lar  letter  is  noticed  in  Ferdinand  Columbus’s  Historie;  or,  Life  of  his  Father,  where  the 
son  states  that  Columbus  sent  the  letter  to  their  Catholic  Majesties,  by  the  hand  of 
Diego  Mendez.  In  the  French  edition  of  the  Historie  no  mention  is  made  of  this  letter, 
but  only  of  one  written  by  Diego  Mendez  himself,  to  the  King  and  Queen.  Monsieur 
Bossi  says  that  this  letter  was  translated  by  Constanzo  Bayuera  de  Brescia  and 
printed  in  Venice  in  1505,  which  is  saying  it  is  our  Lettera.  A  copy  exists  in  the  Royal 
Library  at  Madrid,  but  it  does  not  pretend  to  have  been  made  directly  from  the 
original.  The  genuineness  of  this  letter,  as  the  reader  has  seen,  is  a  matter  of  import¬ 
ance  to  our  inquiry,  for  it  contains  the  only  reference  to  a  wound  which  it  has  been 
asserted  Columbus  received  in  battle  as  a  young  man,  certainly  before  he  entered 
the  service  of  Spain.  It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  Columbus  wrote  this  letter  as  it 
has  come  down  to  us.  In  one  place  the  Spanish  text  reads:  “Los  que  fu4ron  con  el 
Almirante”:  “Those  who  went  with  the  Admiral.”  Would  Columbus  have  thus 
spoken  in  the  third  person  if  he  himself  had  written  this  passage  ? 


496  Christopher  Columbus 

he  is  a  capitalist.  We  hear  the  jingle  of  golden  ducats  in  his 
wallet,  and  his  credit  seems  good  among  Italian  and  French 
merchants,  as  well  as  with  the  money-lenders  of  Spain.  It  was 
well  known  that  the  Admiral  had  claims  on  the  King  and  Queen, 
and  that  the  Indies  which  he  had  discovered  were  expected  to 
furnish  him  with  a  royal  income.  The  merchants  of  Seville 
knew  that  he  had  himself  advanced  some  twelve  thousand  Cas¬ 
tellanos  for  the  expenses  and  wages  of  the  men  who  were  with 
him  on  his  last  voyage,  some  of  whom  he  had  sent  on  to  the 
Court.  This  money  under  any  circumstances  would  soon  be 
returned  him,  so  the  credit  of  the  Admiral  with  the  bankers 
was  founded  on  substantial  grounds.  One  of  these  letters  of 
credit,  we  learn  from  his  letter  to  Diego  dated  December  29, 
1505,  was  made  by  Francois  de  Ribarol  and  the  other  by  Fran¬ 
cois  Doria.  They  were  addressed  to  a  merchant  or  banker  by 
the  name  of  Pantaleon,  and  to  Agostin,  an  Italian.  Probably 
these  bankers  followed  the  Court  from  place  to  place,  adminis¬ 
tering  to  the  financial  necessities  of  the  courtiers  and  attend¬ 
ants,  and  perhaps  of  Royalty  itself. 

On  the  twenty-first  day  of  December,  1504,  we  find  the 
Admiral  again  bewailing  his  inability  to  move,  and  expressing 
his  strong  purpose  to  set  out  after  January.  To  that  end,  and 
because  of  the  condition  of  the  roads,  he  asks  Diego  to  obtain 
for  him  permission  to  ride  a  mule.  The  use  of  the  mule,  so 
gentle  of  movement,  so  sure  and  smooth  of  foot,  once  diminished 
the  number  of  horses  in  Spain  to  such  a  point  that  Alfonso  XT, 
King  of  Castile  and  Leon,  issued  an  edict  forbidding  any  one  to 
travel  upon  a  mule.  Later  this  was  modified,  and  certain  clergy 
and  grandees  were  permitted  to  make  use  of  mules  in  travelling. 
In  the  year  1494  it  was  so  difficult  to  obtain  horses  for  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  army  that  King  Ferdinand  forbade  the  use  of  mules 
to  all  except  officers  of  the  Church.  Hence  it  was  no  small  thing 
the  Admiral  asked,  but  the  order  shows  it  was  cheerfully  granted.’ 

In  all  the  letters  written  to  Diego,  his  son,  and  to  this  day 
preserved  in  the  private  archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua,  the 
Admiral  shows  extreme  anxiety  as  to  the  intentions  of  the  King 
towards  him  in  the  matter  of  confirming  to  him  his  rights.  He 
counsels  Diego  to  make  every  effort  to  secure  these  rights  at 


‘  This  cedilla  we  have  already  given  in  full  on  p.  272  of  our  first  volume. 


497 


Thirds,  Eighths,  and  Tenths 

once.  In  a  post-scriptum  in  his  own  hand  attached  to  the  letter 
of  December  29,  1504,  he  says: 

“I  repeat  that  if  you  wish  to  hurry  our  affairs  you  must  produce  the 
letter  their  Majesties  wrote  me  when  I  departed  and  in  which  they  said 
they  would  put  me  in  possession ;  it  is  necessary  next  to  show  that  which 
is  written  in  the  Book  of  Privileges  and  which  proves  according  to  every 
form  of  reason  and  justice  that  the  third,  the  eighth  and  the  tenth  belong 
to  me.  There  will  be  always  time  to  yield  a  rebate.” 

The  passage  to  which  the  Admiral  refers  occurs  in  the  letter 
written  him  by  the  Sovereigns  from  Valence  de  la  Torre,  March 
14,  1502,  nearly  two  months  before  he  set  sail  from  Cadiz  on 
his  fourth  voyage,  and  is  as  follows: 

‘‘The  favours  we  have  accorded  you  will  be  maintained  in  their  en¬ 
tirety  according  to  the  form  and  tenor  of  the  Privileges  which  we  have 
given  you  without  change  in  the  least  particular,  and  you  and  your  sons 
will  enjoy  them,  as  it  ought  to  be.  If  it  were  necessary  to  confirm  them 
anew,  we  would  so  confirm  them  and  we  would  put  your  son  in  possession 
of  all  the  things  that  have  been  accorded  you,  and  our  sincere  wish  is  to 
honour  you  still  more  and  to  accord  you  new  recompenses.” 

VOL.  in. — 32. 


CHAPTER  CXXVI 


A  USE  FOR  GOLD 

A  MAN  may  have  his  own.  A  contract  must  be  mutually 
binding  on  its  parties.  When  Columbus  discovered  the  islands 
hitherto  unknown  he  became  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea  and,  as 
he  interpreted  his  rights,  entitled  to  his  thirds.  Whenever  he  fur¬ 
nished  his  eighth  part  of  an  enterprise,  he  was  to  have  an  eighth 
of  the  returns.  When  there  was  a  division  of  gold  and  silver 
and  precious  stones,  or  of  profits  and  gains  of  any  kind,  he  was 
to  receive  his  tenths.  Might  not  the  creditor  ask  for  his  due? 
Did  not  the  Sovereigns  possess  the  Indies, — the  Indies  he  found 
for  them?  Was  one  portion  of  the  partnership  to  receive  profit 
and  the  other  go  unrecognised?  Were  the  two  thirds  belonging 
to  the  Sovereigns  to  draw  dividends  and  no  accounting  be  given 
the  one  third  belonging  to  the  Admiral?  Were  the  seven 
eighths  adventured  by  the  Sovereigns  to  be  returned  with  gains 
and  the  one  eighth  risked  by  Columbus  to  go  unsatisfied?  Were 
the  nine  tenths  of  profits  due  the  Sovereigns  so  sacred  that  they 
must  deprive  their  poorer  partner  of  his  one  tenth?  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus,  the  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea,  demanded  his 
share  of  the  wealth  of  the  New  World.  For  what  purpose  did 
he  want  it? 

The  Columbian  shield  presents  two  metals  to  the  observer, 
according  as  he  approaches  its  shining  sides.  We  can  under¬ 
stand  a  sincere  critic,  beholding  the  Admiral  at  the  end  of  his 
life  as  obstinate  in  claiming  his  thirds,  his  eighths,  his  tenths  as 
he  was  formerly  pertinacious  in  presenting  his  first  projects  to 
the  Sovereigns,  calling  him  a  sordid  creature,  reaping  to  the 
last  blade  all  he  ever  sowed,  illiberal,  mercenary,  covetous.  He 
is  old,  but  greedy.  He  is  infirm,  but  rapacious.  He  wears  a 

4g8 


A  Use  for  Gold 


499 


Franciscan  cord,  but  his  thoughts  are  on  gold  and  honours. 
The  critic  hears  him  utter  a  sentiment  which,  even  if  true, 
ought  not  to  be  confessed  without  qualifying  words: 

“Lo  oro  e  metalle  fopra  gli  altri  excellentiffimo :  &  del  oro  fi  fanno  li 
thefori ;  &  chi  lo  tiene  fa ;  &  opera  quanto  vuole  in  el  mundo :  &  finalmete 
azonze  a  madare  le  anime  al  paradifo.” 

“Gold  is  a  metal  most  excellent  above  all  others  and  of  gold  treasures 
are  formed,  and  he  who  has  it  makes  and  accomplishes  whatever  he  wishes 
in  the  world  and  finally  uses  it  to  send  souls  into  Paradise.” 

Here  is  a  qualification  in  the  last  few  words.  We  commend 
a  tenacious  purpose,  yet  if  the  end  is  selfishness  the  man  is  not 
a  hero,  but  the  doer  of  mean  things.  If  the  conscientious  critic 
will  observe  the  shield  from  another  point,  it  may  assume  a 
different  aspect. 

In  the  Majorat,  established  February  22,  1498,  Columbus 
provided  for  a  temporary  repository  and  for  the  ultimate  des¬ 
tination  of  his  money; 

“Because  it  becomes  every  man  of  rank  and  income  to  serve  God,  and 
for  the  benefit  of  his  honour  that  it  may  be  perceived  that  it  is  by  himself 
and  by  means  of  his  fortune;  and  as  any  money  whatever  yonder  in  St. 
George  is  very  secure  and  Genoa  is  a  noble  and  powerful  city  by  the  Sea: 
and  because  at  the  time  I  started  to  go  and  discover  the  Indies  it  was  with 
the  intention  of  supplicating  the  King  and  Queen,  our  Sovereigns,  that  the 
revenue  which  their  Highnesses  might  have  in  the  Indies  they  shojdd 
determine  to  spend  in  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem;  and  in  this  manner  I  sup¬ 
plicated  it,  and  if  they  do  it,  it  will  be  a  good  design;  and  if  not,  that  it 
may  yet  be  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  the  person  who  inherits  in  this  purpose 
to  collect  the  said  money  in  order  to  go  with  the  King,  our  Lord,  if  it  should 
be,  to  Jerusalem  to  reconquer  it;  or  to  go  alone  with  the  greatest  force  that 
he  has,  that  it  will  please  our  Lord  if  he  has  and  shall  have  the  intention,  to 
give  him  such  aid  that  he  will  be  able  to  do  it  and  may  do  it;  and  if  he 
shall  not  have  money  to  conquer  all,  that  he  will  give  him  at  least  enough 
for  a  part  of  it ;  therefore  let  him  collect  and  create  a  fund  out  of  his  treas¬ 
ure  in  the  Bank  of  St.  George  in  Genoa,  and  let  it  there  multiply  until  he 
has  a  sufficient  quantity  so  that  it  may  appear  to  him  and  he  may  know, 
that  he  will  be  able  to  do  some  good  work  in  this  matter  of  Jerusalem; 
because  I  believe  that  after  the  King  and  Queen,  our  Sovereigns,  and  their 
successors,  shall  see  that  he  is  determined  in  this,  their  Highnesses  will  be 
moved  to  do  it  themselves,  and  will  give  him  aid  and  comfort  as  to  a  ser¬ 
vant  and  vassal,  who  will  do  it  in  their  name.” 

If  we  may  believe  the  Majorat,  the  discovery  of  the  Indies 


500 


Christopher  Columbus 

was  a  part  of  a  general  scheme,  the  full  consummation  of  which 
was  to  be  found  in  a  regained  Jerusalem.  To  this  object  the 
Spanish  Sovereigns  w'ere  pledged,  and  to  its  accomplishment 
Columbus  dedicated  his  fortune  and  the  services  of  his  heirs. 

In  his  famous  Lcttcra  we  found  the  old  Admiral  on  the 
shores  of  Jamaica  suffering  from  bodily  disease,  his  faculties 
impaired,  fatigued  by  misfortunes  on  land  and  assailed  by  un¬ 
friendly  wmters,  grieving  over  the  quarrels  of  his  men,  mindful 
of  the  ingratitude  of  Kings,  and  at  times  doubtful  of  the  future. 
But  he  hears  a  voice  speaking  to  him  as  he  lies  overcome  by 
feebleness,  sorrow,  and  disappointment,  chiding  him  for  his 
■want  of  faith,  and  telling  him  that  the  future  holds  for  him  yet 
other  duties,  other  purposes,  and  other  fulfilments:  “Tu  viejes 
no  impedira  a  toda  cosa  grande  ” :  “  Thine  old  age  shall  not  hinder 
thee  from  accomplishing  other  great  things.  ”  What  other  great 
things  did  this  dreamer  contemplate  in  his  old  age?  In  the 
same  letter  we  see  his  ambitions,  strong  and  burning,  and  we 
recognise  them  as  those  consistent  with  his  earlier  purposes,  and 
as  familiar  to  his  eyes  from  his  youth,  when  first  he  began  to 
consider  himself  a  chosen  vehicle  for  bearing  to  a  successful  issue 
the  high  designs  of  Providence.  Truly,  gold  is  excellent.  What 
other  great  man  once  sought  gold,  much  refined  gold,  and  used 
it  for  a  high  design  ?  David — David  the  shepherd  lad — raised  to 
be  King  of  the  Jews.'  He  sought  gold  and,  not  suffered  to 
carry  out  his  purpose  himself,  he  bequeathed  to  his  son  Solo¬ 
mon  a  hundred  thousand  talents  of  gold  and  a  million  talents 
of  silver  and  brass  and  iron  and  wood,  to  build  a  temple  fit  for 
the  Lord  of  Hosts,  who  hitherto  had  gone  about  homeless  from 
tent  to  tent  and  from  tabernacle  to  tabernacle.  Thus  spake  the 
impressionable  Columbus  after  reading  the  book  of  the  Chron¬ 
icles  and  the  Prophecies  of  Ezra: 

“  Hierulaleme  &  el  monte  Sion  como  fi  fcrive  ha  de  effere  reedificato 

^  In  the  famous  letter  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George — See  No.  XVIIII.,  in  “The 
Handwriting  of  Columbus  ” — Christopher  Columbus  likens  himself  to  David  and  says: 

“Nfo  S°'  me  ha  feeho  la  ma3'’or  merced  q  des  pues  de  dabid”:  “Our  Lord  has 
done  me  the  greatest  favour  since  the  favour  He  did  David.” 

The  Holy  Writings  generally  present  their  heroes  as  selected  by  Providence  from 
their  cradle  and  intended  for  the  work  finally  confided  to  their  hands.  Running 
through  Plutarch’s  Lives,  the  same  choosing  by  the  gods  of  human  agents  is  revealed. 
These  two  books  were  much  read  by  Columbus  and  fed  his  imagination  with  thoughts 
of  Divine  employment. 


A  Use  for  Gold 


501 


p  mano  di  chriftiano:  chi  ha  de  effere  quefto?  Dio  per  bocca  del  pro- 
pheta  nel  decimo  quarto  pfalmo  culTi  lo  dice.  Lo  abbate  Joachin  diffe  che 
quefta  perfona  haueua  de  effere  di  Spagna.  Sancto  Hieronymo  a  quella 
fancta  dona  gli  moftro  el  caniino  per  douerlo  fare.  Lo  imperatore  del 
Cataio:  za  molti  zoriii  domado:  &  fece  gran  cofa  p  hauere  homini  intelli- 
genti  gli  infegnaffino  in  la  fede  di  chrifto.  Chi  fera  colui  fe  li  offerifcha  ad 
farceli  hauere.^  Se  idio  mi  porta  cu  bene  a  Spagna  io  prometto  a  U.M.  & 
mi  obligo  cbdurcelo  io  cu  lo  aiuto  di  dio  fani  &  falui :  &  cuffi  lo  metero  in 
opera  como  lo  dico.” 

“Jerusalem  and  Mt.  Zion,  as  it  is  written,  must  be  rebuilt  by  Christian 
hands.  Who  shall  do  this?  God  by  the  mouth  of  the  Prophet  says  so  in 
the  14th  Psalm.  The  Abbot  Joachim  said  that  this  person  was  to  be  from 
Spain.  St.  Jerome  showed  to  that  holy  woman  the  way  to  accomplish 
this.  The  Emperor  of  Cathay  '  a  long  time  since,  asked  and  did  great 
things  to  secure  intelligent  men  who  might  instruct  him  in  the  faith  of 
Christ.  Who  shall  be  that  one  to  offer  himself  to  procure  this  for  him?  If 
God  brings  me  safe  to  Spain  I  promise  to  your  Majesties  and  obligate  my¬ 
self  to  conduct  him  thither  with  the  aid  of  God  in  health  and  safety.* 
And  so  will  I  put  into  work  that  which  I  speak.’’ 

The  gold  of  Espahola  was  to  rebuild  the  Temple  at  Jeru¬ 
salem.  The  wealth  of  the  Indies  was  to  rescue  the  Holy  Sepul¬ 
chre  from  the  hand  of  the  Moslem.  This  was  why  gold,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Admiral,  was  an  excellent  thing.  But,  as  David, 
who  found  and  gathered  gold,  was  not  himself  permitted  to 
build  the  Temple,  the  task  being  confided  to  his  son  and  de¬ 
scendants,  so  Christopher  Columbus,  suspecting  that,  perhaps, 
after  all,  he  might  not  behold  with  his  own  eyes  the  recovery 
of  the  Sepulchre,  instituted  the  Majorat  and  confided  to  his 

'  The  reader’s  attention  is  particularly  directed  to  this  passage,  as  it  is  a  further 
proof  that  the  celebrated  letter  of  Toscanelli  is  genuine.  The  critics  have  objected 
that  in  no  place  has  Columbus  made  reference  to  Toscanelli’s  letter.  We  have  shown 
in  our  introduction  to  the  “  Journal  of  the  First  Voyage,”  that  Columbus  quotes  almost 
verbatim  from  Toscanelli’s  letter.  Here  we  find  him  referring  to  that  passage  in 
Toscanelli’s  letter  where  he  describes  the  application  to  Pope  Eugenius  for  teachers 
learned  in  the  faith  to  instruct  the  Great  Khan  and  his  people. 

*  The  last  part  of  this  passage  may  be  read  to  mean  that  by  carrying  wise  men, 
missionaries,  to  E.spanola  and  the  Indies,  he  will  have  accomplished  the  mission. 
We  do  not  so  read  this  passage.  The  missionaries  were  to  go  where  they  had  not  yet 
gone,  to  Cathay,  the  real  Indies,  not  Espanola  and  the  Western  Indies,  for  already  in 
1502  in  his  Book  of  Privileges  the  new  lands  were  spoken  of  as  the  West  Indies, — a 
fact  not  generally  known  and  to  which  we  have  called  attention  in  this  Work.  The 
cries  which  had  gone  out  to  Eugenius  were  to  be  answered  by  the  efforts  of  Columbus, 
and  the  Great  Khan  and  his  subjects  were  to  be  instructed  in  the  things  of  God. 

This  promise  could  not  be  directed  to  sending  priests  or  missionaries  to  Espanola, 
for  they  had  been  going  thither  for  years,  since  the  return  there  of  Columbus  on  his 
second  voyage. 


502 


Christopher  Columbus 

heirs  the  gathering  of  the  utmost  farthing  due  him  by  his  com¬ 
pact  with  the  Sovereigns  of  Spain.  His  honours,  his  rights,  his 
privileges,  were  all  part  of  the  great  general  plan,  and  through 
them  were  to  roll  into  the  Columbian  treasury  the  excellent  yel¬ 
low  and  white  mone}^  the  hundred  thousand  talents  of  gold  and 
the  million  talents  of  silver,  the  brass  and  iron  and  wood  with 
which  his  visionary  soul  beheld  the  Temple  rebuilded  and  the 
Hol}^  IMount  regained.  The  latter  days  of  Columbus,  then,  were 
not  days  of  selfish  longing  for  gold  and  silver  for  themselves,  or 
for  the  pleasure  of  buying  with  them  the  desires  of  earth.  He 
entertained  a  good,  but  wild,  purpose  and  urged  its  fulfilment 
on  his  son  and  heirs.  The  avowal  of  this  purpose  may  not 
.of  itself  admit  Columbus  to  sainthood,  but  we  submit  that  it 
does  remove  from  him  the  charge  of  sordidness  which  some 
writers  attribute  to  him. 


CHAPTER  CXXVII 


THE  DEATH  OF  COLUMBUS 

Christopher  Columbus  died  in  the  city  of  Valladolid  on  the 
Feast  of  the  Ascension,  the  twentieth  day  of  May,  in  the  year 
1506.  Valladolid  was  once  an  important  capital.  Within  its 
walls  the  Spanish  Cortes  held  many  sittings.  When  Isabella  of 
Castile,  the  heir  of  her  brother,  was  persecuted  by  him  because 
of  the  proposed  alliance  with  the  House  of  Aragon,  she  fled  to 
Valladolid,  establishing  there  so  much  of  a  Court  as  the  situa¬ 
tion  permitted.  Here  Ferdinand  of  Aragon  made  his  way 
through  many  dangers,  travelling  part  of  the  journey  from  his 
father’s  kingdom  in  the  disguise  of  a  lackey.  The  alliance, 
which  had  appealed  to  Isabella  from  political  reasons,  now 
seemed  more  desirable  from  the  manly  beauty  and  attractive 
personality  of  the  young  prince,  and  here,  on  October  ig  in  the 
year  1469,  the  two  heirs  to  their  respective  kingdoms  had  their 
nuptials  solemnised  in  public  celebration.  Here,  too,  eight  and 
fifty  years  afterwards,  their  great-grandson,  Philip  the  Second 
of  Spain,  was  born.  Cervantes  lived  in  ^^alladolid  for  three 
years  early  in  the  seventeenth  centurv.  The  house  in  which  he 
spent  the  years  from  1603  to  1606  is  still  pointed  out  to  travel¬ 
lers,  but  one  sees  it  in  a  state  of  decay. 

In  a  short  and  unimportant  street  running  from  the  church 
of  La  Magdalena,  erected  in  1570,  to  the  larger  thoroughfare, 
Calle  de  Francos,  is  the  house  in  which  Columbus  died.  Like 
the  house  of  Cervantes,  it  is  in  a  somewhat  dilapidated  condi¬ 
tion,  but  an  inscription  notifies  the  visitor  that  it  is  the  Casa  de 
Colon,  and  the  street  itself  is  called  Calle  de  Cristobal  Colon. 

It  is  a  strange  commentary  on  man’s  forgetfulness  of  his 
fellow  that  Christopher  Columbus,  who  had  filled  so  large  a 


503 


504  Christopher  Columbus 

].4ace  in  the  world  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century,  should 
die  and  be  buried  without  any  unusual  expression  of  public 
sorrow  and  with  no  mention  of  his  end  by  historian  or  chro- 
nologer.  Peter  Martyr  was  in  \^alladolid  a  few  days  before 
Columbus  died,  and  again  shortly  after  that  event,  and  yet  he 
makes  no  reference  whatsoever  to  the  death  of  this  great  man. 
That  his  pen  was  not  idle  may  be  seen  from  his  letters. 

He  wrote  a  letter  (No.  ccxciiii.)  to  Count  de  Tendilla  from 
Salamanca,  dated  tertio  nonas  Jan.  M.D.VI.  (January  3). 

Letter  ccxcv.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  ex  Valleoleti,  quarto  idus  Februarii,  M.D.VI,  Valla¬ 
dolid,  February  10,  1506. 

Letter  No.  ccxcvi.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  Valleoleti.  XVI.  Kalendas  Martii.  M.D.VI,  Valla¬ 
dolid,  February  14,  1506. 

Letter  No.  ccxcvii.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  ex  Valleoleti.  quinto  Kalendas  Martii.  M.D.VI. 
Valladolid,  February  25,  1506. 

Letter  No.  ccxcviii.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Gra¬ 
nada,  and  is  dated  ex  Valleoleti.  in  Kalendas  Martii.  M.D.VI, 
Valladolid,  March  i,  1506. 

Letter  No.  ccxcix.  is  addressed  to  the  Count  de  Tendilla, 
and  is  dated  ex  Valleoleti.  pridie  nonas  Aprilis.  M.D.VI,  Valla¬ 
dolid,  April  4,  1506. 

Letter  No.  ccc.  is  addressed  to  Count  de  Tendilla,  and  is 
dated  Valleoleti,  sexto  Kaledas  Maii,  M.D.VI.  Valladolid, 
April  26,  1506. 

Letter  No.  ccci.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  legioni,  quam  dicitis  Hifpani  Leon,  nonis  Maii, 
M.D.VI,  Leon,  May  7,  1506. 

Letter  No.  cccii.  is  addressed  to  the  Licentiate  de  Frias, 
legioni  in  nonis  Maii,  M.D.VI,  Leon,  May  7,  1506. 

Letter  No.  ccciii.  is  also  dated  from  Leon  the  same  day  as 
the  preceding,  and  is  addressed  to  the  Count  de  Tendilla. 

Letter  No.  ccciiii.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  Ex  Ajturica  idus  Maii,  M.D.VI,  Astorga,  May  15, 
1506. 

Letter  No.  cccv.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  ex  oppido  Clunio,  pridie  Kalendas  Junii,  M.D.VI, 
Corunna,  May  31,  1506. 


House  at  \'alladolid  in  which  Christopher  Columbus  Died. 


The  Death  of  Columbus 


505 


Letter  No.  cccvi.  is  addressed  to  the  Treasurer  Ludovicus  St. 
Regis,  and  is  dated  ex  oppido  Clunio  pridie  Kalendas  Junii. 
M.D.VI.  Corunna,  May  31,  1506. 

Letter  No.  cccvii.  is  addressed  to  the  Arehbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  ex  Villafafila  XII.  Kalendas  Julii.  M.D.VI.  Villa- 
fasila  (near  Santiago  de  Campostella) ,  June  20,  1506. 

Letter  No.  cccviii.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Gra¬ 
nada,  and  is  dated  ex  Valleoleti,  pridie  Kalendas  Julii.  M.D.VI. 
Valladolid,  June  30,  1506. 

Letter  No.  cccix.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  ex  Valleoleti  .  .  .  nonis  Julii  M.D.VI,  Valladolid, 
July  7,  1506. 

Letter  No.  cccx.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  Ex  Valleoleti  feptimo  idus  Julii,  M.D.VI,  Valla¬ 
dolid,  July  9,  1506. 

Letter  No.  cccxi.  is  addressed  to  the  Archbishop  of  Granada, 
and  is  dated  Burgos,  septimo  idus  Septembris,  M.D.VI.  Burgos, 
September  7,  1506. 

Thus  we  see  Peter  Martyr  was  in  the  city  of  \^alladolid  from 
February  10  to  April  26,  1506,  and  that,  while  he  made  a  short 
excursion  to  the  coast,  he  returned  there  by  June  30,  1506, 
when  the  Admiral  had  been  dead  and  buried  nearly  six  weeks. 
If,  upon  his  return  to  Valladolid,  he  had  communicated  the 
news  of  the  Admiral’s  death,  it  surely  would  have  been  to 
either  the  Archljishop  of  Granada  or  to  his  early  patron,  the 
Count  de  Tendilla,  The  fact  that  he  knew  the  Admiral  was 
dead  is  revealed  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  Second  Decade,  pub¬ 
lished  at  xVcala  in  1516: 

“  In  decadis  noftrae  oceaneee  narratione;  qu£e  me  inconfulto  per  chrif- 
tianum  orbem  impreffa  uagatur:  chriftophorum  colonum  lygurem  eas  in- 
fulas:  quarum  meminimus  reperiffe;  lasuacj?  de  hinc  uerfum  ad  meridiem 
in  uaftas  terrarum  pelagicp  regiones  ah  aequinoctiali  linea  a  quinto  ad 
decimum  gradum  tantum  difcedentes  incidiffe  defcripfimus:  ubi  lata 
flumina  niuales  altiffimoscp  montes  littoribus  imminentes  &  placidilTimos 
portus  inuenerat.  Colono  iam  uita  functo  regi  cura  ingens  exorta  eft;  ut 
terr$  ills  nous  a  chriftianis  habitandea  in  religionis  noftrs  argumentum 
occuparetur.” 

“In  the  declaration  of  my  decade  of  the  ocean,  which  is  now  printed 
and  dispersed  throughout  Christendom  unawares  to  me,  I  described  how 
Christopher  Columbus  found  those  islands  whereof  we  have  spoken,  and 
that  turning  from  thence  toward  the  left  hand  southward,  he  chanced 


506 


Christopher  Columbus 

upon  great  regions  of  lands  and  large  seas  distant  from  the  equinoctial  line 
as  much  as  from  five  to  ten  degrees;  where  he  found  wide  rivers  and  very- 
high  mountains  close  to  the  shore  and  covered  with  snow,  and  harbours 
most  quiet.  Columbus,  already  having  departed  out  of  this  life,  the  King 
began  to  take  care  how  that  these  lands  might  be  colonised  with  Christians 
for  the  increase  of  our  Faith.” 

So  far  as  we  know,  this  is  the  first  published  notice  of  the 
death  of  Columbus.' 

'  On  the  back  of  the  Royal  Cedula  addressed  by  the  Catholic  King  under  date  of 
June  2.  1506,  to  Ovando,  some  unknown  clerk  inscribed  these  words:  “E  agora  el 
dicho  Almirante  es  fallecido”  :  “The  said  Admiral  is  now  dead.” 


CHAPTER  CXXVIII 


BURIAL  AT  VALLADOLID 

•  In  the  Majorat'  of  1498,  the  Admiral  directed  that  there 
should  be  erected  somewhere  in  the  island  of  Espahola  a 
church  to  be  called  Santa  Maria  de  la  Concepcion.  In  this 
church  he  further  ordered  there  should  be  built  a  chapel,  in 
which  masses  should  be  said  for  the  repose  of  his  soul  and 
for  the  souls  of  his  ancestors  and  successors.  In  the  Will, 
supposed  to  have  been  executed  at  Segovia,  August  25,  1505, 
he  designates  a  place  for  the  erection  of  the  chapel:  “If 
his  [Diego’s]  fortune  is  sufficient  he  may  make  the  said  chapel 
honourable,  and  increase  the  orisons  and  prayers  for  the  honour 
of  the  Holy  Trinity,  and  if  this  can  be  in  the  island  of  Espanola, 
which  God  gave  me  miraculously,  I  would  be  glad  that  it  might 
be  yonder,  where  I  invoked  it,  which  is  in  the  Vega  that  is 
called  La  Concepcion.’’  There  was  once  a  church  erected  there 
and  its  ruins  exist  until  this  day,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  erected  from  the  bequest  of  the  Admiral.  La  Concepcion 
de  la  Vega  was  the  site  of  the  fortress  established  by  Columbus 
near  the  hill  of  Santo  Cerro,^  in  the  Vega  Real,  and  in  the  first 

'  In  this  Majorat  executed  February  22,  1498,  one  of  the  items  was  as  follows: 

“That  at  the  time  which  is  found  convenient,  he  [Diego]  shall  order  a  church 
built  in  the  most  suitable  place  in  the  island  of  Espahola,  which  shall  be  called  Santa 
Maria  de  la  Concepcion  and  it  shall  have  a  hospital  upon  the  best  possible  plan,  the 
same  as  those  in  Castile  and  Italy;  and  he  shall  order  a  chapel  to  be  erected  in  which 
masses  for  my  soul  and  the  souls  of  our  ancestors  and  successors  shall  be  said  with 
much  devotion ;  as  it  pleases  God  to  give  us  a  sufficient  revenue  and  that  the  aforesaid 
may  be  fulfilled.” 

^  It  was  on  the  Holy  Hill — ^Santo  Cerro — that  there  was  erected  the  cross  to  which 
so  many  wonders  have  been  ascribed  by  those  who  believe  in  modern  miracles.  Sev¬ 
eral  early  Spanish  historians  have  narrated  its  attempted  destruction  by  the  Indians, 
who,  seeing  the  veneration  in  which  this  cross  was  held  by  their  cruel  masters,  the 
Spaniards,  regarded  it  as  a  fetich  which  worked  them  harm  and  sought  over  and  over 
again  to  destroy  it,  now  by  flames,  now  by  sharp  instruments,  by  every  means,  only 
to  find  it  protected  and  secure,  whereupon  the  natives  yielded  their  homage  and 
joined  in  the  universal  veneration. 


507 


50^  Christopher  Columbus 

half  of  the  sixteenth  century  it  was  a  most  important  town,  but 
it  was  destroyed  in  an  earthquake  on  the  twentieth  day  of 
April  in  the  year  1564,  at  the  hour  of  early  mass,  and  the  world 
never  knew  it  again.  There  was,  then,  a  church  erected  in  the 
town  of  Concepcion  de  la  \"ega,  but  neither  the  body  of  Colum¬ 
bus  nor  that  of  any  member  of  his  family  ever  reposed  beneath 
its  roof.  Neither  in  this  Will  nor  in  any  subsequent  testament 
is  there  an  expression  of  a  desire  that  his  remains  should  be 
buried  in  that  church,  or  even  that  they  should  be  transferred 
to  the  New  World.  The  chapel  was  simply  for  the  saying  of 
masses  for  his  soul  and  for  the  souls  of  his  family. 

Before  setting  out  on  his  fourth  and  final  voyage,  the  Ad¬ 
miral  executed  what  some  have  imagined  to  be  a  new  Majorat. 
A  document  was  passed,  the  seal  of  the  notary  bearing  date 
April  I,  1502,  the  day  previous  to  that  on  which  he  wrote  the 
letter  to  the  Directors  of  the  Bank  of  St.  George  at  Genoa.  In 
this  letter  the  Admiral  says: 

“y  de£o  a  do  diego  my  fijo  q  de  la  Renta  toda  q  se  oviere  q  os  acuda 
all  CO  el  diezmo  de  toda  ella  cada  un  ano  pa  siepre  pa  e  def  cueto  de  la 
Renta  del  trigo  y  bino  y  otras  bitualias  comederas.” 

“I  leave  it  with  my  son  Don  Diego  that  out  of  the  entire  revenue, 
whatever  it  may  amount  to,  there  shall  be  given  you  a  tenth  of  all  the 
revenue  each  year  forever,  for  the  purpose  of  decreasing  the  tax  on  corn, 
wine,  and  other  foods.” 

This  would  seem  to  indicate  that  whatever  testamentary 
document  he  executed  the  day  before,  he  had  in  it  made  pro¬ 
vision  for  this  item,  in  legally  placing  its  enforcement  on  Diego 
and  his  heirs,  especially  since  there  is  no  such  provision  in  the 
Majorat  of  1498,  and  since  the  language  employed  in  this  letter, 
indefinite  and  obscure  as  to  the  legatee,  never  could  be  con¬ 
strued  as  a  legal  intent  or  as  establishing  a  legal  obligation. 
The  second,  or  new  Majorat,  to  which  reference  is  had  in  the 
Will  of  May  19,  1506,  has  never  been  produced.  It  is  not  likely 
that  it  materially  differed  from  the  first. 

The  first  Majorat  contained  this  clause: 

‘‘Mando  al  dicho  D.  Diego,  mi  hijo,  6  a  la  perfona  que  heredare  el  dicho 
Mayorazgo,  que  tenga  o  foftenga  fiempre  en  la  cibdad  de  Genova,  una 
perfona  de  nueftra  linaxe,  que  tenga  alii  cafa  e  muxer,  e  le  ordene  rrenta 
con  que  fe  pueda  vivir  honrradamente,  como  perfona  tan  alleganda  en 
nuestra  linaxe,  e  faga  pie  e  rraiz  en  la  dicha  cibdad,  como  natural  della. 


Burial  at  Valladolid 


509 


porque  podrd  haber  de  la  dicha  cibdad  ayuda  e  favor  en  las  cofas  del 
menefter  fuyo,  pues  que  della  fall  e  en  ella  nafci.” 

“  I  direct  the  said  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  the  person  who  shall  inherit  the 
said  Majorat,  that  he  shall  keep  and  always  maintain  in  the  city  of  Genoa, 
a  person  of  our  lineage,  one  who  possesses  a  house  and  a  wife,  and  provide 
him  with  income  with  which  to  live  honourably  as  a  person  belonging  to 
our  lineage,  established  and  settled  in  the  said  city,  and  who  as  a  citizen 
might  have  of  the  said  city  aid  and  favour  in  such  things  as  he  might  need, 
since  from  there  I  set  out  and  in  it  I  was  born.”  ‘ 

Manifestly  this  item  ]3laced  no  fiduciary  duties  upon  the 
Bank  of  St.  George,  and  if  it  frequently  makes  mention  of  the 
city  of  Genoa  it  is  only  to  provide  for  the  honourable  living  of 
one  of  its  citizens,  who  should  be  a  member  of  the  family  ren¬ 
dered  distinguished  by  the  testator’s  own  achievements.  And 
no  impecunious  wool-carder  shall  be  the  beneficiary  under  this 
Will,  but  one  who  already  is  established  as  an  honourable  citi¬ 
zen.  having  a  house  of  his  own  and  secure  in  domestic  obliga¬ 
tions.  The  generous  instinct  is  not  so  apparent  here  as  the 
pride  of  family,  and  it  needs  the  charitable  bequest  to  the  Bank 
of  St.  George,  lessening  the  cost  to  Genoese  citizens  of  corn  and 
wine  and  food,  to  make  us  forget  the  weakness  of  the  Admiral 
in  requiring  that  only  a  rich  member  of  his  family  should  have 
the  benefit  of  his  fortune. 

In  the  summer  of  the  year  1505,  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of 
August,  being  at  Segovia,  a  town  of  Old  Castile,  some  forty-five 
miles  north-west  of  Madrid,  the  Admiral  executed  a  codicil  to 
his  Will.  Here  again  the  original  is  lost,  but  we  will  find  it 
incorporated  in  full  in  the  formal  last  Will,  dated  the  day  pre¬ 
vious  to  the  death  of  the  illustrious  testator.  May  19,  1506." 

‘  There  have  been  preserved  two  copies  of  the  Majorat,  and  as  neither  appears 
to  have  been  executed,  the.  inference  is  that  the  original  is  lost.  One  of  these  is 
preserved  in  the  Archives  of  the  Indies  in  Seville;  the  other  is  in  the  National  Archives 
at  Genoa.  There  are  differences,  not  very  important,  between  them,  and  as  we  have 
(]uoted  in  the  text  the  item  as  found  in  the  Sevillian  document,  we  here  give  the 
same  in  the  Archives  at  Genoa: 

■'  Mando  al  dicho  Don  Diego  my  hijo  6  la  perfona  que  heredare  el  dicho  mayorazgo, 
que  tenga  y  softenga  fiempre  en  la  ciudad  de  Genoa  una  perfona  de  nueftro  linage, 
que  tenga  alii  cafa,  y  muger,  y  le  ordene  rrenta  con  que  se  pueda  vivir  honeftatemente 
como  perfona  tan  llegada  a  nueftro  linage  y  haga  pie  y  rraiz  en  la  dicha  ciudad.  como 
natural  della,  ponjue  podra  haver  de  la  dicha  ciudad  ayuda  y  fabor  en  las  cofas  del 
menefter  fuyo,  puesque  della  salli,  y  en  ella  nafi. 

*  The  Will  of  August  25,  1505,  as  incorporated  in  the  last  Will  dated  May  19,  1506, 
does  not  give  the  place  of  its  execution,  but  in  the  Memorial  del  Pleylo  (No.  39,  page 
8)  one  finds  this  subscription :  ^ 

"Fecha  d  veinticinco  de  agosto  de  mil  y  quinientos  y  cinco  anos  en  Segovia.” 


5  i  o 


o 


mbtful  Military  Will  of  Columbus. 


Burial  at  Valladolid 


51 1 


The  so-called  Military  Codicil  is  no  longer  a  serious  consid¬ 
eration,  and  it  finds  a  place  in  history  only  as  a  curiosity.  It 
is  a  manifest  fabrication,  and  is  neither  a  holograph  nor  signed 
document  from  the  hand  of  the  Discoverer.’ 


Transliteration 

“Codicillus  more  militum  Christo- 
fori  Columbi. 

Cum  ^crenissimvL?,  Alexander  Papa 
vi.  me 

hoc  devotissimo  precum  libello  hon- 
ora- 

rit  summum  mihi  prebente  solatium 
in 

captiuitate,  preliis,  et  aduersitatibus 
meis.  Volo,  ut  post  mortem  meam 
pro 

memoria  tradatur,  Amantissimae 
meae 

Patriae  Repub/mcF  Genuensi,  et  ob 
beneficia 

.  .  .  .  ibus 

statis 

in  eadem  Vrbe  recepta,  volo  ex  an¬ 
nuls 
meis 

indie  redditibus  erigi  ibidem  nouum 
Hospitale,  ac  pro  pauperum  in  patria 

q;((? 

meliori  sustentatione  deficiente  linea 
mea  masculina,  in  Admiliratu  meo 
Indiarum,  et  annexis,  iuxta  priuile- 
a  dfcti 

gium  Regis,  in  successorem  declare 
et 

substituo  eandem  Rempublica/n 
Sancti  Georgij. 

Datum  Valledoliti  4.  Maij.  1506. 

S. 

S.  A.  S.  Xpo  Kerens.” 

X.  M.  i. 


Translation 

‘‘Codicil  of  Christopher  Columbus, 
made  after  the  manner  of  soldiers. 

‘‘Since  the  Most  Holy  Father 
Alexander  VI.  presented  me  with  a 
book  of  devotion  which  I  have  had 
with  me  and  which  has  been  my 
solace  in  captivity,  in  battles,  and  in 
adverse  fortunes,  I  now  desire  that 
after  my  death  this  precious  gift 
may  be  given  for  a  memorial  to  my 
most  dear  country  the  Republic  of 
Genoa,  and  on  account  of  the  bene¬ 
fits  I  have  received  from  the  said 
City  I  wish  a  new  Hospital  may  be 
built  from  my  Indian  revenues,  for 
the  better  care  of  the  poor  of  my 
country,  and  in  case  of  the  extin¬ 
guishment  of  my  male  line,  I  declare 
and  substitute  the  said  Republic  of 
Saint  George  my  heir  to  the  Ad¬ 
miralty  of  the  Indies  and  to  the  other 
privileges  connected  therewith. 

‘‘Done  at  Valladolid  May  4,  1506. 

S. 

S.  A.  S.  Xpo  Kerens.” 

X.  M.  i. 


•  What  is  called  the  Military  Will  of  Columbus  is  not  considered  a  veritable  docu¬ 
ment.  This  so-called  Will  or  Codicil  is  written  on  the  guard-folio  of  a  breviary  alleged 
to  have  been  presented  by  Pope  Alexander  VI.  to  Columbus  and  carried  by  him 
wherever  he  travelled. 

This  small  volume  is  said  to  have  been  found  in  a  little  book-stall  at  Rome,  where 
it  was  purchased  for  a  few  pennies.  In  1779  it  was  found  in  the  Corsini  Library 
when  Monseigneur  Gaetani  communicated  its  contents  to  William  Robertson,  the 
eminent  historian.  Two  years  after  this,  mention  is  made  of  it  in  the  Elogi  Storici 
attributed  to  the  Marquis  Ip.  Durazzo. 

A  military  will  was  not  necessary  in  a  city  like  Valladolid.  The  city  possessed 
notaries  and  eligible  witnesses  on  May  4  or  May  14  in  the  year  1506,  whatever  the  date 
of  the  month,  as  well  as  on  May  19,  1506,  when  he  executed  his  final  Will.  As  for  the 
volume  itself  such  a  book  as  this  was  much  more  likely  to  go  to  his  friend.  Father 
Caspar,  than  to  the  Republic  of  Genoa  or  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George. 


512 


Christopher  Columbus 

In  no  Will  of  Christopher  Columbus,  in  no  testament  of 
Diego  Columbus,  his  son  and  heir,  do  we  find  any  bequest  of 
mone\’,  any  mention  of  remembranee  of  that  solitary  monastery 
called  Santa  Maria  de  la  Rabida,  up  among  the  pines  beyond 
Palos  and  the  Tinto.  It  was  there  that  his  waiting  spirit 
watched  out  its  darkest  hour  and  beheld  the  breaking  of  the 
light.  The  boy  Diego,  and  the  man  Christopher,  poor,  help¬ 
less,  and  all  but  hopeless,  asked  shelter  at  La  Rabida,  to  find 
that  the  monastery  door  opened  on  the  New  Indies.  While  the 
tired  lad  slept,  the  father  unfolded  to  a  priest  his  great  designs, 
and  out  of  the  prior’s  chamber  went  a  new  influence  to  argue 
and  to  conquer.  It  was  not  on  the  bridge  of  Pinos  that  one 
finds  the  turning-point  in  the  career  of  Columbus,  but  within 
the  white  walls  of  La  Rabida.  And  yet  in  his  Will  there  is  no 
word  to  show  that  the  building  had  its  picture  in  his  memory. 
There  is  bequeathed  not  one  maravedi  wherewith  to  found  a 
chapel,  to  say  a  mass,  to  burn  a  midnight  candle. 

We  see,  then,  that  in  no  testamentar}^  document  is  there  a 
desire  expressed  by  Columbus  to  have  his  remains  interred  in 
anv  particular  place.  Tradition  says  that  when  he  died  at 
Valladolid  he  was  buried  in  the  Church  of  San  Francisco  of 
Santa  Maria  de  la  Antigua.  He  was  known  to  be  a  friend  of 
the  Franciscans,  and  the  curate  of  Los  Palacios  remembers  to 
have  seen  him  wearing  the  garb  and  particularly  the  cord  of 
that  Order."  We  find  no  documentary  evidence  of  the  first 
resting-place  of  his  remains.  D.  Gonzalo  de  Mena,  Archbishop 
of  Seville,  founded,  in  the  year  1400,  near  the  said  city,  a  Char¬ 
treuse  or  Carthusian  Monastery,  which  was  known  as  Nuestra 

*  Diego  Columbus  in  his  Will  speaks  repeatedly  of  his  father’s  known  attachment 
to  the  Order  of  St.  Francis.  In  one  of  the  items  of  this  document  he  refers  to  his 
father’s  wish  to  have  a  chapel  erected  in  the  city  of  Concepcion  de  la  Vega  and  ex¬ 
presses  his  purpose  to  found  a  home  for  a  religious  order  in  the  city  of  San  Domingo 
in  which  there  shall  be  such  a  chapel  destined  for  the  same  pious  purpose  of  praying 
daily  for  the  repose  of  his  father’s  soul. 

"...  dicho  Almirante.mi  Senor,  siempre  fue  deboto  de  la  horden  del  bien 
abenturado  Sancto  Senor  San  Francisco.  .  .  .  e  es  mi  voluntad  de  hacer  e 

edificar  un  monasterio  de  monjas  en  esta  cibdad,  el  qual  quiero  que  sea  de  la 
dicha  horden  de  Senor  San  Francisco  e  de  su  Religiosa  e  debota  Santa  Clara,  en 
el  qual  monasterio,  en  la  capilla  major  de  la  Iglesia  Mayor  del,  este  el  enterramiento 
e  sepoltura  del  Almirante  mi  senor  e  mia,  e  d  la  dicha  capilla  se  trayga  su  cuerpo, 
questa  depositado  en  el  monasterio  de  las  Cuevas  de  Sevilla,  e  alii  se  trayga  d  la 
misma  sepultura,  el  cuerpo  de  dona  Felipa  Munez  mi  senora,  su  muger,  que  aya 
gloria  questa  en  Lisboa  en  el  monasterio  del  Carmen,  en  una  capilla  de  su  linaje 
que  se  nombra  de  la  piedad,  e  se  trayga  asi  mismo  el  cuerpo  del  Adelantado  don 
Bartolome  Colon  mi  tio  questa  depositado  en  el  monasterio  de  San  Francisco 


Burial  at  Valladolid 


5^3 


Senora  Santa  Maria  de  las  Cuevas.  The  benefactor  completed 
his  good  work  by  richly  endowing  it,  and  for  many  generations 
its  monks  remembered  him  in  their  prayers.  In  the  view  we 
have  given  of  the  residence  of  Ferdinand  Columbus,  this  mon¬ 
astery  is  seen  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Guadalquivir.  A 
century  passed  when,  in  the  year  1507,  the  prior  D.  Diego 
Luxan  erected  a  new  chapel,  which  was  long  known  as  the 
chapel  of  Santa  Aha,  but  which  in  later  times  was  called  the 
Chapel  of  Santo  Christo.  Sometime  before  the  month  of  March 
in  the  year  1509  the  remains  of  the  Admiral  were  brought  from 
Valladolid  and  deposited  in  this  chapel. 

desta  cibdad  e  se  trayga  e  ponga  en  la  dicha  sepultura.  .  .  .  Fecha  en  Santo 

Domingo  a  8  de  Seticmbre  de  1523.” 

“The  said  Admiral,  my  Lord,  was  always  strongly  attached  to  the  Order  of  the 
Blessed  Saint,  Lord  .St.  Francis.  .  .  .  and  it  is  my  intention  to  build  and  erect 

a  Monastery  of  Nuns  in  this  city,  which  I  wish  to  be  of  the  said  Order  of  Lord  St. 
Francis,  and  of  his  religious  and  devout  St.  Clara,  in  which  Monastery  in  the  High 
Chapel  of  its  High  Church,  may  be  the  interment  or  sepulture  of  the  Admiral,  my 
Lord,  and  my  own,  and  his  body,  which  is  deposited  in  the  Monastery  of  Las 
Cuevas  of  Seville,  maybe  brought  to  the  said  Chapel:  and  there  may  be  brought 
to  the  same  sepulturj  the  body  of  Dona  Felipa  Munez,  my  Lady,  his  wife — may  she 
be  in  glory — which  is  in  Lisbon  in  the  Monastery  of  the  Carmelites,  in  a  Chapel  be¬ 
longing  to  her  family  which  is  called  De  la  Piedad:  and  there  may  be  brought  in 
the  same  manner  the  body  of  the  Adelantado,  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  my 
uncle,  which  is  deposited  in  the  Monastery  of  St.  Francis  of  this  city, — and  it  may 
be  placed  in  the  said  sepulture.  .  .  .  Done  at  San  Domingo,  September  8,  1523.” 

Perhaps  the  strongest  suggestive  testimony  is  found  in  the  Will  of  Diego  above 
mentioned  and  dated  March  16,  150Q,  where  he  says: 

“  Item,  Mando  que  luego  fagan  decir  mil  misas  de  difuntos  por  mi  alma  y  [las],  de 
mi  padre  y  madre  y  antecesores,  de  esta  manera  repartidas:  que  ciento  se  digan  en 
las  Cuevas  de  Sevilla,  y  ciento  en  Guadalupe,  y  ciento  en  San  Francisco  de  Sevilla. 

“Also  I  order  that  then  a  thousand  masses  shall  be  said  for  my  soul  and  the  souls 
of  my  father  and  mother  and  ancestors,  to  be  distributed  in  this  manner:  that  One 
hundred  shall  be  said  in  Las  Cuevas  of  Seville,  and  One  hundred  in  Guadaloupe,  and 
One  hundred  in  San  Francisco  of  Seville.  .  .  .” 

VOL.  III.— 33. 


CHAPTER  CXXVIIII 

MONASTERY  OF  LAS  CUEVAS 

The  first  Will  of  Don  Diego  Columbus  was  executed  in  the 
Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  at  Seville  on  March  i6,  1509,  the  pre¬ 
amble  saying: 

.  .  estando  en  el  Monasterio  de  Sta.  Maria  de  las  Cuevas  de  la  orden 

de  Cartujos,  que  es  fuera  y  cerca  de  la  muy  noble  y  leal  ciudad  de  Sevilla.” 

.  .  being  in  the  Monastery  of  St.  Mary  of  the  Caves  of  the  order  of  Car¬ 
thusians,  which  is  outside  and  near  the  very  noble  and  loyal  city  of  Seville.” 

The  eleventh  item  of  this  document  is  as  follows : 

‘‘Manda  once:  Item  mando,  que  hasta  que  yo  6  mis  albaceas  6  here- 
deros  tengamos  disposicion  y  facultad  para  lo  que  pertenece  a  la  sepultura 
perpetua  del  Almirante  mi  senor  padre  que  Dios  haya,  que  de  la  dicha 
limosna  del  diezmo  sean  dados  a  los  padres  del  Monasterio  de  las  Cuevas 
de  Sevilla,  a  donde  yo  mande  depositar  el  dicho  cuerpo  el  ano  de  quinientos 
nueve,  diez  mil  maravedis  en  cado  un  ano,  mientras  que  alH  estuviese  de- 
positado,  para  que  rueguen  por  su  alma,  y  de  quien  es  obligado.” 

‘‘Legacy  eleven:  I  also  order,  that  until  I  or  my  executors  or  heirs 
shall  have  disposition  and  license  for  what  belongs  to  the  perpetual  sep¬ 
ulchre  of  the  Admiral,  my  Lord  and  father, — may  God  keep  him  —  that 
from  the  said  alms  of  the  tenth  there  shall  be  given  to  the  fathers  of  the 
Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  of  Seville,  where  I  ordered  the  said  body  de¬ 
posited  in  the  year  1509,  ten  thousand  maravedis  each  year,  while  it  shall 
be  deposited  there,  in  order  that  they  may  pray  for  his  soul  and  by  which 
order  it  is  obligated.” 

Diego  Ortiz  de  Zuniga,  whose  Annates  were  printed  at 
Seville  in  the  year  1677,  reported  that  the  remains  of  the  Ad¬ 
miral  were  deposited  in  the  private  chapel  of  the  Duke  of  Alcala, 
and  many  historians  have  followed  him.  In  the  protocol  of  the 
monastery,  a  most  precious  manuscript,  there  is  the  following 
entry : 


514 


Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  at  Seville. 


5*5 


Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas 

“Ano  1506 — A  los  20  de  Mayo  de  este  ano  fallecid  en  Valladolid  el 
heroico  y  esclarecido  Don  Cristoval  de  Colon,  y  fueron  sus  huesos  traslados 
a  este  Monasterio  y  colocados  por  deposito,  no  en  el  entierro  de  los  Senores 
de  la  casa  de  Alcala,  como  dice  Zuniga,  sino  en  la  capella  de  Santa  Ana 
que  hizo  labrar  el  Prior  D.  Diego  Luxan  en  el  ano  siguente  y  es  la  misma 
que  hoy  llamamos  se  Santo  Cliristo  por  lo  que  se  dira  adelante.  Este 
Caballero  fue  aquel  celebre  Almirante  de  la  mar,  y  progenitor  de  la  casa 
de  Veragua,  para  cuyo  elogia  basta  el  mote  del  sepulcro  donde  yace  en  la 
isla  y  ciudad  de  Santo  Domingo,  dice  asi:  ‘A  Castilla  y  a  Leon  Nuevo 
Mundo  Did  Colon.’  En  la  misma  capilla  se  deposito  su  hijo  Diego  Co¬ 
lon.' 

'  “  Protocol  of  the  Monastery  of  Our  Lady  Santa  Maria  de  las  Cuevas.  Annals  in 
the  first  three  centuries  of  its  foundation:  Contains  the  beginnings  and  progress,  and 
the  succession  of  its  prelates  from  the  year  1400  in  which  it  was  founded  and  endowed 

Extract  from  said  Protocol. : 

‘‘Volume  i.  Page  360-361.  Year  1506.  On  May  20  of  this  year,  there  died  in 
Valladolid  the  heroic  and  illustrious  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  and  his  bones  were 
transported  to  this  Monastery  and  arranged  for  deposit;  not  in  the  enclosure  of  the 
Lords  of  the  House  of  Alcald,  as  Zuniga  says,  but  in  the  Chapel  of  Santa  Ana,  which 
the  Prior  Don  Diego  Luxan  had  constructed  the  year  following,  and  which  is  the 
same  as  that  which  we  call  to-day  Santo  Cristo,  as  will  be  shown  later.  This  gentle¬ 
man  was  that  celebrated  Admiral  of  the  Sea,  and  progenitor  of  the  House  of  Veragua, 
for  whose  eulogy  .suffices  the  inscription  of  the  sepulchre  where  he  lies  in  the  island 
and  city  of  San  Domingo.  It  says  thus,  ‘A  Castilla  y  d  Leon,  Nuevo  Mundo  Did 
Colon.’  In  the  same  Chapel  was  deposited  his  son,  Don  Diego  Columbus.  There 
remained  deposited  in  the  Monastery,  in  the  same  manner,  the  titles  and  papers  of 
the  Almirantazgo  of  the  Indies  and  e.state  of  Veragua,  where  they  were  until  the  year 
1609,  as  may  be  seen  farther  on  in  the  years  508-536  and  6og  [ife  for  1508-1536  and 
i6og],  where  will  be  shown  in  its  proper  place,  the  remainder  concerning  this  illustrious 
house  and  foster-child  of  Las  Cuevas. 

“Page  365-366.  Year  1508.  The  Adelantado  of  the  Indies,  Don  Bartholomew 
Columbus,  empowered  his  brother  Don  Diego  [cited  in  the  year  506]  to  possess  the 
treasure  of  Joias  [57c]  and  moneys  that  he  had  deposited  iji  the  Monastery,  and  in 
effect  it  was  delivered  to  him,  for  which  he  gave  receipt,  authorised  by  Francisco 
Perez  de  Madrigal,  public  writer  of  Alua  de  Tormes,  August  16  of  this  year  508:  but 
there  yet  remained  deposited  the  titles  of  the  Almirantazgo  until  the  year  609,  as 
shown  in  that  year, 

“Page  400-401.  Year  536  [.w'c].  It  says  in  the  years  506  and  508  that  in  the 
Chapel  of  Santo  Cristo  lay  in  deposit  the  bodies  of  the  Columbuses,  and  in  the  year 
‘336’  those  of  Don  Christopher  Columbus  and  Don  Diego,  his  .son,  were  delivered 
over,  to  be  transjjorted  to  the  Island  of  San  Domingo  in  the  Indies,  remaining  alone 
in  said  Chapel  the  body  of  Don  Bartholomew,  his  bi’other,  until  to-day. 

“It  is  not,  however,  to  be  understood  that  by  this  the  House  of  Veragua  has  any 
right  to  the  Chapel ;  neither  that  the  Monastery  has  received  any  alms  for  that  purpose, 
although  [sfe]  Don  Christopher  Columbus  endowed  it  with  a  certain  annual  revenue 
from  sugar,  which  revenue  was  never  realised.  And  afterwards  in  the  year  1552,  the 
Admiral  Columbus,  first  Duke  of  Veragua,  solicited  the  Chapel  persistently  for  the 
interment  of  himself  and  his  descendants,  offering  a  thousand  ducats,  which  its  con¬ 
struction  cost,  and  27  ducats  for  its  ornamentation  and  repairs,  his  pretension  suc¬ 
ceeding  so  well,  that  he  had  already  obtained  permission  from  the  Rev.  Father  General 
on  the  part  of  the  Monastery,  given  in  said  year  552;  the  affair  was  frustrated,  the 
House  remaining  in  possession  and  direct  dominion  of  its  Chajicl. 

“Page  561.  Year  1600-3.  Supposed  that  it  emanated  in  the  year  506.  No.  2, 
and  508,  No.  3,  upon  the  deposits  of  the  Columbuses  and  their  treasures.  The  entry 
remains  of  there  having  been  handed  over  this  year  to  Don  Nuiio  Columbus  of  Portu¬ 
gal,  Duke  of  Veragua,  all  the  privileges  and  papers,  titles  of  his  estate,  which  yet 
remained  deposited  in  our  Monastery,  of  which  he  made  inventory,  and  they  being 
delivered,  said  Duke  gave  receipt  in  form,  both  in  virtue  of  the  order  of  the  Teniente 
Don  Alonso  de  Bolanos,  before  Miguel  de  Medina,  writer  of  his  tribunal.  May  15, 
i6og,’’ 


5i6  Christopher  Columbus 

The  Senores  de  la  Casa  de  Alcala  here  mentioned  were  the 
Dukes  of  Alcala  de  los  Gazules  in  Andalusia.  Navarrete  gives 
the  date  of  the  transfer  of  the  remains  as  the  year  1513,  and  it 
is  believed  the  Spanish  historian  simply  inserted  what  was  sent 
him  by  D.  Antonio  de  S.  Martin  and  D.  Tomas  Gonzales,  who 
appear  to  have  copied  the  protocol  literally,  except  incorporating 
the  date  of  1513,  a  date  which  marks  the  institution  of  the  Fis¬ 
cal  inquiry,  and  which  applied  as  it  is  here  has  misled  readers 
for  many  long  years. 

Don  Diego,  after  the  death  of  his  father  in  1506,  was  occu¬ 
pied  in  personal  and  judicial  endeavours  to  obtain  his  rights. 
On  November  24,  1506,  he  obtained  a  letter  from  King  Ferdi¬ 
nand.  Queen  Joanna  accorded  him  a  safe  conduct  through  her 
dominions,  July  13,  1507.  In  1508  occurred  the  suit  against 
the  Fiscal,  to  which  Las  Casas  assigns  the  date  here  given. 
Two  Royal  Cedulas,  conferring  and  confirming  certain  rights, 
are  dated  August  9  and  October  29,  1508.  Being  at  Seville, 
December  19,  1508,  Diego  executed  a  paper  before  Alonzo  de 
Vergara,  notary  of  that  city,  empowering  Juan  de  la  Pena,  a 
follower  of  the  Duke  of  Alba,  to  represent  him  before  the  Coun¬ 
cil  of  the  Indies.  Just  before  this,  Don  Diego  had  married  the 
niece  of  the  Duke  of  Alba,  Doha  Maria  de  Toledo,  daughter  of 
Fernando,  Grand  Falconer  and  Commander  of  Leon,  an  alliance 
which  facilitated  the  actual,  and  not  alone  the  promised,  pos¬ 
session  of  his  privileges. 

Don  Diego  then  was  in  the  city  of  Seville  between  Decem¬ 
ber  19,  1508,  and  March  16,  1509,  and  at  some  period  between 
these  two  dates  we  may  confidently  fix  the  removal  of  the  Ad¬ 
miral’s  remains  from  Valladolid  to  the  Chapel  of  Santa  Aha  in 
the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  in  Seville. 

One  of  the  strongest  criticisms  against  the  genuineness  of 
the  Historie  and  its  composition  by  Ferdinand  Columbus  is  in 
the  brief  reference  there  made  to  the  death  and  burial  of  the 
Admiral. 


•  •  •  refe  I’anima  a  Dio  il  giorno  della  fua  Afcenfione  a’  XX 

di  Maggio  dell’  anno  MDVI  nel  fuddetto  luogo  di  Vagliadolid;  hauendo 
prima  con  molta  diuotione  prefi  tutti  i  facramenti  della  Chiefa,  e  dette 
quefte  vltime  parole;  In  manvs  Tvas,  Domine,  commendo  spiritvm  mevm.  .  .  . 

“II  fuo  corpo  fu  poi  condotto  a  Siuiglia,  &  quiui  nella  Chiefa  maggiore 


Columbus  for  more  than  Thirty  Years. 


5^7 


Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas 

di  quella  Citta  fu  fepolto  con  funebre  pompa;  &  per  ordine  del  Re  Catolico 
fu  medo  a  perpetua  memoria  de’  fuoi  memorabili  fatti,  &  fcoprimenti  delle 
Indie  vno  Epitafio  in  lingua  Spagnuola,  il  quale  diceua  coli; 

A  CASTILLA,  Y  A  LEON 
NVEVO  MVNDO  DIO  COLON. 

Cioe  al  Regno  di  Caftiglia,  &  al  Regno  di  Leone  il  Gran  Chriftoforo 
Colombo  diede,  &  dono  vn  nuouo  mondo.” 

“He  rendered  up  his  soul  to  God  on  the  Day  of  Ascension,  the  twen¬ 
tieth  day  of  May  in  the  year  1506,  in  the  aforesaid  place,  Valladolid; 
having  first  with  great  devotion  taken  all  the  sacraments  of  the  Church, 
and  said  these  last  words :  Into  Thy  hands,  Lord,  I  commend  my  spirit.  .  .  . 

“  His  body  was  then  taken  to  Seville  and  there  interred  in  the  Cathedral 
Church  of  that  city  with  funereal  pomp;  and  by  order  of  the  Catholic 
King,  an  epitaph  in  the  Spanish  language  was  placed  there  in  memory  of 
his  notable  deeds  and  discoveries  of  the  Indies,  which  epitaph  said  as 
follows : 

A  CASTILLA  Y  A  LEON 
NVEVO  MVNDO  DIO  COLON. 

That  is  to  say.  To  the  Kingdom  of  Castile  and  Leon,'  the  Great  Christopher 
Columbus  gave  a  New  World.’  ’’ 

Naturally  one  says  that  this  portion  of  the  Histone  was  not 
composed  by  Ferdinand  Columbus,  who,  a  son  of  the  Admiral 
and  a  citizen  of  Seville,  must  have  known  that  his  father  was 
neither  buried  in  the  Cathedral  of  Seville,  nor  had  inscribed 
over  his  tomb  by  Royal  direction  any  such  device.  And  if  this 
portion  was  written  by  Ulloa  or  by  some  hand  other  than  that 
of  Ferdinand,  what  portion  and  what  statements  may  we  safely 
attribute  to  the  son?  •  As  Ferdinand  died  in  1539,  whatever  he 
wrote  must  have  been  of  an  earlier  date.  But,  as  the  reader 
knows,  his  work  was  not  published  until  the  year  1571,  when  it 
appeared  in  Italian.  The  motto,  for  the  second  time,  is  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  final  chapter  of  that  edition. 

‘  This  is  the  present  motto  of  the  Dukes  of  Verayua.  If  it  was  adopted  by  Royal 
consent,  it  is  morally  certain  that  such  consent  was  not  given  in  the  lifetime  of  the 
Admiral. 

At  the  same  time  the  following  curious  and  suggestive  expression  occurs  in  the 
Will  of  August  25,  1505: 

“El  Rey  6  la  Reina  nuestros  Senores,  cuando  yo  les  servf  con  las  Indias:  digo 
servi,  que  parece  que  yo  por  la  voluntad  de  Dios,  nuestro  Senor  se  las  df,  como  cosa 
que  era  mia.” 

“The  King  and  Queen,  our  Sovereigns,  when  I  served  them  in  the  Indies — I  say 
served,  because  it  appears  that  I,  by  the  will  of  God,  gave  them  [the  Indies]  to  them, 
as  something  which  was  mine.” 

The  derivation  of  the  motto  can  be  accounted  for,  but  the  fact  remains  that  it 
was  not  bestowed  upon  the  Admiral  while  living. 


Christopher  Columbus 

it  will  be  noticed  in  the  Protocol  of  Las  Cuevas,  which  dates 
from  1609,  that  this  motto  is  not  mentioned  as  ever  having 
been  inscribed  over  his  tomb  in  that  monastery.  It  is  said 
that  when  the  remains  were  transported  to  San  Domingo  his 
best  eulogy  was  found  in  The  Inscription  of  the  Sepulchre  where 
he  lies  in  the  island  and  city  of  San  Domingo',  it  says  thus:  A 
Castilla  y  a  Leon,  Nttevo  Mundo  Dio  Colon. 

This  passage  in  the  Protocol  makes  it  more  than  probable 
that  no  such  motto  was  known  to  be  on  his  tomb  in  the  Chapel 
of  Santa  Aha.  Otherwise  an  opportunity  would  not  be  lost  the 
monastery  to  claim  the  honour  of  having  itself  pronounced  so 
remarkable  a  eulogy. 

The  first  mention  of  such  a  motto  is  found  in  Oviedo,'  where 
it  appears  in  the  following  form : 

“  Por  Castilla  e  por  Leon 
nuevo  imindo  hallo  Colon." 

“  For  Castile  and  for  Leon 
Columbus  found  a  New  World.” 

We  have  already,  in  the  chapter  on  the  “Book  of  Privileges,” 
examined  the  coat-of-arms  granted  Christopher  Columbus  by 
the  Sovereigns.  In  that  collection  of  documents  covering  his 
rights  and  privileges,  Columbus  caused  to  be  inserted  a  painted 
copy  of  his  coat-of-arms,  such  as  he  believed  himself  entitled  to 
bear.  But  there  is  no  mention  whatsoever  of  any  .such  motto. 
In  point  of  fact,  it  is  distinctly  stated  in.  the  Historic  that  this 
motto  was  at  the  express  order  of  King  Ferdinand  himself. 
The  composition  of  this  motto  would  seem  to  be  subsequent  to 
the  Admiral’s  death. 

There  surrounds  the  escutcheon  carved  over  the  tomb  of 
Ferdinand  Columbus  in  the  cathedral  at  Seville  the  motto  as 
found  in  the  Historic.  In  his  Will  Ferdinand  provided  for  his 
tomb  and  its  embellishment:  “y  dentro  del  dicho  quadrangulo 
dos  letreros  e  escudo  por  la  forpia  y  proporcion  que  aqui  se 
sigue,  la  que  estimo  que  costara  diez  ducados. 

The  shield  and  coat-of-arms  were  to  be  cut  into  the  pave¬ 
ment  and  around  the  escutcheon  was  to  be  the  motto. ° 

'  Oviedo,  Historia  General  de  las  Indias,  Seville,  1535.  Lib.  ii.  chapter  vii. 

^  The  tomb  and  the  coat-of-arms  have  been  often  repaired  and  the  lettering 
more  than  once  renewed.  The  little  roads  leading  to  the  Sierpes  in  the  city  of  Seville 


Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  5 >9 

Another  form  sometimes  given  for  this  motto  reads: 

“  For  Castilla  y  por  Leon 
Nvevo  Mvndo  gano  Colon.” 

‘'For  Castile  and  for  Leon  Columbus  won  a  New  World.” 

This  form  is  found  in  a  historical  book,  De  los  Reyes  Catoli- 
cos,  composed  about  1574  by  a  Mexican  monk,  Juan  de  Vic¬ 
toria,  and  which,  we  believe,  is  still  in  manuscript.' 

Peter  Martyr  does  not  mention  this  motto,  nor  does  Las 
Casas.  It  was  a  sounding  couplet,  and  from  the  year  Oviedo 
first  mentions  it  writers  generally  have  accepted  it  as  a  genuine 
phrase  and  a  legitimate  part  of  the  device  granted  the  Admiral 
by  the  Sovereigns.  This  cannot  be  true,  however,  as  we  have 
said  above,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it  ever  appeared  on  any  stone 
marking  the  burial-place  of  Columbus.^ 

The  Protocol  seems  to  indicate  that  the  bodies  of  the  first 
Admiral  and  Don  Diego  his  son  were  removed  from  the  Monas¬ 
tery  of  Las  Cuevas  during  the  year  1536.  There  is  no  doubt 
permission  for  the  removal  was  granted  that  year,  but  that  it 
was  not  acted  upon  is  apparent  from  the  Royal  Cedula  under 
date  of  June  2,  1537,  in  which  Charles  V.,  acting  for  himself 
and  for  his  mother  Joanna,  granted  certain  privileges,  the  im- 


have  been  paved,  it  is  popularly  believed,  with  the  ancient  tombstones  from  time  to 
time  cast  out  of  the  Cathedral,  and  Harrisse  relates  that  he  has  paced  there  many 
times  in  the  hope  of  finding  one  with  the  name  of  Ferdinand  and  a  cutting  of  the  device 
and  its  motto. 

•  Of  all  the  forms  this  motto  has  assumed,  none  is  more  remarkable  than  the 
following,  which  has  appeared  frequently  of  late  in  the  public  press,  and  which  seems 
to  have  no  authority  or  home; 

“  A  Castilla  y  Aragon 
Otro  mondo  dio  Colon.” 

The  Kingdom  of  Aragon  had  no  part  in  aiding  Columbus,  and  it  bore  no  part  of 
the  success  and  reaped  none  of  the  profit.  The  enterprise  was  for  the  Kingdom  of 
Isabella. 

And  yet  the  reader  will  remember  that  this  phrase — otro  mondo — was  coined  by 
Columbus.  In  his  famous  letter  to  the  nurse  of  the  Prince  Don  Juan,  in  the  year  1 500, 
when  he  was  returning  in  chains  from  his  other  world,  he  said: 

“  V  adonde  por  voluntad  Divina  he  puesto  so  el  Schorio  del  Rey  e  de  la  Reyna  nues- 
tros  Sehores  otro  mnndo." 

“  By  the  guidance  of  God,  I  placed  under  the  dominion  of  the  King  and  Queen, 
our  Sovereigns,  another  world.” 

“  There  have  been  many  epitaphs  and  elegiac  verses  composed  in  honour  of 
Columbus,  and  of  some  it  has  been  asserted  that  they  were  inscribed  over  his  tomb. 
In  the  Carniina  of  Ilippolyto  Capilupo,  Bishop  of  Fano,  in  the  Italian  Marches,  whose 


520 


Christopher  Columbus 

port  of  which  we  will  consider  in  a  moment.  In  the  preamble 
to  this  Cedilla,  we  read: 

“Inasmuch  as  Dona  Maria  de  Toledo,  Vice-Queen  of  the  Indies,  wife 
of  him  who  was  Admiral  Don  Diego  Columbus,  already  deceased 
has  related  that  the  Admiral  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  her  father-in 
law,  died  in  these  our  realms  and  ordered  that  he  should  be  deposited  in 
the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas,  outside  the  walls  of  the  City  of  Seville,  where 
he  at  present  is. 

Dona  Maria  de  Toledo  probably  assumed  that  the  then 
existing  disposition  of  the  lemains  of  her  father-in-law  was  in 
accordance  with  a  desire  formally  expressed  in  his  Will.  It  may 
be  her  husband  had  confided  to  her  some  such  desire  expressed 
to  him  verbally  by  his  father.  However  this  may  be,  it  shows 


work  was  published  in  1590,  ten  years  after  his  death,  there  are  three  epitaphs  de¬ 
voted  to  the  Admiral’s  memory.  Juan  de  Castellanos,  in  his  Las  Elegias  de  V a- 
rones  Illiistres  de  Indias,  has  inserted  an  epitaph  which  is  said  to  have  been  taken 
from  the  tomb. 

“  Los  funerales  desta  marauilla 

Honraron  valerosos  caualleros, 

Y  no  tan  solamente  de  Castilla 

Pero  tambien  de  reynos  estrangeros: 

Y  dentro  de  las  cueuas  de  Seuilla 
Lo  hazen  sepultar  sus  herederos 

Y  dizen  que  en  la  parte  do  jazia 

Pusieron  Epigramma  que  dezia. 

“  Hie  locus  abscondit  prceclari  membra  Coloni, 

Cuius  sacratum  mumen  ad  astra  volat, 

Non  satis  vnus  erat  sibi  mundus  notus,  &  orbem 
Ignotum  priscis  omnibus  ipse  dedit. 

Diuitias  summas  terras  dispersit  in  omnes 
Atque  animas  ccelo  iradidit  innumeras, 

Inuenit  campos  diuinis  legibus  aptos. 

Regibus  &  nostris  pros  per  a  regna  dedit. 

“  Este  poco  compds  que  ves  encierra 
Aquel  varon  que  did  tan  alto  buelo, 

Que  no  se  contento  con  nuestro  suelo 

Y  por  darnos  vn  nueuo  se  destierra. 

Dio  riquezas  inmensas  a  la  tierra, 

Innumerables  dnimas  al  cielo 

Hallo  donde  plantar  diuinas  leyes 

Y  prosperas  prouincias  d  sus  reyes.” 

Don  Juan  Melandez  Vald6s  wrote  an  ode,  El  Deseo  de  Gloria,  in  which  he  imitates 
a  funeral  inscription. 

Peter  Heylin,  in  his  Cosmographia,  gives  an  epitaph  which  he  asserts  was  on 
the  Admiral’s  tomb.  But  at  the  time  this  work  was  first  published,  the  remains  of 
Columbus  had  for  several  generations  been  in  America,  and  it  is  certain  Heylin,  in 
the  following  reference,  did  not  mean  to  refer  to  any  tomb  in  the  Cathedral  of  San 
Domingo. 

“  He  was  honourably  interred  at  Seville,  where  to  this  day  remaineth  this  Epitaph 
on  his  Tomb,  bald  in  itself,  and  otherwise  exceedingly  short  of  so  great  a  merit,  of 
,  which  I  must  tell  you  by  the  way,  that  the  Philip,  whom  the  Versifier  (I  do  not  say 


521 


Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas 

that  in  the  early  summer  of  1537  the  remains  of  the  Admiral 
were  still  in  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas. 

Ferdinand  Columbus,  in  his  Will  executed  at  Seville  in  July, 
1539,  shortly  before  his  death,  after  expressing  a  desire  to  be 
interred  in  the  Cathedral  Church  of  Seville,  declares: 

“  E  si  esto  no  pudiere  obtener,  en  tal  caso  yo  elijo  por  enterramiento  el 
monasterio  de  las  Cuevas  de  Sevilla,  para  que  mi  cuerpo  sea  alii  enterrado 
en  el  coro  de  los  legos  a  un  lado  6  al  otro,  como  non  impida  el  paso  de  los 
que  entraren.  Lo  qual  yo  elixo  por  la  mucha  devocion  que  mis  Senores 
padre  y  hermano  Almirantes  que  fueron  de  las  Yndias  e  yo,  siempre  tu- 
vimos  a  aquella  casa;  e  porque  sus  cuerpos  an  estado  mucho  tiempo  all 
depositados.” 

“And  if  this  cannot  be  obtained,  in  such  case  I  choose  the  Monastery 
of  Las  Cuevas  for  interment,  in  order  that  my  body  may  be  interred  there 
in  the  choir  of  the  laymen,  at  one  or  the  other  side  where  it  will  not  obstruct 
the  passage  of  those  who  enter.  I  choose  this  Monastery  on  account  of 
the  great  devotion  always  felt  for  that  house  by  my  Senores  father  and 
brother,  who  were  Admirals  of  the  Indies;  and  because  their  bodies  have 
been  deposited  there  for  a  long  time.” 

We  are  thus  informed  that  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1539 
the  remains  of  the  Admiral  and  those  of  his  son  Diego  were 
still  deposited  in  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  near  Seville. 

the  Poet)  called  Philippus  Hispaniis,  should  rather  have  been  called  Philippus 
Astriagus,  or  Philippus  Burgundus,  as  being  meant  of  that  Philip  of  Austria,  Duke 
of  Burgundy,  who  had  then  married  Joan,  Sole  Daughter  and  Heir  of  the  Kings  of 
Spain,  and  after  the  death  of  Isabella  succeeded  in  the  Realm  of  Castile:  or  else  the 
Epitaph  must  be  written  long  after  his  death,  and  meant  of  Philip  the  2.  Son  of 
Charles  the  fifth,  who  was  not  born  until  the  year  1527  and  came  not  to  the  crown 
above  20  years  after.  Now  for  this  Epitaph,  such  as  it  is,  it  is  this  that  followeth: 

‘  Christophorus  genuit  quern  Genoa  Clara  Columbus 
[Numine  perculsus  quo  nescio]  primus  in  Altum, 

Descendens  Pelagus,  solem  versusque  cadentem 
Directo  cur.su,  nostro  hactenus  addita  Mundo 
Littora  detexi,  Hispano  potitura  Philippo: 

Audenda  hinc  aliis  plura,  &  majora  relinquens.' 

Which  may  be  Englished  in  these  words; 

‘  I  Christopher  Columbus,  whom  the  land 
Of  Genoa  first  brought  forth,  first  took  in  hand, 

I  know  not  by  what  deity  incited 

To  scour  the  Western  Seas,  and  was  delighted 

To  seek  for  Countries  never  known  before. 

Crown'd  with  success,  I  first  descri'd  the  shore 
Of  the  New  World,  then  destin’d  to  sustain 
The  future  yoke  of  Philip  Lord  of  Spain. 

And  yet  I  greater  matters  left  behind 

For  men  of  more  means  and  a  braver  mind.’  ” 


CHAPTER  CXXX 


THE  CAPILLA  MAYOR 

It  is  now  timely  to  read  the  Royal  Cedula,  sinee  it  not  only 
gave  permission  to  remove  the  mortal  remains  of  Columbus 
from  the  city  of  Seville  to  the  Old  World,  but  appointed  a  par¬ 
ticular  place  of  permanent  burial  within  the  city  of  San  Do¬ 
mingo  in  the  New  World. 


“Royal  Ordinance, 

“under  date  of  June  2,  1537 

“Don  Carlos.  By  the  Divine  Clemency,  Emperor  ever  majestic,  King  of 
Germany,  Dona  Juana,  his  mother,  to  the  same  Don  Carlos,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  King  of  Castile,  of  Leon,  of  Aragon,  of  the  Two  Sicilies, 
of  Jerusalem,  of  Navarre,  of  Granada,  of  Toledo,  of  Valencia,  of  Ga¬ 
licia,  of  Mallorca,  of  Seville,  of  Cerdeha,  of  Cordova,  of  Corcega,  of 
Murcia,  of  Jaen,  of  Los  Algarbes,  of  Algeciras,  of  Gibraltar,  of  the 
Canary  Islands,  of  the  Indies,  islands  and  main-land  of  the  Ocean- 
sea,  Counts  of  Barcelona,  Flanders,  Tyrol,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

“Inasmuch  as  Doha  Maria  de  Toledo,  Vicereine  of  the  Indies,  wife  that 
was  of  the  Admiral  Don  Diego  Columbus,  already  defunct,  for  herself,  and 
in  the  name  and  as  tutor  and  guardian  of  Don  Luis  Columbus,  her  son, 
who  is  at  present  Admiral  of  the  said  Indies,  and  of  the  others,  her  sons 
and  daughters,  and  of  the  said  Admiral  Don  Diego  Columbus,  her  husband, 
has  related  to  us  that  the  Admiral  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  her  father- 
in-law,  and  grandfather  of  the  said  her  sons,  died  in  these  our  realms,  and 
ordered  that  his  body  should  be  deposited  in  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas, 
outside  the  walls  of  the  city  of  Seville,  where  it  at  present  is,  to  the  end  that 
his  bones  should  be  taken  to  the  island  of  Espanola:  and  that  now  she, 
complying  with  the  will  of  the  said  Admiral  would  like  to  take  the  said  his 
bones,  to  the  said  isle,  and  entreats  us  that,  acknowledging  that  the  said 
Admiral  served  us  in  the  discovery,  conquest  and  settlement  of  the  said 
Our  Indies,  and  that  his  sons  and  grandsons  have  served  and  do  serve  us, 
we  should  grant  them  the  Capilla  Mayor  of  the  Cathedral  Church  of  the 
City  of  San  Domingo  of  the  said  island  of  Espanola,  where  may  be  placed 


522 


The  Cathedral  Church  at  San  Domingo  [Front  View\. 


The  Cathedral  Church  at  San  Domingo  [llV.s'/  View], 


523 


The  Capilla  Mayor 

and  removed  the  said  his  bones,  or  those  of  his  descendants,  or  as  our  will 
may  be:  which  having  been  submitted  to  our  Council  of  the  Indies  and 
considered  by  us ;  acknowledging  that  the  said  Admiral  Don  Christopher 
Columbus  was  the  first  to  discover,  conquer  and  settle  the  said  our  Indies, 
by  which  so  much  honour  has  redounded  to  the  Royal  Crown  of  these  our 
realms,  and  to  their  inhabitants;  it  is  our  will,  and  by  these  presents  we 
grant  to  the  said  Admiral,  Don  Luis  Columbus,  the  said  Capilla  Mayor  of 
the  said  Cathedral  Church  of  the  City  of  San  Domingo  of  the  island  of 
Espanola,  and  we  give  him  permission  and  privilege  to  bury  there  the  said 
bones  of  the  said  Admiral  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  his  grandfather,  and 
to  bury  the  said  his  fathers  [i.  e.,  father  and  mother]  and  brother  and  his 
heirs  and  successors  in  his  House  and  entailed  estate,  now  and  in  all  time 
for  ever  after,  and  to  have  made  and  to  make  in  it,  he  and  the  said  his  heirs 
and  successors,  all  and  whatever  busts  they  may  desire  and  may  have,  and 
to  have  placed  and  to  place  on  them  and  upon  each  one  of  them,  their  arms, 
provided  that  they  do  not  place  or  have  them  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
said  Chapel  where  we  will  and  command  that  our  Royal  arms  shall  be 
placed. 

“And  we  crave  and  command  the  Reverend  in  Christ,  Father  Bishop 
of  the  said  Church  and  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  same,  equally  those  who 
now  are,  as  well  as  those  who  shall  be  hereafter,  that  they  shall  observe  and 
comply  with  this  our  Royal  Ordinance,  and  everything  contained  in  it, 
and  that  they  shall  not  oppose  or  go  contrary  to  it  at  any  time  or  in  any 
manner:  to  whom  we  order  given  and  we  give  our  Royal  Ordinance,  signed 
by  me  the  King  and  sealed  with  our  seal  and  countersigned  by  our  under¬ 
signed  Secretary. 

“  I,  THE  King. 

“Given  in  Valladolid,  June  2,  1537.” 

A  further  Royal  Cedula,  dated  August  22,  1539,  contained 
a  licence  to  transport  the  remains  of  Columbus  from  the  monas¬ 
tery  of  Las  Cuevas,  “where  they  lie,”  to  the  Capilla  Mayor  of 
the  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo,  and  an  order  for  Don  Luis  and 
for  his  mother.  Dona  Maria,  in  his  name,  to  exercise  diligence 
in  making  the  transfer.  This  Don  Luis  was  born  in  the  city  of 
San  Domingo  about  the  year  1522.  When  he  grew  to  manhood 
he  was  anything  but  an  admirable  character,  and  it  is  possible 
that  disagreeable  or  wicked  traits  presented  themselves  early  in 
his  life,  and  that  thus  he  had  become  personally  obnoxious  to 
the  Chapter  of  the  Cathedral.  However  this  may  be,  the  said 
Chapter  did  not  seem  inclined  to  facilitate  the  translation  of  the 
remains.  A  third  and  final  order,  imperative  and  stern,  was 
issued  on  November  5,  1540,  to  the  Canons  of  the  Cathedral, 
directing  them  to  immediately  obey  the  Royal  commands.  It 


526 


Christopher  Columbus 

We  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  asserting  that  the 
sepulchre  of  Columbus  never  bore  a  distinguishing  mark.  On 
the  contrary,  the  reference  to  that  sepulchre  by  Don  Alonzo  de 
Fuenmayor,  in  the  first  half  of  the  sixteenth  century,  declares 
that  the  tomb  of  the  Admiral  was  “  much  venerated  and  re¬ 
spected.”  Men  do  not  do  homage  before  an  unmarked  sepul¬ 
chre.  But  whatever  inscription  may  once  have  marked  that 
tomb,  it  has  disappeared  and  its  true  reading  is  not  known. 

There  is  a  manuscript  cited  by  Francisco  Montemayor  de 
Cuenca,  Signor  Prieto,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  at  the  time 
Admiral  William  Penn  threatened  the  city  of  San  Domingo  in 
1655,  extraordinary  precautions  were  taken  to  conceal  the  tomb 
of  Columbus: 

“Que  las  sepolturas  se  cubriesen  para  que  no  hagan  en  ellas  desacato, 
6  profanation  los  ereges;  e  ahincadamente  lo  suplico  con  la  sepoltura  del 
Almirante  viejo  que  esta  en  el  evangelio.  .  .  .” 

“That  the  sepulchres  be  covered  so  that  the  heretics  may  not  desecrate 
and  profane  them;  and  I  earnestly  entreat  that  this  be  done  with  the 
sepulchre  of  the  Old  Admiral,  which  is  in  the  Evangel.  .  .  .” 

In  the  year  1676  the  Archbishop  Don  Juan  de  Escalante 
sought  to  obtain  from  the  Royal  Council  of  the  Indies  a  con¬ 
tribution  for  the  restoration  of  the  Cathedral,  and  he  gives  as  an 
argument  for  the  granting  of  money  that  “  on  the  right  hand  of 
the  altar  in  the  Capilla  Mayor  lie  interred  the  remains  of  the 
illustrious  Don  Christoval  Colon.”  He  does  not  say  that  the 
tomb  of  the  great  personage  needs  rebuilding  or  restoration,  but 
that  the  church  edifice,  as  the  repository  of  so  glorious  a  charge, 
should  be  put  in  proper  order  and  repair. 

There  is  preserved  in  Madrid  a  small  printed  volume  en¬ 
titled,  Synodo  Diocesana  del  Arzohispano  de  Santo  Domingo, 
Celebrada  por  el  Illmo.  Y  Redmo.  Sr.  Don  Fray  Domingo  Fer¬ 
nandez  Navarrete  Aho  de  i68j,  dia  5  de  Noviembre. 

There  is  no  date  of  printing,  but  it  was  undoubtedly  put  in 
type  about  the  time  of  its  compilation,  i.  e.,  the  year  1683.  It 
gives  the  constitutions  formulated  since  the  church  obtained  the 
title  of  Primada  de  las  Indias,  in  the  year  1 547.  The  Synod  says, 
speaking  of  the  remains  of  the  Discoverer,  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus,  the  first  Admiral: 


Interior  of  the  Cathedral  Church  at  San  Domingo. 


The  Capilla  Mayor,  or  Old  Presbytery.  Above  the  Steps 
Leading  to  the  High  Altar  was  Found  the 
Lead  Box  Containing  the  Ashes  of 
Christopher  Columbus. 


52? 


The  Capilla  Mayor 

“  Yacen  en  una  caja  de  plomo  en  el  presbitero,  al  lado  de  la  peana  del 
altar  mayor,  con  los  de  su  hermano  D.  Luis  que  estan  al  otro,  segun  la  tra- 
dicion  de  los  ancianos  de  esta  Isla.” 

“They  [the  bones]  lie  in  a  coffin  of  lead  in  the  Presbytery,  beside  the 
wall  of  the  High  Altar,  together  with  those  of  his  brother,  Don  Luis,  which 
are  on  the  opposite  side,  according  to  the  tradition  of  the  oldest  inhabitants 
of  the  island.”  ' 

Here  is  direct  evidence  that  in  the  year  1683  the  work  of 
concealing  the  tombs  undertaken  in  1655  was  not  undone  and 
only  tradition,  the  testimony  of  the  ancients,  guided  the  seeker 
in  the  direction  of  the  burial-places  of  the  two  illustrious  dead, 
Christopher  Columbus  the  Discoverer,  and  the  other.  The  Synod 
says  this  other,  buried  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  High  Altar,  was 
his  brother  Don  Luis.  The  First  Admiral  never  had  a  brother 
Luis.  There  is,  therefore,  a  palpable  eiTor.  We  must  correct 
the  Synod  by  changing  either  the  name  or  the  degree  of  rela¬ 
tionship.  If  we  change  the  name  and  leave  the  relationship  as 
it  stands,  we  must  say  that  the  first  Adelantado,  Bartholomew 
Columbus,  lies  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  altar  from  that  in 
which  the  First  Admiral  is  interred.  If  we  change  the  relation¬ 
ship  and  let  the  name  remain,  we  must  say  that  Don  Luis,  the 
third  Admiral  and  grandson  of  Christopher  Columbus,  lies  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  altar.  We  may,  however,  defer  making 
a  choice  of  correction  until  other  and  later  witnesses  appear. 
The  reader  will  observe  that  here,  in  the  year  1683,  a  knowledge 
of  the  location  of  the  remains  is  derived  from  the  speech  of  the 
oldest  inhabitants  of  the  island.  No  member  of  the  Synod,  no 
canon,  no  sacristan  could  at  that  time  point  to  the  exact  place 
*  of  burial.  Tradition,  speaking  only  with  indefinite  words,  de¬ 
clared  that  the  bones  of  the  First  Admiral  lay  in  a  leaden  box 
on  one  side  of  the  High  Altar,  and  those  of  Don  Luis  on  the 
opposite  side. 

’  A  curious  error  in  reading  this  report  of  the  Synod  has  led  a  distinguished  Eng- 
lisher  lawyer  {Christopher  Columbus:  A  Monograph  on  his  Last  Resting-place,  by  Sir 
Travers  Twiss,  Q.C.,  D.L.,  F.R.S.,  London,  S.  E.)  to  imagine  that  the  brother  of  Don 
Luis,  Don  Christoval,  is  here  meant,  and  he  infers  that  the  report  accounts  for  two 
Christoval  Colons  as  buried  in  the  Capilla  Mayor  on  the  Gospel  Side.  The  Synod  is 
speaking,  not  of  a  brother  of  Don  Luis,  but  of  a  brother  of  Don  Christopher,  the  First 
Admiral.  The  Spanish  Academy  invokes  this  report  of  the  Synod  to  show  that 
Christopher  Columbus,  the  Discoverer,  was  buried  on  the  Gospel  side  of  the  High 
Altar,  and  that  the  fact  was  still  undisputed  in  the  year  1683.  It  is  true  that  Don 
Luis  had  a  brother  Don  Christoval,  but  there  is  nothing  to  show  that  he  was  ever 
buried  in  the  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo,  unless  this  report  be  so  interpreted. 


528 


Christopher  Columbus 

From  this  time  on  for  many  years  no  mention  is  made  of  the 
tomb  of  Columbus  and  its  condition.  It  may  be  that  after  this 
date,  owing  to  the  hostile  presence  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
buccaneers  and  roving  adventurers,  no  attempt  was  made  to 
keep  in  perpetual  remembrance  the  exact  spot  of  the  Admiral’s 
interment. 

We  must  remember,  however,  that  the  Royal  Cedulas  gave 
the  entire  Capilla  Mayor,  or  principal  chapel,  to  the  family  of 
Columbus,  and  only  a  place  high  up  was  reserved,  not  for  burial 
purposes,  not  for  effigies,  not  for  elegiac  verses,  but  for  the 
Royal  arms  of  the  Emperor.  Here,  in  this  Capilla  Mayor,  Don 
Luis  Columbus  buried  his  grandfather,  the  First  Admiral,  and  his 
father,  Don  Diego,  the  second  Admiral.  Here,  also,  he  himself 
was  buried,  and  although  Bartholomew  Columbus,  the  first 
Adelantado,  was  said  to  have  been  interred  there,  we  find  no 
proof.  The  exact  date  of  the  Adelantado ’s  death  is  not  known, 
but  because  of  the  date  attached  to  the  Royal  Cedula  appoint¬ 
ing  Don  Luis  to  succeed  him  in  the  office,  January  i6,  1515, 
and  by  allowing  the  usual  time  for  news  thereof  to  reach  Spain, 
Harrisse  concludes  his  death  occurred  at  the  end  of  November 
or  at  the  beginning  of  December  in  the  year  1514.  His  remains 
were  placed  in  the  monastery  of  San  Francisco  in  San  Domingo, 
and  notwithstanding  the  report  by  Moreau  de  Saint-Mery  of  a 
tradition  that  they  had  been  transferred  to  the  Cathedral,  there 
is  nothing  to  indicate  that  they  ever  were  removed.  Don  Luis 
died  in  disgrace  in  Oran,  February  3,  1572,  and,  in  accordance 
with  his  desire  expressed  in  1552,  he  was  interred  in  the  Chapel 
of  Santa  Aha  in  the  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo."  We  have, 
then,  three  members  of  the  family  interred  within  the  Capilla 
Mayor  of  the  Cathedral:  Christopher  Columbus,  the  Discoverer 
and  First  Admiral;  Don  Diego  Columbus,  the  son  and  second 
Admiral;  Don  Luis  Columbus,  the  grandson,  third  Admiral,  and 
first  Duke  of  Veragua. 


^  Manuscript  preserved  in  the  Archives  of  the  Indies  at  Seville. 


CHAPTER  CXXXI 


THE  CATHEDRAL  PRESERVED 

The  town  of  San  Domingo,  like  most  exposed  cities,  experi¬ 
enced  many  vicissitudes  of  fortune.  Its  capture  by  Drake  in 
the  year  1586  is  often  mentioned  as  a  proof  that  the  Cathedral 
was  destroyed  or  seriously  impaired,  and  that,  consequently,  one 
might  entertain  a  doubt  as  to  the  preservation  of  any  tomb  or 
coffined  dust  within  its  walls. 

There  embarked  at  Plymouth,  on  September  14,  1585,  a 
formidable  fleet  destined  for  a  voyage  to  the  West  Indies. 
Twenty-flve  ships,  including  the  pinnaces,  and  twenty-three 
hundred  soldiers  and  marines  composed  the  expedition.  Sir 
Francis  Drake  was  General  and  Admiral  of  the  expedition,  and 
used  for  his  flagship  the  Elizabeth  Bonavcnture,  of  which  Thomas 
Venner  was  captain.  Martin  Frobisher  was  the  Vice-Admiral, 
and  sailed  in  the  good  ship  Primrose.  Francis  Knollys  held  the 
]30st  of  Rear-Admiral,  making  use  of  the  ship  Leicester.  Here 
were  three  famous  Englishmen  sailing  in  one  expedition,  all 
bent  upon  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish  possessions.  An  im¬ 
portant  figure  in  the  fleet,  and  sailing  in  the  ship  Tiger,  was 
Christopher  Carleill,  the  Lieutenant-General  of  the  land  forces, 
some  two  thousand  in  number.  This  little  army  disembarked 
at  about  daylight  on  New  Year’s  Day,  1586,  in  pinnaces,  boats, 
and  small  barks,  at  a  convenient  place  some  ten  miles  to  the 
westward  of  San  Domingo.  Sir  Francis  Drake,  in  his  bark 
Francis,  directed  the  transfer  to  the  small  boats  and  the  land¬ 
ing,  when  he  returned  to  the  fleet,  leaving  the  command  to 
Lieutenant-General  Carleill.  The  English  officers  knew  that 
there  was  no  hope  of  gaining  access  to  the  city  on  the  water  side, 
and  therefore  this  unexpected  and  strategic  approach  was 

VOL.  m. — 34. 


529 


530 


Christopher  Columbus 

devised.  At  one  hour  after  noon  they  halted  before  the  town. 
A  troop  of  Spanish  horsemen,  some  one  hundred  and  fifty 
strong,  came  out  to  meet  them,  but  the  small  shot  obliged  them 
to  withdraw,  and  the  expedition  proceeded  toward  the  two 
gates  which  looked  on  the  sea.  These  gates,  as  became  careful 
guardians  of  a  citadel,  were  protected  by  large  guns  and  like¬ 
wise  by  armed  troops  in  ambuscade  on  the  highway.  Dividing 
the  force  into  two  parts  and  assigning  one  to  a  Captain  Powell, 
the  Lieutenant-General  bade  him  make  his  way  through  the 
Highwa}^  Gate  while  he  tried  his  entrance  through  the  other, 
vowing  that  he  would  never  halt  his  force  until  both  should 
unite  in  the  great  market  place  within  the  town.  The  gates 
were  accordingly  carried  by  assault,  and  both  divisions  passed 
through  to  the  appointed  place, — “  a  place  of  very  spacious 
square  ground  before  the  great  Church.”  About  this  square 
they  arranged  barricades  and  trenches,  from  which  boundary¬ 
lines  they  gradually  increased  their  holdings.  The  General  sent 
a  negro  boy  with  a  white  flag  as  a  truce  to  the  Spaniards  con¬ 
veying  a  message.  The  lad  was  received  by  a  horseman,  who 
passed  his  spear  through  his  body,  and  the  lad  dragged  himself 
to  the  feet  of  the  General,  where  he  died.  Cruelty  had  not  died 
out  in  Espahola.  The  General  had  with  him  as  prisoners  two 
friars,  and  these  he  sent  with  a  strong  guard  of  soldiers  to  the 
very  spot  where  the  Spaniards  had  speared  the  messenger  of 
truce,  and  there  he  caused  them  to  be  hanged,  making  proclama¬ 
tion  at  the  same  time  that  the  execution  was  in  retaliation  for 
the  murder  of  his  envoy,  and  that  daily  two  Spanish  prisoners 
would  be  publicly  executed  until  the  murderer  of  the  boy  was 
delivered  into  his  hands.  This  method  of  argument,  while 
cruel,  was  effective,  and  the  day  after  the  Captain  of  the  King’s 
Galley  brought  the  principal  offender  to  the  English  commander 
whereupon  the  General  forced  the  Spaniards  to  hang  him  them¬ 
selves.  After  this,  for  a  time,  treaties  were  proposed,  considered, 
and  rejected.  Each  rejection  was  followed  by  a  renewed  attack 
upon  the  town, — always,  remember,  outside  the  trenches  and 
consequently  beyond  the  Cathedral.  The  houses  were  so  solidly 
built,  the  stones  so  massive  and  closely  joined,  that,  notwith¬ 
standing  two  hundred  skilled  men  were  kept  constantly  at 
work,  the  account  pathetically  says,  “in  the  entire  month  there 
was  not  destroyed  so  much  as  a  third  of  the  town.”  The  siege, 


The  Cathedral  Preserved 


531 


if  practical  possession  can  be  called  a  siege,  lasted  one  month, 
when  arrangements  were  concluded  for  ransoming  the  eity.  But 
in  all  this  confliet  no  shot  was  fired  nor  hand  laid  upon  the 
Cathedral  so  far  as  the  historical  records  show. 

The  next  occasion  of  serious  alarm  on  the  part  of  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  San  Domingo  was  the  threatening  approach  of  an 
English  fieet  in  the  year  1655.  Oliver  Cromwell,  Lord  Protec¬ 
tor  of  England,  “  having  taken  into  eonsideration  the  cruelties 
and  inhuman  praetiees  of  the  King  of  Spain,  exercised  in  Amer- 
iea,  not  only  upon  the  Indians  and  natives,  but  also  upon  the 
people  of  these  nations  inhabiting  in  those  parts  .  .  .  [where¬ 

by  he]  doth  not  only  deny  to  trade  or  to  have  commerce  with 
us  [English],  but  giving  by  the  claim  he  makes  to  all  that  part 
of  the  world  by  colour  of  the  Pope’s  donation,  just  grounds  to 
believe  he  intends  the  ruin  and  destruction  of  all  English  plan¬ 
tations,  people,  and  interests  in  those  parts,”'  proeeeded  to 
equip  a  fleet  of  38  ships,  with  4410  seamen,  2930  soldiers,  and 
1 1 14  guns.  General  and  Admiral  Penn  had  for  his  flagship  the 
largest  of  these  ships,  the  Swiftsure,  carrying  64  guns.  She  was 
of  898  tons  burden,  118  feet  long,  and  37  feet  broad.  ^  William 
Penn  was  Admiral  of  the  fleet  and  had  the  title  of  General. 
The  land  forces  were  under  General  R.  Venables.^ 

The  fleet  sailed  from  the  roadstead  of  Spithead  on  the  day 
before  Christmas  in  the  year  1654,  steering  for  the  Barbadoes, 
where  it  anchored  on  January  29,  1655.  Here  a  council  was 
held  as  to  the  place  of  attack,  and  three  Spanish  strongholds 
were  suggested, — Havana,  Carthagena,  and  San  Domingo:  the 


"  See  Commission  granted  General  William  Penn,  dated  Westminster,  October  9, 
1654- 

^  While  the  fleet  was  approaching  the  island  of  Espanola,  John  Evelyn  was  viewing 
at  Woolwich  the  new  leviathan  of  the  deep,  the  Naseby. 

“9th  April  I  went  to  see  the  great  ship  newly  built  by  the  usurper  Oliver,  carry¬ 
ing  g6  brass  guns,  and  1000  tons  burthen.  In  the  prow  was  Oliver  on  horseback, 
trampling  six  nations  under  foot,  a  Scott,  Irishman,  Dutchman,  Frenchman,  Spaniard 
and  English,  as  was  easily  made  out  by  their  several  habits.  A  Fame  held  a  laurel 
over  his  insulting  head,  the  words  'God  with  us.’  ” 

Cromwell  called  this  ship  the  Naseby  after  the  place  where  he  won  his  victory 
over  the  King’s  forces.  It  really  was  of  1229  tons  burden  and  carried  6^0  men  and 
100  guns.  When  Charles  II.  came  to  the  throne,  this  ship  was  re-christened  the 
Charles. 

3  Lord  Clarendon  declares  that  both  Penn  and  Venables  were  well  affected  toward 
the  King,  and  on  several  occasions,  not  in  collusion,  but  by  independent  commu¬ 
nications,  expressed  to  him  their  readiness  to  declare  for  his  Majesty  at  any  time  he 
could  command  a  force  from  abroad  or  secure  a  port  at  home  as  a  base  of  operations. 


532 


Christopher  Columbus 

first  was  acknowledged  to  be  ver}^  populous  with  strong  castles, 
and  “  peradventure  the  gallions  being  there,  many  soldiers  on 
the  place  would  question  the  mastership  of  the  field”;  the 
second  was  rich,  but  its  wealth  might  be  conveyed  up  the 
eountry  out  of  reach:  so  “it  was  resolved  to  go  first  for  San 
Domingo,  and  this  the  rather  that  it  would  be  a  convenient 
retreat  if  our  after  attempts  should  not  take:  and  for  our  re¬ 
cruits  from  England  and  other  parts  to  come  to  us  and  to  plant 
a  colony.” 

So  the  expedition  sailed  away  for  their  antieipated  con¬ 
quest,  and  came  in  sight  of  the  Spanish  city  on  the  thirteenth 
day  of  April,  1655.  The  following  day,  which  was  Saturday, 
the  land  force  was  disembarked  at  a  point  some  forty  miles 
westward  of  the  city.  The  plan  was  to  land  where  Sir  Francis 
Drake  landed  nearly  seventy  years  before,  but  the  pilots  were 
absent  and  none  knew  the  place.  The  march  toward  the  city 
was  slow  and  tedious,  affording  time  for  the  Spaniards  to  gather 
some  four  or  five  thousand  men.  Fort  Geronimo  was  a  stum¬ 
bling-block  in  the  way  of  the  English.  The  fleet  endeavoured 
to  contribute  its  share  of  offensive  operations,  and  while  the 
land  forces  attacked  the  fort  in  one  direction  some  of  the  heav¬ 
ily  gunned  vessels  assaulted  it  from  the  water  side.  “  Where  we 
rode,”  says  the  manuscript  journal,  “the  town  bore  N.  by  E. 
about  a  mile  and  a  half.  Fort  Geronimo  N.  W.  by  N.  one  mile.  Cape 
HinaW.S.W.  .  .  .  We,  the  Pcrffawd  and  Marfa,  reaehed  every 
shot,  but  hardly  touched  the  Fort.”  For  two  weeks  skirmishes 
were  of  daily  occurrence,  the  English  army  for  some  unae- 
countable  reason  falling  into  eonfusion  on  the  slightest  engage¬ 
ment  with  the  enemy.  On  Saturday,  April  28,  1655,  a  company 
of  five  hundred  of  the  English,  drawn  from  eaeh  regiment  and 
therefore  picked  men,  managed  to  reaeh  the  east  side  of  the 
fort,  but  when  some  one  hundred  of  the  enemy  charged  them, 
disorder  reigned  and  the  picked  men 

“ran  in  confusion  on  the  Reformados,  being  next  to  them,  and  disordered 
them  upon  the  horse,  and  they  the  General’s  regiment  and  all  together 
upon  the  Major  General’s,  no  calling  or  entreaty  being  able  to  stay  them. 
At  the  seamen'' s  regiment  it  began  to  stop.  The  Major  General  [Haynes] 
broke  forward  through  the  disorder  and  endeavoured  to  make  head  and 
withstand  the  enemy,  who  had  nothing  to  do  but  follow  and  kill,  none 
turning  head  against  him;  but  not  being  succoured  was  overwhelmed  and 


The  Cathedral  Preserved 


r  ^ 
DOO 

slain.  Most  of  the  Captains  and  Chief  Officers  in  the  Forlorn  were  slain. 
The  pursuers  cannot  be  thought  to  exceed  forty,  and  how  they  came  to  be 
put  back  he  cannot  certainly  hear;  but  ’t  is  said,  seven  or  eight  of  the  sea¬ 
men  put  them  to  flight.  .  .  .  The  army  having  kept  their  ground 
[after  rallying]  all  night,  though  not  without  great  apprehensions  and 
mighty  volleys  in  the  night  [when  no  enemy,  but  the  noise  of  crabs  in  the 
woods  molested],'  in  the  morning  [the  army]  marched  off.” 

General  Penn  proposed  standing  off  to  sea,  refreshing  the  sol¬ 
diers,  and  when  the  Spaniards  dispersed  to  their  homes  renew¬ 
ing  the  attack  and  firing  on  the  city.  “  Major  General  Fortescue 
told  me  this  day  [Friday,  May  4,  1655],”  says  the  Journal,  “  that 
the  business  of  battering  he  had  never  heard  proffered  till  yester¬ 
day,  when  it  was  too  late.’'  ^ 

The  army  was  re-embarked  and  the  fleet  sailed  away  to 
Jamaica,  where  a  different  and  more  happy  fortune  awaited  the 
expedition.  We  have  seen  that  Fort  Geronimo,  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  city,  was  the  nearest  point  of  attack  to  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  and  the  serious  and  simultaneous  battering  of  the  city 
by  the  vessels  and  the  land  forces,  if  ever  proposed,  was  never 
attempted.  Thus  this  expedition  under  Admiral  Sir  William 
Penn,  the  second  English  attempt  against  San  Domingo,  did  no 
damage  to  the  city,  much  less  to  the  great  church  in  which  lay 
the  mortal  remains  of  a  real  sailor,  the  First  Admiral  of  the 
Indies. 

'  This  official  Journal  throws  a  light  of  probability  on  a  story  told  by  Walton 
relative  to  this  night  attack: 

“  .  .  .  they  heard  the  loud  and  quick  clatter  of  horses’  feet,  and  as  they 

supposed  of  the  Spanish  lancemen,  who  are  dexterous  and  whose  galling  onset  they 
had  experienced  the  day  before.  Thus  believing  themselves  discovered  and  dread¬ 
ing  an  attack  before  their  comrades  had  joined,  they  embarked  precipitately  and 
abandoned  their  enterpri.se :  but  the  alarm  proved  to  be  these  large  land-crabs  which 
at  the  sound  of  footsteps  receded  to  their  holes,  the  noise  being  made  by  their  clatter¬ 
ing  over  the  leaves,  which  the  English  soldiers  mistook  for  the  sound  of  cavalry.” 

It  is  said  that  a  feast,  known  as  the  “Feast  of  the  Crabs,”  was  instituted  to 
commemorate  annually  this  backward  march  of  crab  and  soldier,  and  that  on  its 
occurrence  a  solid  gold  land-crab  was  conspicuously  carried  in  the  procession. 

^  General  Venables,  in  his  letter  to  General  Montagu,  under  date  of  May  26,  1655, 
complained  that  his  army  had  scarcely  any  provisions,  so  that  his  soldiers  were  very 
weak  at  landing,  and  that  they  became  weaker  with  the  long  march,  fasting  two  days 
and  being  without  water.  The  enem}'-  had  stopped  up  all  their  wells,  so  that  the 
English  had  not  a  drop  of  water  within  ten  miles  of  the  fort. — See  Carte’s  Collection 
of  Original  Letters,  etc.,  1730,  8vo. 


CHAPTER  CXXXII 
THE  DISCOVERY  OF  1783 

In  a  solemn  religious  function  celebrated  in  the  Cathedral 
of  San  Domingo  in  the  year  1702,  remembrance  of  Christopher 
Columbus  was  called  to  mind,  and  honour  was  then  and  there 
paid  to  the  Discoverer  “  whose  bones  are  found  here  at  our  side.  ” 
Even  then  it  is  extremely  doubtful  if  the  worshipping  congrega¬ 
tion  saw  with  their  eyes  the  tomb  of  Columbus.  Tradition,  the 
spoken  word  passing  from  father  to  son,  from  sacristan  to  sac¬ 
ristan,  from  bishop  to  bishop,  alone  pointed  to  the  High  Altar 
and  the  Gospel  side,  but  to  no  stone,  no  tablet,  no  vault.  Two 
Spanish  writers,  Coleti  and  Alcedo,  writing  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  affirm  that  the  remains  were  lodged  in  the  Cathedral 
Church,  but  neither  claims  to  have  seen  them  himself  or  to  have 
known  their  exact  location. 

In  the  year  1780  Moreau  de  Saint-Mery  went  to  San  Do¬ 
mingo  to  study  the  island  and  write  a  description  of  its  condi¬ 
tion.  When  he  sought  to  locate  the  remains  of  Columbus — a 
natural  step  in  his  study  of  the  history  and  antiquities  of  the 
island — he  found  nothing  beyond  indefinite  and  obscure  tradi¬ 
tion.  He  finally,  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1783,  wrote  to 
his  friend,  Don  Jose  Solano,  Lieutenant-General  of  the  Spanish 
fleet  and  formerly  Governor  of  Espahola.  Solano  wrote  to  his 
successor,  Don  Isidore  Peralta,  then  Governor  of  the  island,  and 
in  time  elicited  a  reply  interesting  in  its  character.  The  re¬ 
sponse  included  three  signed  documents  or  certificates,  as 
follows : 

“Voila  la  piece  envoyde  par  Don  Isidore  Peralta  &  que  je  possede, 
revetue  de  toutes  les  formes  Idgales. 


534 


535 


The  Discovery  of  1783 

“Moi  D.  Joseph  Nugnez  de  Caseres,  docteur  en  la  sacree  theologie  de 
la  pontificale  &  royale  universite  de  I’Angelique  S. -Thomas  d’Acquin,  doyen 
dignitaire  de  cette  sainte  eglise  metropolitaine  &  primatiale  des  Indes; 
certific  que  le  sanctuaire  de  cette  sainte  eglise  cathedrale  ayant  ete  abattue 
le  30  Janvier  dernier,  pour  le  construire  de  nouveau,  on  a  trouve,  du  cote 
de  la  tribune  ou  chante  I’evangile,  &  pres  de  la  porte  par  ou  Ton  monte 
a  I’escalier  de  la  chambre  capitulaire,  un  coffre  de  pierre,  creux,  de  forme 
cubique,  &  haut  d’environ  une  vare,'  renfermant  une  urne  de  plomb,  un 
peu  endommagee,  qui  contenait  plusieurs  ossemens  humains.  II  y  a 
quelcjues  annees  que  dans  la  meme  circonstance,  ce  que  je  certific,  on 
trouva,  de  cote  de  I’epitre,  une  autre  caisse  de  pierre  semblable,  &  d’apres 
la  tradition  communiquee  par  les  anciens  du  pays  &  un  chapitre  du  sinode 
de  cette  sainte  eglise  cathedrale,  cede  du  cote  de  I’evangile,  est  reputee 
renfermer  les  os  de  I’amiral  Christophe  Colomb,  &  cede  de  cote  de  I’epitre 
ceux  de’son  frere,  sans  qu’on  ait  pu  verifier  si  ce  sont  ceux  de  son  frere 
D.  Barthelemy,  ou  de  D.  Diegue  Colomb,  fils  de  I’amiral;  en  foi  de  quoi 
j’ai  delivre  le  present.  A  Santo-Domingo,  le  20  Avril  1783.  Signe;  D. 
Joseph  Nugnez  de  Caseres.  ^ 

“D.  Manuel  Sanchez  chanoine,  dignitaire  &  chantre  de  cette  sainte 
eglise  cathedrale,  certific  &  [comme  le  precedent  mot  a  mot].  A  Santo 
Domingo,  le  26  Avril  1783.  Signe:  Manuel  Sanchez. 

“D.  Pierre  de  Galvez,  maitre  d’ecole,  chanoine  dignitaire  de  cette 
eglise  cathedrale  primatiale  des  Indes;  certific  que  le  sanctuaire  ayant  ete 
renverse  pour  le  reconstruire,  on  a  trouve,  du  cote  de  la  tribune  ou  se 
chante  I’evangile,  un  coffre  de  pierre  avec  une  urne  de  plomb,  un  peu  en¬ 
dommagee,  qui  contenait  des  ossemens  humains;  &  Ton  conserve  la  me- 
moire  qu’ily  en  a  une  entre  du  cote  de  I’epitre  du  meme  genre;  &  selon  ce 
que  rapportent  les  anciens  du  pays  &  un  chapitre  du  sinode  de  cette  sainte 
eglise  cathedrale,  celle  du  cote  de  I’evangile  renferme  les  ossemens  de 
I’amiral  Christophe  Colomb,  &  celle  du  cote  de  I’epitre,  ceux  de  son  frere 
D.  Barthelemy.  En  temoignage  de  quoi  j’ai  delivre  le  present,  le  26  Avril 
1783.  Signe;  D.  Pedro  de  Galvez.”  3 

‘‘Here  is  the  document  forwarded  by  Don  Isidore  Peralta  and  which 
I  hold,  relieved  of  all  its  legal  forms. 

‘‘I,  D.  Joseph  Nugnez  de  Caseres,  Doctor  of  Sacred  Theology  in  the 
Pontifical  and  Royal  University  of  the  Holy  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Senior 
Dignitary  of  this  Holy  Metropolitan  and  Primatial  Church  of  the  Indies, 
certify  that  the  sanctuary  of  this  Holy  Cathedral  Church  having  been  torn 
up  on  January  30  last,  for  the  purpose  of  constructing  it  anew,  there  was 
found  on  that  side  of  the  pulpit  where  the  Gospel  is  sung  and  near  the 
door  leading  to  the  Chapter  room,  a  stone  coffer,  hollow,  cubical  in  form 

*  About  two  feet  and  a  half  in  France. 

®  The  Spanish  form  of  this  name  is  Jose  Nunez  de  Cdceres. 

3  Descr'ipUon  to pograplnque  el  politique  de  la  partie  espagnole  de  I'isle  Saint 
Domingue ,  avec  des  observations  gincrales  sitr  le  cliniat,  la  population,  les  productions, 
etc.,  par  M.  L.  E.  Moreau  de  Saint-Mery,  Membre  de  la  Society  Philosophique  de  Phila- 
delphie.  Tome  premier.  Philadelphie  iyg6.  Pages  127  and  128. 


536 


Christopher  Columbus 

and  about  one  vare  in  height,  inclosing  a  leaden  urn  a  little  damaged, 
which  contained  many  human  bones.  It  is  some  years  since  that  under 
circumstances  similar  to  these  now  recorded,  there  was  found  on  the  epistle 
side,  another  vault  of  the  same  stone  and  according  to  the  tradition  re¬ 
peated  by  the  old  people  of  the  country  and  a  chapter  of  the  synod  of  this 
Holy  Cathedral  Church,  that  on  the  Evangel  [Gospel]  side  is  reputed  to 
inclose  the  bones  of  the  Admiral  Christopher  Columbus,  and  that  on  the 
epistle  side  those  of  his  brother  D.  Bartholomew,  or  of  Don  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus,  son  of  the  Admiral:  in  testimony  of  which  I  have  delivered  this  at 
San  Domingo,  April  20,  1783.  Signed,  D.  Joseph  Nugnez  de  Caseres. 

“1,  D.  Manuel  Sanchez,  Canon,  Dignitary  and  Precentor  of  this  Holy 
Cathedral  Church,  certify,  etc.  [the  same  as  the  preceding,  word  for  word]. 
At  San  Domingo,  April  26,  1783.  Signed,  Manuel  Sanchez. 

“I,  D.  Pierre  de  Galvez,  Master  of  the  School,  Canon  of  this  Primatial 
Cathedral  Church  of  the  Indies,  certify  that  the  sanctuary  having  been 
torn  up  for  the  purpose  of  rebuilding,  there  was  found  on  that  side  of  the 
pulpit  where  the  Gospel  is  chanted,  a  coffin  of  stone  with  a  leaden  urn, 
slightly  damaged,  which  contained  some  human  bones:  and  there  is  pre¬ 
served  a  recollection  that  there  had  been  another  of  the  same  kind  on  the 
Epistle  side;  and  according  to  what  the  old  inhabitants  relate  and  to  what 
is  reported  by  a  Chapter  of  the  Synod  of  this  Holy  Cathedral  Church,  that 
on  the  Gospel  side  incloses  the  bones  of  the  Admiral  Christopher  Columbus, 
and  that  on  the  Epistle  side  incloses  those  of  his  brother  Don  Bartholomew. 
In  testimony  whereof  I  have  delivered  this,  April  26,  1783.  Signed,  D. 
Pedro  de  Galvez.” 

This  testimony,  then,  is  to  the  effect  that,  in  making  repairs 
to  the  Cathedral  in  1783,  there  was  found  on  the  Evangel  or 
Gospel  side  of  the  altar,  a  coffin  of  hollow  stone,  a  little  less 
than  a  metre  in  extent,  probably  meaning  a  stone  vault,  con¬ 
taining  a  damaged  urn  of  lead,  which  held,  according  to  two  of 
the  witnesses,  many  human  bones,  and,  according  to  the  third 
witness,  some  human  bones,  and  which  tradition  said  were  those 
of  the  Admiral  Christopher  Columbus.'  The  remains  were  not 
identified  by  discovering  any  sign  or  mark,  and  tradition  alone 
designated,  the  place  where  they  were  found  as  the  tomb  of  Col¬ 
umbus.  None  of  the  three  witnesses  testifies  to  having  seen  the 
remains  on  the  Epistle  side  of  the  altar.  They  simply  say  that 
years  before  some  remains  had  been  found  on  that  side  in  a 

^  The  reader  will  do  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  tradition  referred  to  the  Ad¬ 
miral  Christopher  Columbus,  or  Cristoval  Colon,  and  there  never  was  another  Ad¬ 
miral  of  that  name.  Cristoval  Colon,  the  brother  to  Don  Lihs,  never  was  Admiral, 
nor  did  he  inherit  his  brother’s  Majorat. 

It  is  always  of  the  First  Admiral  Christopher  Columbus  that  the  voice  of  tra¬ 
dition  speaks. 


537 


The  Discovery  of  1783 

lead  coffin  similar  to  that  found  by  them  on  the  Gospel  side. 
The  lead  coffin  seen  by  the  Canons  Nugnez  de  Caseres,  Manuel 
Sanchez,  and  Pierre  de  Galvez  contained,  say  two  of  the  three 
witnesses,  many  human  bones.  No  attempt,  however,  was  made 
to  enumerate  them  or  to  describe  their  condition.  The  vault 
was  near  to  the  door  leading  into  the  Chapter  room.  This  de¬ 
scription  may  help  determine,  in  case  we  find  two  or  more 
vaults,  which  one  was  found  and  opened  in  1783. 

Moreau  de  Saint- Mery  published  a  very  interesting  account 
of  the  Spanish  part  of  Espanola,  and  in  his  description  of  the 
city  of  San  Domingo  he  gives  the  following  description  of  the 
great  church: 

“The  Cathedral  has  a  nave  and  two  wings.  It  is  in  the  Gothic  style, 
but  abundantly  noble  and  magnificent :  and  merits  admiration  on  account 
of  the  boldness  of  its  vaulted  roof,  which,  notwithstanding  the  earth¬ 
quakes,  the  ravages  of  which  are  but  too  v/ell-known  in  its  neighbourhood, 
has  never  till  within  these  15  or  20  years  had  a  single  flaw.  Begun  1512, 
finished  1540.’’ 

This  testimony  is  valuable,  for  we  have  just  seen  how  per¬ 
tinacious  an  inquirer  he  was,  prosecuting  his  quest  for  informa¬ 
tion  over  two  years  and  finally  appealing  to  influences  higher 
than  his  own.  Tradition  in  that  day  reported  the  church  as 
escaping  the  ravages  of  earthquakes,  so  destructive  in  the  West 
Indies  and  in  Espanola.  If,  then,  we  find  that  neither  hostile 
man  nor  unfriendly  nature  has  disturbed  the  sleep  of  the  dead 
within  the  Cathedral’s  walls,  we  may  expect  their  ashes  still  to 
be  found  when  search  shall  be  made. 


CHAPTER  CXXXIII 


THE  EXHUMATION  OF  1795 

The  time  for  this  search  came  not  long  after  the  canons 
found  the  remains  on  the  Gospel  side  in  the  great  Cathedral. 
Peace  between  two  warring  States,  France  and  Spain,  was  con¬ 
cluded  at  Bale,  July  22,  1795.  The  two  nations  had  for  nearly 
one  hundred  years  shared  the  island  between  them.  The  peace 
which  was  concluded  September  20,  1697,  at  Ryswick,  in  South 
Holland,  by  the  allied  European  Powers,  granted  France  what 
she  never  before  had  possessed, — the  acknowledged  right  to  colo¬ 
nise  any  portion  of  the  island  of  Santo  Domingo.  The  western 
part  of  the  island  was  ceded  to  France,  and  thus,  although 
the  French  had  long  been  on  the  island,  a  permanent  form  was 
given  to  their  occupancy,  and  Spain  experienced  that  territorial 
sacrifice  which  a  century  later  was  to  be  entire  over  Espanola, 
that  island  which  held  the  first  European  settlement  in  the  New 
World.  Article  9  of  this  agreement  made  at  Bale,  July  22, 
1795,  provided  that  Spain  should  cede  to  France  the  territory 
which  she  possessed  in  the  island  of  Espanola  or  Santo  Domingo. 
For  the  purpose  of  formally  making  this  transfer  in  the  closing 
days  of  the  same  year,  a  Spanish  squadron  under  the  command 
of  Lieutenant-General  of  the  Royal  Armada,  Don  Gabriel  de 
Aristizabel,  was  anchored  in  front  of  the  city  of  San  Domingo. 
The  French  Government  had  not  sent  the  promised  commis¬ 
sioners  to  take  possession,  and  this  delay  confined  negotiation 
to  Spanish  interests.  Under  date  of  December  ii,  1795,  Gen¬ 
eral  Aristizabel  sent  an  official  communication  to  the  Camp 
Marshal  and  Governor,  Don  Joaquin  Garcia,  saying  he  was  in¬ 
formed  that  there  were  then  lying  in  the  Cathedral  the  remains 
of  the  celebrated  Admiral  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  first  Dis¬ 
coverer  of  the  New  World  and  the  first  instrument  of  which 


538 


539 


The  Exhumation  of  1795 

God  made  use  in  spreading  in  those  regions  the  true  religion 
and  sacred  evangel;  that  it  appeared  proper  to  his  obligation 
as  a  Spaniard  and  a  soldier  to  solicit  the  removal  of  the  Hero’s 
ashes  to  the  island  of  Cuba,  also  discovered  by  him,  to  avoid 
their  remaining  in  possession  of  a  foreign  Power.  He  desired  to 
show  other  nations  that  notwithstanding  the  lapse  of  centuries 
the  Spaniards  had  not  ceased  to  pay  honours  to  the  body  of 
such  a  deserving  and  fortunate  General  of  the  Sea,  and  that 
they  did  not  abandon  it  when  all  that  represented  Spanish  do¬ 
minion  emigrated  from  that  island:  that  as  there  was  no  time 
to  communicate  with  his  Majesty,  it  devolved  upon  the  Govern¬ 
ment  to  order  the  exhumation  of  the  remains  of  Columbus  and 
their  removal  to  Cuba.  The  same  day  the  Governor  replied  to 
General  Aristizabel,  manifesting  his  readiness  to  do  all  in  his 
power  in  accomplishing  his  wise  and  patriotic  proposition,  add¬ 
ing  that  the  Duke  of  Veragua,  heir  of  the  house  and  estate  of 
Admiral  Columbus,  had  already  expressed  solicitude  in  this 
matter  and  had  commissioned  Don  Juan  Baptista  Oyarzabal  and 
Don  Andrez  de  Lecanda,  in  that  island,  in  connection  with  the 
Regent  of  the  Royal  Audience  Chamber,  to  take  steps  necessary 
to  that  end  and  even  to  defray  the  necessary  expenses,  in  order 
that  so  glorious  a  monument  might  not  remain  outside  the 
Spanish  dominions,  and  suggesting  that  the  remains  of  the 
Adelantado  Bartholomew  Columbus  should  also  be  solicited; 
and  that  although  his  Majesty  had  issued  no  orders  in  this  par¬ 
ticular,  the  proposition  being  so  just  and  proper  to  the  generous 
gratitude  of  the  Spanish  nation,  he  was  ready  to  direct  the 
removal. 

On  this  same  day,  December  ii,  1795,  General  Aristizabel 
communicated  his  proposition  and  request  to  the  Illustrious 
Father  Fernando  Portillo  y  Torres,  Archbishop  of  Cuba,  whose 
Archiepiscopal  Church  was  then  in  San  Domingo,  declaring 
with  a  touch  of  true  diplomacy  that  he  owed  his  inspiration  for 
this  proposition  to  his  Lordship.  And  upon  the  same  date, 
still  December  it,  1795,  the  Archbishop  replied  that  the  adop¬ 
tion  of  the  idea  proved  the  merit  of  General  Aristizabel,  and 
that  he  would  use  whatever  powers  he  believed  opportune  and 
efficacious  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  project.  The  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  the  Duke  of  \^eragua.  the  venerable  Dean  and 
Chapter  of  the  Cathedral  Church,  and  all  others  in  authority  to 


540 


Christopher  Columbus 

whom  General  Aristizabel  sent  similar  communications,  ap¬ 
proved  this  design  and  offered  their  services  for  its  execution. 
What  follows  is  according  to  the  testimony  of  Josef  Francisco 
Hidalgo,  who  then  filled  the  office  of  Clerk  of  the  Royal  Audience 
Chamber,  and  who  declared  as  follows: 

“On  December  20  of  the  year  1795,  there  being  in  the  Holy  Cathedral 
Church,  the  Commissioner  Don  Gregorio  Savinon,  Perpetual  Governor, 
Senor  of  the  Very  Illustrious  Ayuntamiento  of  the  city  of  San  Domingo, 
assisted  by  the  Illustrious  and  Reverend  Don  Fr.  Fernando  Portillo  y 
Torres,  Archbishop  of  that  church,  his  Excellency  Don  Gabriel  de  Aristiz¬ 
abel,  Lieutenant  General  of  the  Royal  Armada,  Don  Antonio  Cansi,  Gen¬ 
eral  of  Brigade  and  Deputy  of  the  Fling  for  that  Plaza,  Don  Antonio  Barba, 
Camp  Marshal  and  Commander  of  Engineers,  Don  Ignacio  de  la  Rocha, 
Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Major  of  the  same,  and  other  persons  of  rank  and 
consideration, — a  vault  was  opened  which  was  in  the  presbytery  beside 
the  Evangel,  the  principal  wall  and  pedestal  of  the  High  Altar,  which  is 
about  a  cubic  yard,  and  in  it  were  found  some  plates  of  lead  about  a  third 
of  a  yard  long,  indicating  there  having  been  a  box  of  said  metal,  and  pieces 
of  bones  of  the  shin  and  other  various  parts  of  some  defunct,  which  were 
gathered  in  a  salver  and  all  the  earth  which  was  with  them,  which  by  the 
fragments  with  which  it  was  mixed,  was  known  to  be  relics  of  that  corpse, 
and  the  whole  was  placed  in  a  gilded  coffin  of  lead  with  an  iron  lock,  which 
was  locked  and  the  key  was  delivered  to  the  Archbishop.  The  box  is 
about  half  a  yard  long  and  about  half  a  yard  wide,  and  about  a  third  of  a 
yard  deep :  and  it  was  removed  to  a  coffin  lined  with  black  velvet  trimmed 
with  gold  lace  and  fringe:  and  being  placed  in  a  suitable  tomb,  the  follow¬ 
ing  day  with  the  assistance  of  the  Illustrious  Archbishop,  the  Commander 
General  of  the  Armada,  Communities  of  Dominicans,  Franciscans  and  Mer- 
cenarios,'  military  Commanders  of  the  sea  and  land,  and  other  illustrious 
personages  and  people  of  the  town,  the  office  of  the  dead  and  mass  were 
solemnly  sung,  the  Archbishop  afterward  preaching. 

“The  same  day  at  about  4  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  Lords  of  the 
Royal  Assembly  went  to  the  same  Holy  Metropolitan  Church,  to  wit;  The 
President  Governor,  Camp  Marshal  Don  Joaquin  Garcia,  Captain  General 
of  the  island;  Don  Josef  Antonio  de  Urizar,  Knight  of  the  Order  of  Charles 
III.,  Minister  of  the  Council  of  the  Indies,  Regent  of  the  Royal  Audience 
Chamber;  and  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Don  Pedro  Catani,  Senior 
Don  Manuel  Bravo,  Knight  of  the  same  order  of  Charles  III.,  with  the 
honours  and  antiquity  of  the  Order  of  Mexico,  Don  Melchor  de  Foncerrada 
and  Don  Andres  Alvarez  Calderon,  Attorney  General.  On  their  arrival 
there  were  already  gathered  in  the  cathedral,  the  Illustrious  Archbishop, 
his  Excellency  Senor  Aristizabel,  the  Cathedral  Chapter  and  the  Chapters 
of  the  Beneficiaries  of  the  city  and  the  Religious  communities,  with  a  large 

•  Mercenaries  is  the  name  applied  to  the  monks  of  the  Order  of  La  Merced. 


541 


The  Exhumation  of  1795 

military  detachment,  their  band  in  mourning;  and  the  Governor  and 
Regent,  the  Judges,  Senior  and  Urizar  taking  the  coffin,  it  was  conducted 
by  them  to  the  principal  door  of  the  church,  where  the  said  gentlemen  re¬ 
tiring,  there  was  substituted  for  them  the  Senores  Judge  Foncerrada  and 
Attorney  General  Calderon.  As  the  coffin  passed  out  of  the  church  it  was 
saluted  with  military  volleys  from  the  detachment  of  soldiers  in  attend¬ 
ance.  In  continuation  the  Camp  Marshal  and  Commander  of  Engineers, 
Don  Antonio  Barba,  the  Brigadier  Commander  of  Militia  Don  Joaquin 
Cabrera,  the  General  of  Brigade  and  Deputy  of  the  King,  Don  Antonio 
Cansi  took  the  coffin;  and  the  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  of  Cantabria,  Don 
Gaspar  de  Casasola,  and  alternating  with  them  in  its  transfer  the  other 
military  Commanders  according  to  the  order  and  antiquity  of  their  rank, 
as  far  as  the  land  gate  which  leads  to  the  sea;  and  the  Aldermen  of  the 
Very  Illustrious  Ayuntamiento,  Don  Gregorio  Savihon,  Senior  Don  Miguel 
Martinez  Santelices,  Don  Francisco  de  Tapia,  and  Don  Francisco  de  Arre¬ 
dondo,  Alcalde  of  the  Holy  Fraternity,  took  it  there.  As  the  coffin  passed 
outside  the  walls  a  halt  was  made,  there  was  a  responsive  chant,  and  dur¬ 
ing  this  it  was  saluted  from  the  Plaza  with  fifteen  guns,  the  salvo  due  an 
Admiral.  In  continuation  the  Governor  Captain  General  took  the  key  of 
the  coffin  from  the  hand  of  the  Archbishop,  and  delivered  it  to  the  Com¬ 
mander  of  the  Armada,  that  he  might  deliver  it  to  the  Sehor  Governor  of 
Havana,  as  a  trust,  while  his  Majesty  determined  what  would  be  his 
Sovereign  pleasure. 

“With  the  same  ceremony  the  coffin  was  carried  to  the  shore  and  de¬ 
posited  in  the  brig  Desctibridor,  which  together  with  all  the  vessels  of  the 
Royal  Armada  displayed  badges  of  mourning,  and  they  saluted  it  with  the 
honours  and  treatment  due  to  an  Admiral. 

“From  the  port  of  San 'Domingo  the  coffin  was  taken  to  the  bay  of 
Ocoa,  and  there  transported  to  the  ship  Sail  Lorenzo,  to  be  carried  to 
Havana  with  orders  that  the  funeral  honours  which  had  already  been  ren¬ 
dered  in  San  Domingo  appropriate  to  the  dignity  of  Admiral,  should  be 
paid  to  the  ashes  which  it  inclosed;  and  advising  likewise  that  a  picture 
of  Columbus  also  accompanied  it  which  was  sent  from  Spain  by  the  Duke 
of  Veragua,  and  which  was  to  be  placed  contiguous  to  the  place  in  which 
the  ashes  of  his  illustrious  ancestor  should  be  deposited. 

“The  Captain  General  of  San  Domingo,  Don  Joaquin  Garcia,  under 
date  of  Dec.  21,  1795,  acquainted  Don  Luis  de  las  Casas,  Governor  and 
Captain  General  of  the  Island  of  Cuba,  with  everything,  advising  him  that 
the  Archbishop,  General  Aristizabel,  the  Regent  of  the  Audience  Chamber, 
and  the  other  authorities  were  writing  by  that  mail  to  the  Bishop  and  to 
the  Commander  of  Marine  of  Havana,  so  that  each  one  on  his  part  should 
make  the  proper  arrangements  for  the  reception  and  deposit  of  the  remains 
of  Columbus  in  the  Cathedral  Church,  with  due  decorum  and  hon¬ 
ours.  The  Commander  General  of  Marine,  Don  Juan  de  Araoz,  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  these  advices,  communicated  with  his  Excellency  the  Governor 
and  Captain  General,  and  the  illustrious  Diocesan  Bishop,  in  order  to 


542 


Christopher  Columbus 

agree  upon  the  powers  which  belonged  to  each  one,  as  they  entered  into 
the  matter  with  great  zeal.  They  agreed  unanimously  that  the  function 
should  be  performed  with  all  due  pomp  and  grandeur,  and  they  arranged 
tliat  the  box  which  contained  the  relics  of  such  an  illustrious  General  should 
be  placed  beside  the  Evangel  in  the  Holy  Cathedral  Church  with  the  cor¬ 
responding  inscription  on  the  stone  of  the  sepulchre,  the  Archbishop  assist¬ 
ing  and  officiating  ‘  de  Pontifical  ’  in  order  to  make  such  a  singular  function 
more  solemn  and  ostentatious.  The  Governor  and  Captain  General  also 
replied  to  Don  Juan  de  Araoz,  January  15,  1796,  that  he  would  assist  with 
the  Commanders  and  officials  of  high  rank  in  the  Plaza,  in  concurrence 
with  the  ecclesiastical  and  secular  Chapters  in  receiving  the  depositary 
box  on  the  Caballeria  wharf  with  all  due  solemnity,  and  in  conducting  it 
to  the  Holy  Cathedral  Church;  which  could  be  effected  Tuesday,  January 
19,  1796,  at  8  o’clock  in  the  morning,  which  day  and  hour  were  agreeable 
to  the  Bishop. 

“The  principal  authorities  having  agreed  in  this  matter,  the  Com¬ 
mander  General  of  Marine,  Don  Juan  de  Araoz,  at  7  o’clock  in  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  day  fixed,  went  on  board  the  ship  San  Lorenzo,  accompanied 
by  the  Commander  of  Squadron  Don  Francisco  Javier  Munoz,  the  Briga¬ 
diers  Don  Carlos  de  la  Riviere,  Don  Francisco  Herrara  Cruzat,  the  Captain 
Don  Juan  de  Herrera,  the  principal  Minister  of  Marine,  Don  Domingo 
Pavia,  the  Senior  General  of  the  Squadron  Don  Cosme  de  Carranza,  and 
others,  and  by  Don  Josef  Miguel  Izquierdo,  Clerk  of  War  and  Marine;  and 
all  being  united  there,  the  Commander  of  the  ship,  Don  Tomas  de  Ugarte, 
made  formal  delivery  into  the  hands  of  the  Commander  General  Araoz  of 
the  coffin  and  box  which  inclosed  the  ashes  of  the  Admiral  Columbus  and 
of  the  key  with  which  it  was  locked,  and  which  was  the  same  as  the  one 
he  had  received  in  the  anchorage  of  Ocoa,  from  Don  Pedro  Pantoja,  Com¬ 
mander  of  the  brig  Desciibridor,  to  be  carried  to  the  port  of  Havana  by 
order  of  General  Aristizabel. 

“  Possession  of  everything  being  taken,  Don  Juan  de  Araoz  ordered  the 
coffin  removed  to  a  felucca  which  was  prepared  beside  t|ie  ship,  which  was 
done  by  the  Generals  of  Brigade  Herrera  and  Ugarte,  who  proceeded  to 
land  in  the  same  felucca,  in  the  midst  of  the  other  feluccas  and  boats  of  the 
King,  which  formed  in  three  columns  and  which  were  adorned  and  em¬ 
bellished  with  the  greatest  propriety,  and  carrying  all  the  officials  of  War 
and  Ministry.  Two  other  feluccas  followed  the  principal  felucca,  which 
carried  the  Marine  Guard  of  Honour  with  their  banners  and  drums  in 
mourning,  and  the  Commander  General,  the  principal  Minister  of  Marine 
and  the  ‘Plana  Mayor’  went  in  another:  and  on  passing  near  the  war 
vessels  anchored  in  the  port,  they  rendered  the  honours  of  an  Admiral  or 
Captain  General  of  the  Armada,  proceeding  in  this  manner  to  the  wharf, 
where  the  Governor  Captain  General  of  the  Island  was  found,  accompanied 
by  the  Generals  and  ‘Plana  Mayor’  of  the  Plaza. 

“The  coffin  being  disembarked  by  the  same  persons  who  took  it  from 
the  vessel,  they  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  four  members  of  the  Chapter  and 


543 


The  Exhumation  of  1795 

followed  the  latter,  exchanging  it  and  carrying  it  between  two  files  of 
infantry  troops  which  lined  the  street  as  far  as  the  Plaza  de  Armas  in  front 
of  the  Obelisk,  where  the  first  mass  in  that  city  was  celebrated.  And  the 
coffin  being  placed  in  a  becoming  pantheon  which  was  prepared  for  that 
purpose,  the  contents  of  the  box  were  verified,  after  which  it  was  delivered 
to  the  Governor  and  Captain  General  of  the  Island. 

“This  Act  being  concluded,  the  function  continued  with  all  majesty  and 
pomp  to  the  cathedral,  where  after  the  most  solemn  offices  which  the  Rev¬ 
erend  Bishop  celebrated  ‘de  Pontifical,’  the  coffin  and  box  which  contained 
the  ashes  of  the  Great  Columbus  were  placed  in  one  of  the  walls  of  the 
High  Altar  beside  the  Evangel,  with  fitting  inscriptions.  The  ecclesiastical 
and  secular  Chapters,  the  Bodies  and  Communities  of  all  the  nobility  and 
principal  persons  of  Havana,  witnessed  these  honours  and  ceremonies,  in 
proof  of  their  high  estimation  and  respectful  memory  of  the  hero  who  dis¬ 
covered  that  island,  who  first  planted  there  the  sign  of  the  Cross  and  pro¬ 
pagated  amidst  its  natives  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ;  for  which  reasons  the 
city  of  Havana  eagerly  desired  that  the  deposit  should  remain  there  per¬ 
manently,  since  as  circumstances  had  obliged  that  the  will  of  Columbus  in 
ordering  the  deposit  of  his  mortal  remains  should  not  be  followed,  there 
was  no  Province  after  the  island  of  Espahola,  which  had  a  higher  right 
than  Havana  to  their  possession. 

“These  reports  taken  from  authorised  depositions  in  San  Domingo, 
Dec.  22,  1795,  by  Don  Josef  Francisco  Hidalgo,  Royal  Notary  Public, 
holding  the  office  of  Clerk  of  that  Royal  Audience,  and  in  Havana,  Janu¬ 
ary  25,  1796,  by  Don  Josef  Miguel  Izquierdo,  Clerk  of  War  and  Marine  for 
his  Majesty  in  said  city  —  were  heard  with  great  satisfaction  by  the  King, 
our  Lord,  and  he  approved  all  that  had  been  done  with  so  worthy  an  object, 
in  Havana  as  well  as  in  San  Domingo,  according  to  his  Royal  Resolutions 
of  March  25  and  May  25, 1796,  taken  by  the  Ministers  of  State  and  Marine.’’ 

Yet  another  century,  and  another  discomfiture  comes  to  the 
kingdom  of  Spain.  Again  she  has  been  at  war  and  again  her 
arms  are  forced  from  an  island  in  the  New  World.  Cuba  is  hers 
no  longer.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  Spain  that  she  asked  to  take 
with  her  the  coffin  which  held  what  she  believes  to  be  the  mortal 
remains  of  him  who  had  given  her,  four  hundred  years  before, 
that  beautiful  island  of  the  Antilles.  The  request  was  granted, 
and  on  December  12,  1898,  there  departed  out  of  the  Cathedral 
at  Havana  on  a  new  Odyssey  the  bones  which  were  deposited 
there  as  the  remains  of  Columbus  a  century  before.  The  Spanish 
cruiser  Condede  Venadito'  conveyed  the  coffin  across  the  Atlantic, 

'  It  was  upon  the  Conde  de  Venadito  that  the  little  King  Alfonso  XIII.  and  the 
Queen  Regent  Maria  Christina  came  from  Cadiz  on  their  visit  to  the  port  of  Palos 
and  La  Rabida  on  October  ii,  1892. 

The  Royal  Family  took  part  in  the  ceremonies  in  La  Rabida  on  the  same  day, 


544 


Christopher  Columbus 

and  on  the  morning  of  January  17,  1899,  entered  the  harbour  of 
Cadiz,  where  a  salutation  of  artillery  aeknowledged  the  arrival. 
In  the  presence  of  the  civil,  military,  and  ecclesiastical  author¬ 
ities  the  result  of  the  proces  verbal  at  Havana  was  presented 
and  the  coffin  was  opened.  And  what  was  found  ?  That  which 
had  been  found  one  hundred  years  before,  according  to  the 
report  made  by  the  notary  Hidalgo, — “  Pedazos  de  huesos  de 
algun  defimto":  “Fragments  of  the  bones  of  some  deceased 
person.’’  The  coffin  was  then  transferred  to  the  steam  yacht 
Giralda,  and  on  January  19,  1899,  the  little  vessel  threaded  its 
way  up  the  Guadalquivir  to  Seville,  halting  at  the  pier  of  San 
Elmo,  in  view  of  the  Tower  of  Gold.  Here  came  the  authorities, 
headed  by  the  Duke  of  Veragua,  ex-Minister  of  Public  Works  and 
heir  to  the  faded  honours  and  vanished  fortunes  of  the  great 
Discoverer.  The  coffin  was  saluted  with  volleys  from  all  the 
artillery  of  the  city,  such  a  salute  as  is  prescribed  for  the  dead 
commander-general  of  a  fortified  city.  From  the  pier  to  the 
door  of  the  Cathedral  two  lines  of  troops  formed  an  imposing 
military  aisle,  through  which  the  coffin  was  solemnly  borne  to 
the  Metropolitan  Church,  where  it  was  received  by  the  Arch¬ 
bishop,  Monseigneur  Spinola;  the  Captain-General  of  Seville, 
Sehor  Orchando;  the  clergy  of  the  diocese,  the  Prefect,  Mayor, 
and  other  civil  and  military  authorities.'  Provisionally,  and 

when  in  the  principal  salle  of  the  Convent,  the  chamber  in  which  Christopher  Co¬ 
lumbus  revealed  to  Father  Marchena  his  designs,  there  were  set  up  telegraphic  in¬ 
struments  to  repeat  simultaneously  to  all  parts  of  the  world  each  word,  oratorical  or 
ceremonial ,  as  it  fell  from  the  speaker’s  lips, — itself  speaking  of  a  wonderful  discovery 
and  disclosing  its  practical  utility. 

'  A  commemorative  medal  was  made  for  the  occasion,  on  the  face  of  which 
appears  an  imaginative  portrait  of  Columbus,  encircled  by  the  following  words: 

‘‘Sevilla  Recibe  Los  Reslos  de  Colon” :  “  Seville  Receives  the  Remains  of  Columbus.” 

On  the  reverse,  between  two  branches  of  laurel,  forming  a  wreath,  the  traditional 
Sevillian  motto,  “No  8  Do.” 


This  motto  appeared  on  the  facade  of  the  Town  Hall  for  the  first  time  in  the 
sixteenth  century  and  found  its  way  into  municipal  documents  during  the  seventeenth 
century.  It  is  therefore  not  contemporaneous  with  Columbus.  This  motto  some¬ 
times  replaced  and  sometimes  was  united  with  the  real  Seal  of  Seville, — San  Fernando 


The  Exhumation  of  1795  545 

until  a  fitting  monument  is  completed,  these  remains  will  rest 
beneath  the  principal  altar  of  the  Cathedral  of  Seville,  an  object 
of  veneration  to  the  people  of  Spain. 

with  the  two  Bishops.  The  eminent  Spanish  antiquarian,  Don  Jos6  Gestoso,  Keeper 
of  the  Municipal  Archives  of  Seville,  interprets  the  motto  as  a  simple  knot, —  nudo 
or  nodo, —  signifying  a  union  between  the  people  and  the  King.  Some  have  thought 
that  the  King,  Alonso  el  Sabio,  gave  this  motto  to  the  city  for  its  support  of  the 
Crown,  but  this  is  not  the  opinion  of  Senor  Gestoso.  The  vulgar  legend  interpreta¬ 
tion  of  the  motto  is  no  m’ adeia  do. — “Has  not  abandoned  me,”  the  two  words  m’ adeia 
being  represented  by  the  one  word  madeja,  resulting  from  the  play  on  words  and 
meaning  a  skein  or  knot. 

VOL.  in.— 35. 


CHAPTER  CXXXIV 

THE  CATHEDRAL’S  INTERIOR 

What,  then,  were  the  eontents  of  the  coffin  which  in  the 
month  of  January  in  the  year  1899  was  deposited  in  the  Cathe¬ 
dral  Church  of  Seville?  They  were  certified  to  be  the  same 
“fragments  of  bones  of  some  deceased  person”  which  had  been 
transferred  to  the  Cathedral  Church  of  Havana  in  the  month 
of  January  in  the  year  1796. 

Whence  came  the  “  fragments  of  bones  of  some  deceased 
person”  thus  transferred  to  the  Cathedral  Church  of  Havana? 
They  were  found  in  the  year  1783  in  a  stone  vault,  in  a  broken 
leaden  box  at  the  right  of  the  High  Altar  in  the  Capilla  Mayor, 
near  the  door  leading  into  the  Chapter  Room  of  the  Cathedral 
Church  of  Santo  Domingo  The  box  or  vault  bore  no  indica¬ 
tions  of  its  contents. 

Tradition  said  that  in  this  locality  were  the  remains  of  Chris¬ 
topher  Columbus,  the  First  Admiral  of  the  Indies  and  the  Dis¬ 
coverer  of  the  New  World.  To  establish  the  identity  of  these 
“fragments”  and  to  locate  the  veritable  remains  of  Christopher 
Columbus  shall  now  form  the  subject  of  our  inquiry. 

The  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo,  begun  in  the  year  1514 
and  still  unfinished  in  1540,  had  long  been  the  primatial  church 
of  the  island.  It  is  said  to  have  been  constructed  in  imitation 
of  some  church  in  Rome,  but  we  imagine  the  model  was  not 
closely  followed.  If  its  exterior  presents  no  great  degree  of 
artistic  excellence,  it  answers  one  essential  requirement  of  archi¬ 
tecture,  adaptation  of  the  building  to  the  conditions  of  its  site. 
The  earth  on  which  its  stones  are  laid  is  unstable.  Earth¬ 
quakes  are  of  frequent  occurrence.  A  lofty  structure  with  a 
vast,  unsupported  dome  might  fall  when  the  ground  trembled. 

546 


The  Cathedral’s  Interior 


547 


Hence,  unlike  a  Continental  ecclesiastical  edifice,  it  is  low,  long, 
and  lateral.  It  stands  at  one  side  of  the  great  square,  outside 
of  which  Drake  drew  his  cordon  more  than  three  hundred  years 
ago.  Over  the  arched  central  doorway  is  a  thin  loggia.  The 
facade  is  not  ornamented  or  carved.  The  west  front  of  the  edi¬ 
fice  is  much  more  liberally  treated,  the  two  upper  niches  having 
large  statues  of  Saint  Joseph  and  Saint  Michael,  and  four  smaller 
figures  occupying  the  lower  divisions.  One  mounts  to  the  roof 
by  a  spiral  staircase  of  stone,  and  an  extensive  view  repays  the 
slight  trouble  of  ascension.  From  this  roof  were  fired  the  can¬ 
non  which  had  been  mounted  to  defend  the  town  when  the 
English  attacked  the  French  in  1809,  and  here  is  still  preserved, 
embedded  in  the  walls,  a  bomb-shell  sent  in  response.  When 
once  we  are  entered,  the  building  seems  large,  dignified,  and 
imposing.  As  we  look  up  we  see  the  appropriate  derivation  of 
the  name  which  designates  that  central  part,  for  in  this  instance 
the  nave  indeed  resembles  the  inverted  hull  of  a  ship.  The 
pillars  are  massive,  and  they  spring  aloft  into  the  groined  ceiling 
with  grace  and  beauty.  The  chapel  on  our  right — the  reader 
must  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  really  the  left  side,  as  the  direction 
properly  should  be  determined  from  the  altar — is  the  Capilla  de 
Jesus  en  la  Cohimna,  containing  the  image  much  worshipped, 
called  La  Sehora  de  Buen  Sucesos.  The  next  chapel  is  dedicated 
to  La  Virgen  de  Colon.  It  takes  its  name  from  a  very  ancient 
painting  said  to  have  been  a  gift  from  the  Spanish  Sovereigns, 
and  to  have  been  brought  to  this  country  by  Columbus.  The 
Dominicans  especially  venerate  the  next  chapel,  San  Franeisco 
de  Paida,  which  contains  the  great  cross  said  to  have  been 
erected  in  San  Domingo  and  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
Cathedral.  The  cross  is  nearly  three  metres  high,  and  across 
the  arms  is  the  inscription: 

“  EsT.\  ES  L.4  INSIGNI.V  PRIMERA  QUE  SE  PLANTO  en  el  CENTRO  DE  ESTA 
CAMPO  PARA  D.4R  PRINCIPIO  A  ESTE  MAGNIFICO  TEMPLO,  EL  ANO  DE  M.D.XIV.” 

“This  is  the  first  token  which  was  placed  in  the  centre  of  this  field  as 
a  beginning  to  this  magnificent  temple  in  the  year  1514.” 

The  chapel  next  in  order  as  we  advance  to  the  altar  is  Sanc- 
tissima  Sacramento,  and  contains  portraits  of  the  twelve  Apostles, 
said  to  be  the  work  of  Velasquez.  The  sacristan  affirms  that 


548 


Christopher  Columbus 

the  painting  of  the  \hrgin  in  the  chapel  is  by  Murillo.  Between 
this  and  the  next  chapel  is  the  Piicrta  dc  BauHsmo  (Door  of  Bap¬ 
tism).  The  Capilla  dc  Bantismo  is  beyond  the  door  of  the  same 
name,  and  then  comes  the  Moresque  Capilla  del  Adelantado 
Rodrigo  dc  Bastidcs,  and  of  special  interest  to  us,  as  it  is  in  a 
small  cell  opening  from  it  where  are  now  preserved  the  alleged 
remains  of  Christopher  Columbus.  Rodrigo  de  Bastides,  him¬ 
self  a  discoverer  and  explorer,  died  in  July,  1527.  We  do  not 
know  when  his  remains  were  transferred  to  the  Cathedral,  but 
there  seems  to  have  been  no  attempt  to  conceal  the  inscription 
which  identified  his  tomb.  The  altar  Ave  Maria  is  at  the  left 
of  the  chapel,  and  behind  the  altar  is  the  presbytery  and  the 
vault  where  were  found  the  remains  of  Don  Luis  Columbus,  the 
third  Admiral. 

Returning  to  the  western  door  called  La  Puerta  de  San 
Pedro  and  pursuing  our  way  toward  the  altar,  we  pass  six 
chapels,  of  which  the  first  is  La  Capilla  de  Jesus  Predicador. 
Then  we  come  to  three  others  of  which  the  importance  is  small, 
except  that  the  third  contains  a  tomb  with  the  date  1524.  This 
brings  us  to  the  Puerta  de  Perdon,  or  Door  of  Pardon.  An  in¬ 
scription  over  the  door  declares  that  the  edifice  was  completed 
to  this  point  in  the  year  1527.  To  the  east  of  this  door  is  the 
chapel  dedicated  to  La  Virgen  de  Dolores,  containing  the  tomb 
of  an  archbishop  who  died  in  the  year  1858.  The  adjoining 
chapel  is  appropriately  named  Las  Animas,  a  privilegio  granted 
by  Pope  Benedict  XIV.,  giving  the  right  of  rescue  of  one  soul 
from  purgatory  to  whomsoever  shall  say  a  mass  within  its 
walls.  Of  the  chapels  on  this  side,  the  right  side  of  the  altar, 
the  two  most  interesting  are  the  Capilla  de  Santa  Reliquia  at 
the  eastern  end,  which  is  said  to  contain  a  piece  of  the  famous 
True  Cross  of  Santo  Cerro;  and  the  Capilla  Alta  Gracia  at  the 
western  end,  not  for  itself,  but  because  opposite  it  is  buried 
Gonzalo  de  Oviedo  y  Valdes,’'  the  Historian  of  the  Indies. 

Such  a  church  as  this  must  often  have  been  under  the  hand 
of  the  restorer  and  repairer.  Its  growing  and  important  func- 

^  This  writer  was  born  at  Madrid  in  1478.  As  a  lad  he  is  said  to  have  seen 
Columbus  on  his  return  from  his  first  voyage,  when  he  was  received  at  Barcelona  by 
the  Spanish  Sovereigns.  He  was  once  Governor  of  Carthagena  and  held  various 
offices  of  trust.  He  died  in  Valladolid  in  the  year  1557.  He  was  in  1533  Alcalde  of 
the  fortress  of  San  Domingo.  Ober,  in  his  interesting  book,  In  the  Wake  of  Columbus, 
accepts  this  statement  as  to  the  burial  of  Oviedo  in  the  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo. 


Original,  Altered,  and  Enlarged  Plans  of  the  Presbytery. 

Explanation  of  diagrams  of  pen-and-ink  sketches  of  the  Capilla  Mayor  in  the  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo; 

Vault  supposed  to  have  contained  remains  of  Christopher  Columbus,  when  opened  September 
lo,  1877. 

B.  Vault  supposed  to  have  contained  remains  of  Don  Diego,  removed  to  Havana  in  179=5. 

;  C.  Vault  su])posed  to  contain  remains  of  Don  Luis  Columbus. 

D.  Vault  supposed  to  contain  remains  of  Don  Juan  Sanchez  Ramirez. 

E.  Vault  supposed  to  contain  remains  of  unknown  dead. 

F.  Door  leading  to  the  Chapter  Room. 

G.  Door  in  the  old  Presbytery. 

H.  The  High  Altar. 

I.  Tribune  for  the  Gospels. 

J .  Tribune  for  the  Epistles. 

A.  Steps  leading  to  the  High  Altar,  altered  with  the  enlargements  of  the  Presbytery. 


549 


550 


Christopher  Columbus 

tions,  we  might  suppose,  would  require  certain  enlargements  for 
the  sake  of  conscience.  We  find  that  just  such  improvements 
were  undertaken  at  certain  intervals.  When  the  edifice  was 
first  built  the  presbytery  had  the  following  dimensions:  4.50 
metres  in  length,  2  metres  in  depth,  at  the  end  of  which  was 
erected  the  principal  altar.  In  the  year  1783  the  presbytery 
was  enlarged  and  carried  out  into  the  church  to  a  total  length 
of  8.76  metres.  In  a  comparatively  recent  period  the  presby¬ 
tery  was  again  enlarged  to  a  total  length  of  13.26  metres,  the 
High  Altar  being  moved  away  from  the  end  wall  to  the  centre  of 
the  sanctuary.  In  no  way  was  the  original  presbytery  altered, 
except  as  the  pavement  or  floor  required  levelling.  It  was  sim¬ 
ply  carrying  the  steps  leading  to  the  presbytery  farther  back, 
away  from  the  altar  and  toward  the  entrance  of  the  church 
each  time,  the  new  stairs,  of  the  same  height,  marking  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  increased  presbytery.  This  presbytery  is  the 
Capilla  Mayor  which  Charles  V.  gave  to  Don  Luis  Columbus  in 
1537  as  a  burial-place  for  his  father,  the  second  Admiral,  and 
his  grandfather,  the  First  Admiral,  and  for  himself  and  his 
posterity  for  ever.  The  diagrams  on  page  549,  showing  this 
Capilla  Mayor  at  different  periods,  will  facilitate  our  present 
inquiry. 

We  know  by  historical  records  that  Christopher  Columbus, 
his  son  Diego,  and  his  grandson,  Don  Luis,  were  all  buried  in 
this  Capilla  Mayor.  We  are  told  by  unbroken  tradition  that 
Christopher  Columbus  was  buried  at  the  right  of  the  High  Altar, 
on  the  Evangel  or  Gospel  side;  and  that  opposite,  to  the  left  of 
the  High  Altar,  on  the  Epistle  side,  was  buried  a  member  of  his 
family.  There  is  no  historical  record  that  another  body — other 
than  the  three  bodies  above  mentioned — was  ever  interred  in 
the  Capilla  Mayor  as  originally  constructed.  There  is  no  tra¬ 
dition  that  another  body  was  ever  interred  in  the  original  Ca¬ 
pilla  Mayor.  That  a  contrary  view  has  been  held  by  some 
writers  is  due  to  confusing  the  original  presbytery  or  Capilla 
Mayor  with  its  enlarged  area  of  1783,  or  with  its  present  grand 
proportions. 

The  Capilla  Mayor  was  enlarged  in  1783,  and  it  was  on  that 
occasion,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the  Canons  Nugnez  de 
Caseres,  Manuel  Sanchez,  and  Pierre  de  Galvez,  that  a  vault  on 
the  right  of  the  High  Altar,  on  the  Evangel  side  and  near  the 


The  Cathedral’s  Interior 


551 


door  leading  to  the  Chapter  Room,  was  found,  and  in  it  a  broken 
leaden  coffin  containing  fragments  of  human  bones.  Thirteen 
years  afterward,  in  December,  1795,  it  would  seem  that  this 
same  coffin  was  delivered  to  General  Aristizabel,  and  the  fol¬ 
lowing  month,  January,  1796,  deposited  in  the  Cathedral  at 
Havana,  whence  it  was  finally  taken  to  Seville  in  the  year  1899. 


CHAPTER  CXXXV 
THE  FIRST  EXAMINATION  OF  1877 

In  the  year  1877  the  Cathedral  again  sadly  needed  repair. 
There  were  two  ecclesiastics  particularly  interested  in  this  work 
of  restoration,  both,  as  it  happened,  Italians.  The  one  was  the 
Rt.  Rev.  D.  Fr.  Roque  Cocchia  of  the  Order  of  the  Capuchins, 
Bishop  of  Orope,  Apostolic  Delegate  to  Santo  Domingo,  Haiti, 
Venezuela,  and  afterward  Archbishop  of  Chieti  in  Italy.  The 
other  was  the  Rev.  Francisco  Zavier  Billini,  the  Vicar  of  the 
Cathedral,  a  man  of  good  family  and  whose  reputation  was  pure 
and  beyond  reproach.  These  two  ecclesiastics  obtained  the  con¬ 
sent  of  the  civil  authorities  to  proceed  with  repairs  and  altera¬ 
tions  to  the  Cathedral,  and  employed  for  these  purposes  the 
professional  services  of  a  very  distinguished  civil  engineer, 
Sehor  Jose  Maria  Castillo,  a  Spaniard  and  from  Cuba,  who  was  di¬ 
rector  of  the  Cathedral  works.  The  work  of  alteration  was  begun 
in  the  month  of  April  in  the  year  1877.  Among  the  changes  to 
be  made  was  another  enlargement  of  the  presbytery  or  Capilla 
Mayor.  The  choir  had  been  occupying  a  place  in  the  Capilla 
Mayor,  more  or  less  obscuring  a  view  of  the  altar  and  thus  in¬ 
terfering  with  the  services,  and  it  was  resolved  to  increase  the 
dimensions  of  the  Capilla  Mayor,  move  the  altar  forward,  and 
provide  room  for  the  choir  behind  the  altar.  Another  important 
change  was  the  opening  of  a  walled  door,  which  once  conducted 
to  the  sacristy  or  vestry.  While  engaged  in  this  last-named 
work  during  the  early  part  of  the  month  of  May,  there  was 
found  near  the  door  in  the  old  presbytery,  on  the  left  or  Epistle 
side,  a  vault  with  a  coffin  or  box  of  lead.  This  urn  or  coffin  was 
seen  to  be  somewhat  impaired  by  time,  and  during  the  work  of 
excavation  a  falling  piece  of  timber  further  injured  it.  The 


552 


Evangel  Side  of  High  Altar,  Showing  Location  of  Vault 
in  which  were  Found  the  Ashes  of 
Christopher  Columbus. 


Capilla  de  Bastides,  in  which  [within  the  Iron  Doors  to 
the  Right]  now  Lie  the  Principal  Part  of  the 
Remains  of  Christopher  Columbus. 


553 


The  First  Examination  of  1877 

Bishop  was  then  absent  on  a  visit  to  Haiti  and  to  the  province 
of  Cibao  on  pastoral  affairs,  and  as  he  had  left  particular  word 
with  the  Vicar  Billini  for  the  careful  exploration  of  the  presby¬ 
tery  and  pavement  of  the  church,  with  a  special  injunction  to 
identify  whatever  was  found,  the  latter  resolved  to  postpone 
further  examinations  until  the  Bishop’s  return.  The  Bishop, 
however,  delayed  his  return,  and  the  Vicar  at  last  was  induced 
to  thoroughly  examine  the  vault  and  its  contents.  Therefore, 
in  the  presence  of  many  persons,  the  vault  was  reopened,  and 
upon  the  cover  of  the  urn  was  read  the  inscription : 

“El  Almirante,  D.  Luis  Colon,  Duque  de  Veragua,  Marquis  de - .” 

The  remains  were  thus  identified  as  those  of  Don  Luis, 
grandson  of  the  Discoverer,  and  the  last  word  of  the  inscrip¬ 
tion,  which  had  become  obliterated,  was  assumed  to  be  Jamaica, 
as  his  Marquisate  came  from  that  island.  He  was  the  first 
Duke  of  Veragua  and  the  first  Marquis  of  Jamaica. 

About  this  time  the  voice  of  tradition  was  again  heard  whis¬ 
pering  through  the  aisles  of  the  cathedral;  “  This  place  still 
holds  the  mortal  remains  of  the  Discoverer;  he  still  sleeps  within 
these  walls."  Among  those  who  learned  of  the  discovery,  in 
May,  of  the  remains  of  Don  Luis  Columbus  was  a  lawyer  by  the 
name  of  Don  Carlos  Nouel.  He  sav/  the  remains,  examined  the 
coffin,  read  the  inscription,  and  pronounced  upon  its  genuine¬ 
ness.  He  further  related  to  the  Vicar  Billini  that  there  had 
been  communicated  to  him  a  secret  by  Don  Tomas  Bobadilla  to 
the  effect  that  at  the  time  it  was  proposed  to  transfer  the  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus  from  San  Domingo  to  Havana,  a  canon  of 
the  Cathedral,  by  the  name  of  Ximenez  or  Zimeno,  had  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  substituting  the  remains  of  some  other  person  for 
those  of  Columbus,  and  suffered  the  Spaniards  to  bear  the  false 
burden  to  the  Cuban  cathedral.  The  substitution  was  kept  a 
secret,  the  knowledge  of  the  deceit  being  transferred  from  gen¬ 
eration  to  generation  until  it  came  to  Don  Tomas  Bobadilla,  who, 
dying  in  the  town  of  Puerto  Principe  in  Haiti,  desired  it  should 
be  at  last  communicated  to  the  authorities  of  the  Cathedral 
by  the  lawyer,  Don  Carlos  Nouel.  This  Don  Tomas  Bobadilla 
was  said  to  be  a  descendant  of  that  Francisco  de  Bobadilla 
who  superseded  the  Admiral  in  the  government  of  Espanola 


554 


Christopher  Columbus 

and  whose  cruelty  sent  him  in  irons  back  to  Spain.  This  story 
either  required  a  superhuman  action  on  the  part  of  a  cathedral 
attache  in  the  hurried  moments  between  the  proposition  of  Gen¬ 
eral  Aristizabel  and  the  removal  of  the  alleged  remains,  or  else 
a  conspiracy  in  which  more  persons  than  the  humble  canon  were 
concerned.  No  one  believed  this  canon  or  any  canon  capable 
of  such  a  feat  of  strength  and  cunning,  and  no  one  seems  seri¬ 
ously  to  have  been  interested  in  the  conspiracy  theory  until  it 
was  considered  by  the  Spanish  Royal  Academy  and  demolished 
as  it  should  have  been.  Just  as  it  is  practically  impossible  that 
one  individual,  an  ecclesiastic  of  an  inferior  grade,  should  have 
unaided  raised  great  stones  from  the  pavement,  transferred 
leaden  coffins,  removed  all  traces  of  his  work  in  a  public  build¬ 
ing  visited  day  and  night  by  worshippers  and  penitents  and 
officials,  so  is  it  equally  impossible  that  a  conspiracy  could  have 
existed,  and  which  must  have  included  ecclesiastics  high  in  au¬ 
thority,  loyal  Spaniards,  jealous  of  their  nation’s  fame  through 
the  efforts  of  the  Discoverer,  without  its  being  known  at  the 
time  to  the  Archbishop,  the  Rev.  Don  Fra.  Fernando  Portillo  y 
Torres.  We  have  seen  that  General  Aristizabel  attributes  to 
the  Archbishop  the  inception  of  the  idea  of  removing  the  re¬ 
mains,  and  the  Archbishop  himself  acknowledges  this  interpre¬ 
tation  of  the  origin  of  the  proposition.  This  high  ecclesiastic 
was  himself  a  Spaniard.  He  had  reason  to  expect  the  early 
occupation  of  San  Domingo  by  the  French,  who  were  just 
emerging  from  the  horrors  of  a  revolution,  which  taught  respect 
neither  for  the  living  nor  the  dead.  If  he  desired  the  transporta¬ 
tion  of  the  remains  of  Columbus  to  Cuba,  it  was  a  natural  act' 
of  reverence  for  Spain’s  adopted  son  and  a  distrust  of  the  new 
guardians  of  the  island.  But,  aside  from  this,  it  is  repugnant 
to  our  sense  of  decency  to  accept  upon  rumour,  and  that  of  the 
most  indefinite  kind,  a  conspiracy  of  priests  and  bishops,  built 
of  deceit  and  dissimulation.  If  the  remains  taken  to  Havana 
in  1796  were  not  the  veritable  remains  of  Columbus,  the  error 
was  not  the  result  of  deceit  practised  by  one  priest  or  by  a 
score  of  priests. 

There  was,  however,  a  circumstance  which  gave  some 
strength  to  the  charge  of  a  conspiracy — not  that  of  the  year 
1795,  but  an  alleged  conspiracy  in  connection  with  the  discovery 
of  1877.  About  the  year  1875  there  was  published  in  Puerto 


The  First  Examination  of  1877  555 

Plata  a  journal  entitled  El  Porvenir,  in  which  the  administra¬ 
tion  of  General  Gonzales  was  urged  to  beg  of  Spain  the  restora¬ 
tion  of  the  ashes  of  Columbus,  and  there  was  a  correspondence 
between  the  two  governments  on  the  subject,  resulting,  how¬ 
ever,  in  no  action  on  the  part  of  Cuba.  At  the  same  time  the 
Dominican  General  Luperon  wrote  for  the  Diario  de  la  Marina, 
a  periodical  published  in  Havana,  an  article  in  which  he  fav¬ 
oured  the  return  of  the  remains  “  a  San  Domingo  pues  la  voluntad 
del  Almirante  fue  quc  sns  cenizas  reposasen  aqiii,  fuese  esto  6  no 
Espanol"  “to  San  Domingo,  because  it  was  the  will 
of  the  Admiral  that  his  ashes  should  repose  here,  whether  this 
island  was  or  was  not  Spanish.’’  Another  Dominican  writer, 
D.  Jose  Gabriel  Garcia,  in  his  Mcmorias  para  la  Historia  de 
Quisqiieya,'‘  published  in  1876:  se  qneja  amargamcnte  de  la 
exhuniacion  verificada  en  lygs,  y  la  considcra  conio  un  acto  de 
injnsticia  hdcia  Santo  Domingo":  “complains  bitterly  of  the 
exhumation  which  was  verified  in  1795,  and  considers  it  as  an 
act  of  injustice  toward  San  Domingo.’’ 

The  Spanish  Academy,  in  its  report  on  Los  Restos  de  Colon, 
calls  attention  to  the  finding  of  documents  in  the  general  archives 
at  Havana  by  Senor  Lopez  Prieto,  which  show  that  D.  Luis 
Cambiaso,  the  Italian  Consul  at  San  Domingo,  on  several  occa¬ 
sions  endeavoured  in  the  name  of  his  government  to  obtain 
from  Spain  the  remains  of  Columbus,  and  that  a  proposition 
of  that  character  was  presented  from  representatives  of  the 
municipality  of  Genoa  as  early  as  1848. 

When,  therefore,  in  the  year  1877  there  spread  the  news 
that  the  veritable  remains  of  the  Discoverer  had  never  left  the 
cathedral  vault  in  San  Domingo,  but  were  now  found  and  iden¬ 
tified,  the  Spaniards  declared  that  the  Dominicans,  after  vainly 
attempting  to  secure  from  Havana  the  coffined  remains  which 
they  all  at  that  time  agreed  to  be  those  of  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus,  had  now  conspired  to  deceive  the  world  by  claiming  to 
have  unearthed  the  true  remains  in  the  Capilla  Mayor  of  the 
Dominican  cathedral.  We  may  now  turn  to  this  discovery  and 
determine  for  ourselves  if  there  was  a  conspiracy,  or  if,  after 

’  The  rcarler  now  knows  that  the  great  Admiral  never  expressed  in  any  Will  or 
document  a  desire  to  be  buried  at  San  Domingo.  At  the  time  of  his  death  his  alleged 
enemies  were  in  possession  of  the  administration  of  the  government  in  that  island, 
and  it  is  not  likely  he  would  trust  his  bones  to  their  keeping. 

2  The  old  native  name  of  Haiti,  Iti,  Espanola,  Hispaniola,  Santo  Domingo. 


556  Christopher  Columbus 

many  generations,  chance  had  brought  to  light  the  veritable 
remains.  Bishop  Roque  Cocchia  returned  from  his  pastoral 
visit  to  Haiti  on  August  i8,  1877,  and  was  duly  informed  of  the 
finding  by  \hcar  Billini  of  the  remains  of  Don  Luis  Columbus, 
the  third  Admiral.  On  the  first  day  of  September,  1877, 
Bishop  invited  the  clergy,  the  Governor  of  the  island,  and  the 
consular  body  to  visit  the  Cathedral  and  examine  the  remains 
found  in  the  preceding  month  of  May.  There  seems  to  have 
existed  a  tradition  in  San  Domingo  that  vast  treasures  had  been 
buried  in  times  past  in  the  ground  of  the  Cathedral,  and  doubt¬ 
less  this  public  examination  was  suggested  by  the  Bishop  for  the 
purpose  of  allaying  false  rumours  as  much  as  to  have  a  cloud  of 
witnesses  of  his  discovery.  In  the  presence  of  this  distinguished 
body  of  guests,  the  box  or  urn  was  again  removed  from  the  vault 
and  a  hasty  inventory  of  its  contents  taken,  which  has  been 
summed  up  as  “  a  good  number  of  bones,  most  of  them  in  frag¬ 
ments,  some,  such  as  the  skull,  in  good  condition,  besides  the 
iron  sheets  of  the  urn.”  The  identification  of  these  remains  on 
this  occasion  seems  to  have  depended  on  the  evidence  of  the 
Vicar  Billini,  Don  Carlos  Nouel,  the  engineer  Castillo,  and 
others  who  had  been  present  in  the  previous  examination 
nearly  four  months  before;  for  the  cover  of  the  coffin  or  urn 
containing  the  inscription  could  not  now  be  found,  and  it  was 
only  on  December  18,  1879,  that  this  important  documentary 
evidence  was  recognised  officially  and  restored  to  the  coffin." 

The  examination  of  this  tomb,  and  the  presence  of  so  many 
interested  spectators,  revived  the  tradition  as  to  the  burial- 
place  of  the  First  Admiral;  and  the  Bishop  says,  in  a  work 
written  by  him  several  years  later,  he  was  influenced  by  this 
tradition  to  impress  on  the  Vicar  Billini  the  propriety  of  mak¬ 
ing  a  search  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  tongue  of  rumour. 
The  story  of  hidden  treasure  was  again  repeated,  and  from  that 
moment  the  people  were  alert  and  active  in  observing  the 
motions  of  priests  and  workmen.  On  Saturday,  September  8, 
1877,  those  who  were  prosecuting  the  search  found  opposite  the 
door  leading  into  the  Chapter  Room  in  the  presbytery,  and  about 
a  metre  from  the  wall,  a  vault,  and  in  it  a  coffin  containing 

'  This  fact  appears  from  a  later  writing  of  the  Bishop  of  the  date  of  1892.  If  the 
Spanish  Academy  had  known  this  at  the  time,  it  would  have  given  them  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  comment  on  the  missing  evidence. 


557 


The  First  Examination  of  1877 

human  remains.  In  the  coffin  were  found  galloons,  or  lace  mili¬ 
tary  ornaments.  The  Bishop  was  immediately  sent  for,  and 
with  others  examined  the  vault  and  the  remains.  The  vault- 
was  not  in  the  old  presbytery  or  Capilla  Mayor,  but  across  the 
line  dividing  the  old  and  new,  and  consequently  in  the  presby¬ 
tery  as  enlarged  by  the  work  of  1783.  It  is  important  to  ob¬ 
serve  this  fact,  for  some  writers  seem  to  regard  the  presbytery 
as  a  sort  of  general  burying-ground,  and  fail  to  distinguish  the 
area  of  the  presbytery  in  its  various  stages  of  enlargement.  The 
Bishop  Cocchia  himself  says  in  his  later  work  that  this  vault 
from  which  were  taken  the  remains  with  the  galloons,  was  “  out¬ 
side  the  boundary  of  the  ancient  presbytery,”  and  in  the  dia¬ 
grams  accompanying  the  printed  documents  and  published  at 
the  time,  the  fact  is  clearly  depicted  that  this  vault  was  not  in 
the  presbytery  as  it  existed  prior  to  the  year  1783,  but  in  the 
presbytery  as  enlarged  that  year.  Some  of  those  present 
thought  the  remains  to  be  those  of  Isidore  Peralta,  the  Governor 
in  the  year  1783,  and  some  regarded  them  as  those  of  Juan 
Sanchez  Ramirez,  who  distinguished  himself  in  the  revolt 
against  the  French  in  1809.' 

During  certain  hours  of  the  following  day,  Sunday,  by  the 
Bishop’s  authority,  the  search  was  continued  and  a  vault  was 
found  near  the  door  leading  into  the  Chapter  Room  and  within 
the  line  of  the  ancient  presbytery  or  Capilla  M ayor.  The  vault 
was  empty,  and  it  was  immediately  remembered  that  it  was 
from  a  vault  in  this  immediate  neighbourhood  that  General  Aris- 
tizabel  took  the  “  fragments  of  bones”  in  the  year  1795.  Noth¬ 
ing  more  was  found  on  that  day,  but  on  Monday,  September 

^  Juan  Sanchez  Ramirez  was  not  undeserving  the  high  honour  of  a  burial  in  the 
Cathedral  Church  of  San  Domingo.  He  wa.s  a  native  of  Cotuy,  and  raised  the  stand¬ 
ard  of  revolt  among  the  Spaniards  against  their  French  rulers.  At  Palo  Mine  ado  he 
defeated  the  French  under  the  famous  veteran  Ferrand.  who  having  killed  a  subor¬ 
dinate  leader  of  the  enemy  with  one  pistol  of  a  brace  he  carried,  observing  the  battle 
going  against  him,  blew  out  his  own  brains  with  the  remaining  pistol.  In  July,  1809, 
Ramirez,  with  an  English  force  from  Jamaica  and  another  English  force  under  Ad¬ 
miral  Cumby  and  General  Carmichael,  defeated  the  French  without  a  serious  battle, 
and  on  July  10,  1809,  the  English  flung  their  flag  to  the  breeze  and  took  possession, 
not  for  themselves,  but  for  the  Spaniards,  in  token  of  the  restoration  of  San  Domingo 
to  its  ancient  rulers.  On  July  ii,  i8og,  General  Carmichael  handed  over  the  city  to 
the  patriot  chief  General  Ramirez,  himself  keeping  the  keys  of  the  city,  to  be  pre¬ 
sented  by  the  English  Ambassador  to  the  Spanish  authorities  at  Seville. 

The  remains  found  in  the  vault  of  the  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo  on  September 
8,  1877.  were  said  to  have  been  subsequently  identified  as  really  those  of  General 
Ramirez. 


55^"^  Christopher  Columbus 

lo,  1 87 7,  the  \hcar  Billini  and  the  engineer  Castillo,  with  two 
working-men,  came  upon  a  vault  adjoining  the  empt}"  one 
opened  the  previous  day,  and  between  it  and  the  principal  wall 
on  the  Gospel  side  of  the  ancient  presbytery  or  Capilla  Mayor. 
The  sacristan  of  the  Cathedral,  Jesus  Maria  Troncosa,  was  de¬ 
spatched  to  summon  the  Bishop,  who  soon  arrived.  The  Span¬ 
ish  consul,  Jose  Manuel  Echeverri,  and  the  Italian  consul,  Luigi 
Cambiaso,  reached  the  Cathedral  at  about  the  same  time.  Both 
of  these  gentlemen  had  been  in  attendance  upon  the  work  of 
searching  and  of  making  repairs  more  or  less  constantly  for 
several  days.  The  vault  was  at  that  time  only  partially  opened, 
and  the  Bishop  ordered  the  aperture  widened  so  that  he  could 
satisfy  himself  that  there  was  a  box  of  metal  within  the  vault. 
This  he  did  and  found  that  the  upper  plate,  or  part  of  the  metal 
box,  was  incrusted  with  lime.  The  Bishop  inserted  his  hand 
and  managed  to  break  off  a  certain  quantity  of  the  crust  so  that 
he  was  able  to  read  the  two  words — P.'"''  A.'h  The  persons 
around  the  vault  with  one  voice  interpreted  this  to  mean  Premier 
Almirante,  or  First  Admiral.  Only  one  person  in  all  the  world 
ever  bore  this  distinguishing  title,  and  he  was  none  other  than 
Christopher  Columbus,  the  Discoverer.  The  Bishop  then  di¬ 
rected  that  work  should  be  suspended  and  that  every  person 
should  leave  the  Cathedral.  The  doors  were  closed  and  locked. 
The  government  at  once  sent  some  sentinels,  who  surrounded 
the  Cathedral,  a  movement  which  gave  colour  to  the  rumour 
that  an  immense  treasure  of  gold  and  precious  stones  had  been 
found.  A  crowd  soon  gathered  and  divided  in  accepting  the  two 
versions,  the  false  one  as  to  the  treasure,  and  the  true  one  as  to 
the  finding  of  the  alleged  remains  of  Columbus. 

In  the  meantime  the  Bishop  hastily  communicated  with  the 
ecclesiastical,  civil,  and  military  authorities  of  the  island,  in¬ 
viting  the  principal  functionaries  by  special  letters,  giving  notice 
that  at  four  and  a  half  o’clock  that  same  afternoon  the  vault 
and  its  contents  would  be  publicly  and  carefully  examined. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  as  yet  no  critical  examina¬ 
tion  had  been  made  of  the  contents  of  the  vault,  beyond  such  as 
the  Bishop  himself  had  made,  and  which  resulted  in  his  reading 
the  two  words,  or  rather  their  abbreviations — P.‘”’  A.^b  The 
aperture  opened  by  the  engineer  Castillo  and  his  two  working¬ 
men  was  not  yet  large  enough  to  either  introduce  or  remove 


559 


First  Examination  of  1877 

an  object  the  size  of  the  leaden  box  or  urn.  Nevertheless,  the 
assurance  with  which  the  Bishop  invited  his  guests  to  witness 
the  formal  and  complete  examination  has  seemed  to  the  Span¬ 
ish  Academy  suggestive  and  suspicious' 

“His  Excellency,  Hon.  Buenaventura  Baez, 
“President  of  the  Republic  of  Santo  Domingo. 

“Santo  Domingo,  Sept.  lo,  1877. 

“Ex.  Senor: 

“In  working  in  the  presbytery  of  the  Cathedral,  a  vault  has  been  found 
and  in  it  a  small  metallic  box.  I  am  almost  sure  that  the  same  contains 
the  remains  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

“Consequently,  I  invite  Your  Excellency  to  honour  with  your  presence 
the  Act  of  Investigation,  which  will  take  place  at  4.30  this  afternoon,  and 
to  order,  if  you  think  it  well,  some  discharges  of  guns,  in  case  the  opera¬ 
tion  shall  result  as  happily  as  may  be  hoped. 

“Accept,  Your  Excellency,  the  sentiments  of  my  highest  consideration. 

“Fr.  Roque  Cocchia.” 


“To  Senor  Don  Marcos  A.  Cabral, 

“Minister  of  the  Interior  and  of  the  Police  of  Santo  Domingo; 

“Senor  Minister; 

“In  continuing  the  works  in  the  holy  Cathedral,  there  has  been  found 
at  the  right  of  the  superior  altar,  a  small  metallic  box,  which  certainly 
contains  the  remains  of  some  eminent  defunct  person. 

“Tradition  says  that  at  the  same  point,  below  the  archiepiscopal  throne, 
were  interred  the  remains  of  the  great  Italian,  Christopher  Columbus. 

“With  such  a  pleasing  hope  and  in  order  to  proceed  with  all  necessary 
importance  and  solemnity,  I  have  the  honour  to  invite  you  to  kindly  assist 
in  the  formal  investigation  of  the  said  small  box,  which  will  take  place 
this  day  at  4.30  p.m. 

“  I  profit  by  this  occasion  to  reiterate  to  you  the  sentiments  of  my  dis¬ 
tinguished  consideration. 

“Fr.  Roque  Cocchia.’’ 

Similar  invitations  were  sent  to  the  President  of  the  Ayun- 
tamiento,  or  Municipal  Council,  and  to  the  Consular  Body  of  San 
Domingo. 

Accordingly,  at  the  hour  of  four  in  the  afternoon,  or  half  an 
hour  after,  there  gathered  in  the  Cathedral  a  notable  throng, 
composed  of  the  ecclesiastical,  military,  and  civil  authorities, 
men  eminent  in  the  professions,  citizens  of  distinguished  private 
stations,  and  a  miscellaneous  crowd  excited  by  the  reported 
finding  of  the  remains  of  Columbus.  His  Excellency,  Buena¬ 
ventura  Baez,  the  President  of  the  Republic,  was  prevented  by 


56o 


Christopher  Columbus 

illness  from  participating  in  the  important  function.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  official  act  will  describe  with  substantial  accuracy,  if  not 
with  fullest  detail,  the  several  steps  taken  during  the  examina¬ 
tion: 

ACT  WRITTEN  BY  NOTARIES,  SEPTEMBER  lO,  1877 

“In  the  city  of  San  Domingo,  September  lo,  1877,  it  being  4  o’clock  in  • 
the  afternoon,  upon  the  previous  invitation  by  the  Most  illustrious  and 
Most  Reverend  Sehor  Don  Fr.  Roque  Cocchia,  Bishop  of  Orope,  Vicar  and 
Apostolic  Delegate  from  the  Holy  See  in  the  Republics  of  Santo  Domingo, 
Venezuela,  and  Haiti,  assisted  by  the  Presbyter  Father  Friar  Bernardino 
d’Emilia,  Secretary  of  the  Bishopric;  by  the  Sefior  Canon,  Honorary  Peni¬ 
tentiary,  Rector  and  Founder  of  the  College  of  ‘San  Luis  Gonzaga’  and  of 
the  House  of  Beneficence,  Apostolic  Missionary,  the  Presbyter  Don  Fran¬ 
cisco  Xavier  Billini,  provisional  priest  of  the  Holy  Cathedral  Church;  and 
by  the  Presbyter  Don  Eliseo  landoli,  substitute  priest  of  the  same  Cathedral: 

“There  were  gathered  in  the  Holy  Cathedral  Church,  the  Senores; — 
General  Don  Marcos  A.  Cabral,  Minister  of  the  Interior  and  Police:  The 
Licentiate  Don  Philip  Davila  Fernandez  de  Castro,  Minister  of  Foreign  Af¬ 
fairs  :  Don  Joaquin  Montoho,  Minister  of  Justice  and  Public  Instruction :  Gen¬ 
eral  Don  Manuel  A.  Caceres,  Minister  of  Finance  and  Commerce ;  and  General 
Don  Valentin  Ramirez  Baez,  Minister  of  War  and  Marine :  the  citizen  General 
Don  Braulio  Alvarez,  civil  and  military  Governor  of  the  Provincial  Capital, 
assisted  by  his  Secretary  Don  Pedro  M.  Gautier,  the  Honourable  Members 
of  the  illustrious  Municipal  Council  of  this  Capital,  Citizen  Don  Juan  de  la 
Cruz  Alfonseca,  President,  and  Citizens  Don  Felix  Baez,  Don  Juan  Bau¬ 
tista  Paradas,  Don  Pedro  Mota,  Don  Manuel  Cabral  and  Don  Jose  Bonetty, 
Aldermen:  the  citizen  General  Don  Francisco  Ungria  de  Chala,  Comman¬ 
der  of  Arms  of  this  Capital:  the  Citizens  Don  Felix  Mariano  Lluveres, 
President  of  the  Legislative  Chamber,  and  Don  Francisco  Xavier  Machado, 
deputy  of  the  same  Chamber:  the  members  of  the  Consular  Body  accred¬ 
ited  in  the  Republic,  Senores  Don  Miguel  Pou,  Consul  of  his  Majesty  the 
Emperor  of  Germany,  Don  Luis  Cambiaso,  Consul  of  his  Majesty  the  King 
of  Italy,  Don  Jose  Manuel  Echeverri,  Consul  of  his  Catholic  Majesty  the 
King  of  Spain,  Monsieur  Aubin  Desfougerais,  Consul  of  the  French  Repub¬ 
lic,  Mr.  Paul  Jones,  Consul  of  the  Republic  of  the  United  States  of  North 
America,  Don  Jose  Martin  Leyba,  Consul  of  his  Majesty  the  King  of  the 
Low  Countries,  and  Mr.  David  Coen,  Consul  of  her  Majesty  the  Queen  of 
the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain:  the  citizens  Licentiates  in  Medi¬ 
cine  and  surgery,  Don  Marcos  Antonio  Gomez  and  Don  Jose  de  Jesus 
Brenes:  the  Civil  Engineer  Don  Jesus  Maria  Castillo,  Director  of  the  Works 
on  this  Cathedral,  the  High  Sacristan  of  the  same,  Don  Jesus  Maria  Tron- 
coso  and  the  undersigned  Notaries  Public,  Don  Pedro  Nolasco  Polanco, 
Don  Mariano  Montoho  and  Don  Leonardo  del  Monte  y  Aponte,  being  suc¬ 
cessively  first  Provisional  Notary  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Court  and  the  second 
Titular  Notary  of  the  Municipal  Council  of  this  capital. 


First  Examination  of  1877  561 

“The  Most  Illustrious  Lord  Bishop  in  the  presence  of  the  Gentlemen 
above  designated  and  of  a  numerous  concourse,  announced:  that  while 
the  Holy  Cathedral  Church  was  undergoing  repairs,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Reverend  Canon  Don  Francisco  Xavier  Billini,it  had  come  to  his  know¬ 
ledge  that  according  to  tradition,  and  notwithstanding  what  appears  from 
public  documents  in  regard  to  the  removal  of  the  remains  of  the  Admiral 
Don  Christopher  Columbus  to  the  city  of  Havana  in  the  year  1795, — the 
said  remains  might  exist  in  the  place  where  they  had  been  deposited,  such 
place  being  indicated  as  at  the  right  of  the  chancel  beneath  the  place  occu¬ 
pied  by  the  Episcopal  Chair:  that,  desiring  to  clear  up  the  facts  which 
tradition  had  brought  to  his  notice,  he  authorised  the  Reverend  Canon  Bil- 
lini,  upon  his  petition,  to  make  explorations  in  the  case:  and  as  this  was 
being  carried  on,  in  the  morning  of  this  day,  with  two  workmen  he  dis¬ 
covered  at  the  depth  of  two  palms  a  little  more  or  less,  the  opening  of  a 
vault  which  permitted  part  of  a  metal  box  to  be  seen :  that  the  said  Sehor 
Canon  Billini  immediately  sent  the  High  Sacristan  Jesus  Maria  Troncoso 
to  the  Archiepiscopal  Palace  to  make  known  to  his  Eminence  the  result  of 
the  investigations,  at  the  same  time  informing  the  Senor  Minister  of  the 
Interior,  begging  them  for  their  assistance  without  loss  of  time:  that  his 
Eminence  immediately  went  to  the  Holy  Cathedral  Church,  where  he  met 
the  Senor  Jesus  Maria  Castillo,  civil  engineer,  charged  with  the  repairs  at 
this  time,  and  the  two  workmen,  who  in  company  with  the  Canon  Billini 
were  guarding  the  small  excavation  which  had  been  made,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  Sehor  Don  Luis  Cambiaso,  who  had  been  called  by  the  said  Canon 
Billini,  arrived:  that  he  personally  assured  himself  of  the  existence  of  the 
vault,  as  well  as  of  the  fact  that  it  contained  a  box,  according  to  what  the 
Canon  Billini  had  reported,  and  discovering  an  inscription  on  the  upper 
part  which  appeared  to  be  the  cover,  he  ordered  that  things  should  be  left 
in  the  condition  in  which  they  were  found,  and  that  the  keys  should  be 
confided  to  the  Canon  Billini;  proposing  to  invite,  as  he  had  done,  his 
Excellency  the  Great  Citizen,  the  President  of  the  Republic,  General  Don 
Buenaventura  Baez,  his  Ministry,  the  Consular  Body  and  the  other  Civil 
and  Military  authorities  cited  at  the  head  of  this  Act,  for  the  purpose  of 
proceeding  with  all  due  solemnity  to  the  extraction  of  the  box,  and  of 
giving  all  required  authenticity  to  the  result  of  the  investigation :  and 
having  notified  the  authorities,  by  order  of  the  same,  municipal  guards 
were  placed  at  each  one  of  the  doors  of  the  temple. 

“  His  Illustrious  Lordship,  having  placed  himself  in  the  presbytery  next 
to  the  excavation  which  had  been  commenced,  and  being  surrounded  by 
the  authorities  above  mentioned  and  by  a  most  numerous  concourse  com¬ 
posed  of  persons  of  all  ranks,  the  doors  of  the  temple  being  opened, — caused 
the  excavation  to  be  continued:  a  flat  stone  [lapida]  was  removed  which 
permitted  the  extraction  of  the  box,  which  being  taken  out  and  presented 
by  his  Illustrious  Lordship,  proved  to  be  of  lead.  The  said  box  was  ex¬ 
hibited  to  the  assembled  authorities  and  then  was  carried  in  procession  in 
the  interior  of  the  temple,  showing  it  to  the  people. 

VOL.  III. — 36. 


Large  Initial  Letters  on  Outside  of  Box  Containing  Remains  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

562 


563 


First  Examination  of  1877 

“The  pulpit  in  the  left  nave  of  the  temple  being  occupied  by  his  Illus¬ 
trious  Lordship,  the  Reverend  Canon  Billini,  bearer  of  the  box,  the  Minis¬ 
ter  of  the  Interior,  the  President  of  the  Municipal  Council  and  two  of  the 
Notaries  public,  the  signers  of  this  Act; — His  Illustrious  Lordship  opened 
the  box  and  exhibited  to  the  people  part  of  the  remains  which  it  contained ; 
he  likewise  read  the  diverse  inscriptions  which  exist  upon  it  and  which 
prove  in  an  indisputable  manner  that  they  are  really  and  effectually  the 
remains  of  the  Illustrious  Genoese,  the  Great  Admiral  Don  Christopher 
Columbus,  the  Discoverer  of  America.  The  truth  of  the  matter  being 
assured  in  an  incontestable  manner,  a  salvo  of  twenty-one  guns  discharged 
by  the  Artillery  of  the  Plaza,  a  general  peal  of  the  bells,  the  strains  of  the 
band  of  military  music,  all  announced  to  the  city  such  a  happy  and  memor¬ 
able  event. 

“  In  continuation  the  authorities  gathered  in  the  Sacristy  of  the  Temple 
and  proceeded  in  the  presence  of  the  undersigned  Notaries  public,  who 
certify  hereto,  to  the  examination  and  identification  of  the  box  and  its  con¬ 
tents:  it  resulted  from  this  examination  that  the  said  box  is  of  lead,  has 
hinges  and  measures  forty-two  centimetres  long,  twenty-one  deep  and 
twenty  and  one  half  wide ;  it  contains  the  following  inscriptions :  on  the 
exterior  part  of  the  lid  D.  de  la  A.  Per.  Ate.:  on  the  left  side  C:  on  the 
front  side  C:  on  the  right  side  A.:  the  lid  being  raised  the  following  in¬ 
scription  was  found  engraved  on  the  interior  of  the  same  in  Gothic-German 
characters:  iLLtre  y  Esdo  Varon  Dn  Cristoval  Colon:  and  within  the 
said  box,  the  human  remains,  which  were  examined  by  the  Licentiate  in 
Medicine  Don  Marcos  Antonio  Gomez,  assisted  by  the  Sehor  Don  Jose  de 
Jesus  Brenes,  also  Licentiate  in  medicine, — these  remains  proved  to  be: — 
A  femur  injured  in  the  upper  part  of  the  neck  or  perhaps  between  the 
large  ‘trochanter’  and  its  head:  a  fibula  in  its  natural  state;  a  radius  also 
complete:  a  clavicle  complete:  an  ulna:  five  complete  ribs  and  three  in¬ 
complete:  the  sacral  bone  in  bad  condition:  the  coccyx:  two  lumbar 
vertebrae:  one  cervical  bone  and  three  dorsals:  two  calcanei:  a  bone  of 
the  metacarpus:  another  of  the  metatarsus:  a  fragment  of  the  frontal  or 
coronal,  containing  the  half  of  an  orbital  cavity:  a  third  part  of  the  tibia: 
two  fragments  more  of  the  tibia:  two  ankle-bones:  an  omoplate  head:  a 
fragment  of  the  lower  mandible:  half  the  head  of  the  humerus:  the  whole 
comprising  thirteen  small  fragments  and  twenty-eight  large  bones,  the 
others  being  reduced  to  dust. 

“Moreover,  a  leaden  ball  was  found,  weighing  an  ounce  a  little  more 
or  less,  and  two  small  screws  from  the  box  itself. 

“  Having  terminated  the  examination  of  which  mention  has  been  made, 
the  ecclesiastical  and  civil  authorities  and  the  Illustrious  Municipal  Coun¬ 
cil,  determined  to  close  the  box  and  seal  it  with  their  respective  seals  and 
deposit  it  in  the  sanctuary  of  Regina  Angelorum  under  the  responsibility  of 
the  said  Senor  Canon  Penitentiary,  Don  Francisco  Xavier  Billini,  until 
something  else  is  determined  upon :  the  placing  of  the  seals  then  took 
place  by  his  Illustrious  Lordship,  by  the  Ministers,  the  Consular  Members 


Inscription  Found  on  Interior  of  the  Cover. 


5^5 


First  Examination  of  1877 

and  the  undersigned  Notaries:  and  in  conclusion  they  determined  to  carry 
the  said  box  to  the  mentioned  church  of  Regina  Angelonim  triumphantly, 
accompanied  by  the  veteran  troops  of  the  capital,  the  batteries  of  artillery, 
the  bands  and  all  that  could  give  eclat  and  splendour  to  such  a  solemn  act ; 
for  this  the  population  found  itself  prepared,  as  has  been  noted,  in  regard 
to  the  great  number  of  people  who  filled  the  temple  and  plaza  of  the 
Cathedral ; 

“We  certify  to  all  this,  and  also  that  the  present  Act  has  been  signed  by 
the  Gentlemen  stated  above  and  other  notable  persons. 


“Fr.  Roque  Cocchia,  of  the  Order 
of  Capuchins,  Bishop  of  Orope. 
Apostolic  Delegate  of  St.  Do¬ 
mingo,  Haiti,  and  Venezuela. 
Apostolic  Vicar  of  St.  Domingo. 

Francisco  X.  Billini. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  College 
of  ‘S.  Luis  Gonzaga.’] 

Marcos  A.  Cabral. 

Minister  of  the  Interior  and 
Police. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Minis¬ 
try.] 

Joaquin  Montolio. 

Minister  of  Justice  and  Public 
Instruction. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Minis¬ 
try.] 

Valentin  Ramirez  Baez. 

Minister  of  War  and  Marine. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Minis¬ 
try.] 

Pedro  M.  Gautier. 

Secretary. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment.] 

Aldermen, 

Pedro  Mota. 

Manuel  M.  Cabral. 

Felix  Baez. 

Juan  B.  Paradas. 

Jos6  M.  Bonetty. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Munici¬ 
pal  Council.] 


P.  Fray  Bernardino  d’Emilia,  Ca¬ 
puchin,  Secretary  of  the  Most 
Excellent  Delegate  and  Apos¬ 
tolic  Vicar. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  ecclesi¬ 
astical  Court.] 

Eliseo  landoli. 

Substitute  priest  of  the  Cathe¬ 
dral. 

Felipe  Davila  Fernandez  de  Castro. 
Minister  of  Foreign  Relations. 

[There  is  .a  seal  of  the  Minis¬ 
try.] 

M.  A.  Caceres. 

Minister  of  Finance  and  Com¬ 
merce. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Minis¬ 
try.] 

Braulio  Alvarez. 

Governor  of  the  Province. 

Juan  de  la  Cruz  Alfonseca. 

President  of  the  Municipal 
Council. 

Francisco  U.  de  Chala. 

Commander  of  Arms. 

Felix  M.  Lluveres. 

President  of  the  Legislative 
Chamber. 


566  Christopher 

Francisco  Xavier  Machado. 

Deputy  to  the  Legislative 
Chamber. 

Jose  Manuel  Echeverry. 

Consul  of  Spain. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Con¬ 
sulate.] 

Miguel  Pou. 

Consul  of  Germany. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Con¬ 
sulate.] 

David  Coen. 

British  Vice-Consul. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Con¬ 
sulate.] 

Aubin  Desfougerais. 

Vice-Consul  of  France. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Con¬ 
sulate.] 

The  Licentiate  in  Medicine  and  Sur¬ 
gery,  Marcos  Antonio  Gomez. 

The  High  Sacristan^ 

Jesus  Maria  Troncoso, 


Columbus 


Luigi  Cambiaso. 

Consul  of  Italy. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Con¬ 
sulate.] 

Paul  Jones. 

United  States  Consul. 

[There  is  a  seal  of  the  Con¬ 
sulate.] 

Jose  Martin  Leyba. 

Consul  of  the  Netherlands. 
[There  is  a  seal  of  Consulate.] 

Jesus  Maria  Castillo. 

Civil  Engineer. 

The  Licentiate  in  Medicine  and  Sur¬ 
gery, 

Jose  de  Jesus  Brenes. 

and 

Pedro  Nolasco  Polanco, 

Notaries. 


Leonardo  Del  Monte  y  Aponte, 

Mariano  Montolio, 

[There  are  three  seals.] 


CHAPTER  CXXXVI 


THE  DUST  AT  GENOA 

In  one  or  two  important  details  the  official  act  is  incom¬ 
plete  in  its  statements.  Sehor  Luis  Cambiaso,  the  Italian  Con¬ 
sul,  in  a  letter  dated  San  Domingo,  May  ii,  1898,  declares  that 
during  the  examination  there  fell  on  a  carpet  some  of  the  dust 
of  the  remains,  which  he  immediately  gathered,  and  that  he 
received  another  small  quantity  from  the  hand  of  Don  Joaquin 
Montolio,  Minister  of  Justice  and  of  the  Police  of  San  Domingo, 
who  had  gathered  it  up  as  it  fell.  These  grains  of  the  precious 
human  dust  were  placed  in  a  glass  vial  and  with  due  ceremony 
were  presented  to  the  municipality  of  Genoa,  and  to-day  form 
one  of  the  most  interesting  relics  exhibited  to  strangers  who 
visit  the  Town  Hall  of  that  Ligurian  capital. 

“[UN  SELLO.] 

“[UN  SELLO.]  “[UN  SELLO.] 

• 

“  Habilitado  para  los  anos  de  1877  y  1878. 

“  Sello  quinto  25  cts.  para  los  anos  de  1875  y  1876. 

“Los  notaries  publicos  de  esta  Ciudad  que  firmamos  la  presente  cer- 
tificamos  y  damos  fe  de  que  el  dia  diez  del  presente  mes  de  Setiembre, 
despues  que  se  examinaron  en  nuestra  presencia  los  restos  del  Gran  Almi- 
rante  Don  Cristobal  Colon,  cuya  operagidn  se  realizo  en  una  mesa. — El 
Senor  Ministro  de  Justicia  Don  Joaquin  Montolio  recojid  con  una  corta- 
plumas  algunas  de  las  particulas  y  polvos,  que  se  desprendieron  de  las 
huesos  principales  los  que  d  nuestra  presencia  se  los  ofrecid  y  entregd  cor- 
tesmente  al  Senor  Don  Luis  Cambiaso,  Consul  de  S.  M.  el  Rey  de  Italia, 
que  estos  polvos  y  particulas  fueron  colocados  inmediatamente  en  una 
vasija  de  vidrio,  de  cinco  centimetres  largo  y  tres  y  medio  de  ancho  cuya 
vasija  es  de  figura  eliptica  y  que  tapado,  lacreado  y  sellado  a  nuestra  vista. 
Y  para  los  fines  que  puedan  convenir  al  Senor  Consul  de  S.  M.  el  Rey  de 

567 


568 


Christopher  Columbus 

Italia  libramos  la  presente  en  Santo  Domingo  a  los  doce  dias  del  mes  de 
Setiembre  del  ano  mil  ochocientos  setenta  y  siete. 

“firmado — Leonardo  del  Monte 
Y  Aponte. 

“  [UN  SELLO.] 

“firmado — Mariano  Montolio. 

“  [UN  SELLO.] 

“Per  Copia  conforme  all’  originale.  Santo  Domingo,  lo  Maggio,  1898. 
Console  Generale,  Luigi  Cambiaso.’’ 

“[a  seal.] 

“  [a  seal.]  .  “  [a  seal.] 

“Made  out  for  the  years  1877  and  1878. 

“5th  seal  25  cts.  for  the  years  1875  and  1876. 

“The  Notaries  Public  of  this  city  who  sign  the  present  certify  and  tes¬ 
tify  that  on  the  loth  day  of  the  present  month  of  September  after  the 
remains  of  the  Great  Admiral,  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  were  examined 
in  our  presence,  which  operation  took  place  upon  a  table, — the  Senor 
Minister  of  Justice,  Don  Joaquin  Montolio  gathered  up  with  a  penknife 
some  of  the  particles  and  grains  of  dust  which  fell  from  the  larger  bones; 
that  they  in  our  presence  were  courteously  offered  and  handed  to  the  Senor 
Don  Luis  Cambiaso,  Consul  of  his  Majesty,  the  King  of  Italy,  that  these 
particles  and  grains  of  dust  were  immediately  placed  in  a  glass  receptacle 
5  centimetres  long  and  wide,  which  receptacle  is  of  an  elliptical  figure 
and  which  was  stopped  up,  covered  and  sealed,  under  our  eyes.  And  for 
the  purposes  which  may  be  agreeable  to  the  Senor  Consul  of  his  Majesty, 
the  King  of  Italy,  we  draw  up  the  present  in  San  Domingo,  September  12, 
1877. 

“Signed.  Leonardo  del  Monte  y  Aponte. 

“[.A  seal.] 

“Signed.  Mariano  Montolio. 

“[a  seal.] 

“An  exact  copy  of  the  original.  San  Domingo,  May  10,  1898. 
Consul  General  Luigi  Cambiaso.’’ 

Copy  of  the  Original  Act,  Kept  in  the  Notarial  Archives  of  the  City  of 
Genoa,  in  Relation  to  a  Portion  of  the  Remains  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

Progressive  number  144. 

“Official  report  of  the  consignment  to  the  Municipality  of  Genoa  of  a 
Relic  of  Christopher  Columbus,  by  the  brothers,  the  Cavalier  Luigi  Cam¬ 
biaso,  Royal  Consul  to  Italy  in  San  Domingo  and  the  Cavalier  Guiseppe 
Giambattista  Cambiaso,  Consul  General  of  the  Republic  of  San  Domingo, 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Italy,  residing  in  Genoa. 

“In  the  reign  of  his  Majesty  Humbert  I.,  by  the  grace  of  God  and  the 
will  of  the  nation.  King  of  Italy.  In  the  year  one  thousand  eighteen  hun¬ 
dred  and  seventy-eight — 

“On  this  present  day,  Wednesday,  the  twenty-fourth  of  July  at  two 


Repository  in  the  Municipal  Hall  at  Genoa,  in  -which  is  the  Crystal  Locket  Containing  a 
Small  Portion  of  the  Ashes  of  Christopher  Columbus. 


The  Dust  at  Genoa  569 

o’clock  past  meridian,  in  the  City  Hall  in  the  Palace  of  the  Municipality 
in  Via  Nuova,  in  Genoa — 

“We,  the  Cavalier  John  Gaetano  Gambaro,  Notary  of  the  College  of 
Genoa,  residing  in  this  city.  Notary  of  the  Municipality,  by  the  present 
acknowledge  this  act; 

“That,  the  Members  of  the  Municipality  of  this  city  under  the  Presi¬ 
dency  of  the  Commendator  Henry  Parodi,  Lieutenant  General  of  the 
Royal  Army,  retired.  Senior  Alderman,  being  in  session:  Present,  the 
most  Illustrious  Aldermen  Gian  Casto  Goggi,  Bombrini  RafEaele,  Luigi  Ar- 
gento,  Commendator  President  Angel  Merello,  Cavalier  Lawyer  Luigi  Cen- 
turini.  Marquis  Colonel  Joseph  Marassi — 

“With  the  assistance  of  the  Secretary  Cavalier  Professor  Barrister 
Nicolo  Magioncalda. — 

“There  were  introduced  by  the  Municipal  Counsellor  Commendator  Bar¬ 
rister  Anthony  Crocco,  President  of  the  National  Historical  Society  of 
Liguria,  in  this  town,  the  Cavalier  Luigi  Cambiaso,  Royal  Consul  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Italy  in  the  Republic  of  San  Domingo  and  Cavalier  Giuseppe 
Giambattista  Cambiaso,  Consul  General  of  the  Republic  of  San  Domingo 
in  Italy  with  residence  in  Genoa,  both  sons  of  the  deceased  Giacomo  Cam¬ 
biaso  : 

“Who  thereupon  deposed: 

“That  during  the  work  of  repairs  in  the  Church  of  San  Domingo,  the 
Cathedral,  the  existence  of  a  tomb  happened  to  be  discovered  in  which 
were  placed  the  mortal  remains  of  Christopher  Columbus,  which  fact  was 
certified  to  by  an  Act  solemnly  drawn  up  on  that  very  day  in  which  the 
said  remains  were  discovered,  the  Tenth  day  of  September  in  the  year 
eighteen  hundred  and  seventy-seven,  before  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
principal  authorities  of  the  Republic,  of  the  Diplomatic  Body  residing  in 
that  town,  of  the  Ecclesiastical  dignitaries  of  that  Cathedral  and  of  other 
notabilities,  under  the  care  of  the  Notaries  of  that  Capital,  Mariano  Mon- 
tolio  V  Rio,  Pedro  Molasco  Polanco  and  Leonard  Delmonte  y  Aponte,  of 
which  they  present  an  authentic  copy. 

“That  during  the  examination  of  the  bones  gathered  in  the  coffin, 
which  was  undertaken  with  due  solemnity,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  au¬ 
thorities,  dignitaries  and  notables  as  above  mentioned,  the  dust  that  came 
from  the  decaying  of  the  bones  was  diligently  gathered  and  a  small  quan¬ 
tity  of  said  dust  was  handed  to  the  Royal  Consul,  Luigi  Cambiaso,  who 
carefully  had  it  immediately  put  in  a  vial  of  crystal  duly  sealed  with  the 
seal  bearing  the  initials  L.  C.  of  the  aforesaid  Royal  Consul  and  with  the 
seal  of  the  Notary  on  the  ribbon  which  was  tied  around  the  vial  under 
the  gold  that  ornaments  it. 

“That  they,  the  Royal  Consul  to  Italy  at  San  Domingo,  and  the  Consul 
of  the  Dominican  Republic  in  Genoa  conceived  the  idea  of  giving  such  a 
precious  relic  to  the  Municipality  of  Genoa,  their  native  city,  and  the 
native  town  of  the  immortal  Columbus:  and  thus,  accompanied  by  the 
aforesaid  Commendator  Anthony  Crocco,  President  of  the  National  His- 


5/0 


Christopher  Columbus 

torical  Society  of  Liguria,  have  come  here,  in  order  to  complete  the  consign¬ 
ment  of  the  same  to  the  Municipal  delegates ; 

“And  in  carrjdng  out  the  conception  thus  announced  to  the  Municipal 
Council,  the  intention  first  formed  by  them  and  the  manner  in  which  they 
became  possessed  of  this  most  precious  dust  having  been  told  in  detail, 
they  hereb}'-  consign  this  dust  to  the  Municipality  of  Genoa,  placing  in  the 
hands  of  the  aforesaid  mentioned  Senior  Alderman  the  vial  above  de¬ 
scribed,  and  the  Notarial  Act  certifying  to  its  solemn  identification,  as  well 
as  the  official  report  attesting  the  authenticity  and  the  consignment  of  the 
dust  contained  in  the  vial,  which  is  affirmed  by  Notarial  Act  in  regular 
official  form; 

“The  aforesaid  Royal  Consul  of  Italy  in  San  Domingo  has  read  to  the 
persons  present  the  above  mentioned  acts  and  concludes  by  expressing  the 
hope  that  the  Municipality  of  Genoa  and  all  those  who  will  join,  will  do 
their  utmost  to  the  end  that  the  remains  of  the  one  who  discovered  the 
New  World  may  be  given  back  to  his  native  country; 

“  He  now  consigns  the  relic  and  the  acts  that  accompany  it  to  the  afore¬ 
said  Senior  Alderman,  who  receives  them  in  the  name  of  Genoa,  who  sol¬ 
emnly  thanks  the  Royal  Consul  for  Italy  in  San  Domingo  and  the  Consul 
of  the  Republic  of  San  Domingo  in  Italy,  with  residence  in  Genoa,  for  the 
most  precious  record,  thanks  which  he  gives  in  his  own  name  and  in  the 
name  of  the  Municipal  Council  here  assembled,  of  the  Communal  Council 
and  of  the  citizens  of  Genoa,  whose  sentiments  he  feels  sure  he  voices, 
manifesting  to  them  the  expressions  of  gratitude  for  this  most  noble  action 
and  for  the  dedication  which  with  the  most  delicate  sentiments  they  wished 
to  make  to  the  town  of  Genoa,  as  by  the  inscription  engraved  on  the  gold 
mounting  which  surrounds  the  vial,  and  which  is  as  follows; 

“‘Ashes  of  the  immortal  Christopher  Columbus,  found  in  the  Cathedral 
of  San  Domingo  on  the  Tenth  day  of  September  One  thousand  eight  hun¬ 
dred  and  seventy-seven — To  the  City  of  Genoa  by  its  affectionate  sons, 
Giuseppe  Giambattista  and  Luigi  Cambiaso.’ 

“He  further  adds  that  this  most  esteemed  memento  and  the  Acts  that 
accompany  it,  will  be  religiously  kept,  together  with  the  autographs  and 
Book  of  Privileges  of  which  this  municipality  is  the  jealous  depositary  and 
strict  guardian. 

“The  aforesaid  Commendator  Barrister  Crocco  adding  to  the  thanks 
proposed  for  the  Municipality,  those  of  the  National  Historical  Society  of 
Liguria,  over  which  he  presides,  declares  that  he  has  taken  great  interest 
in  this  event,  and  it  becomes  his  duty  to  offer  in  honour  of  the  Municipal¬ 
ity  a  copy  of  the  lecture  read  by  the  General  Secretary  of  that  Society, 
Cavalier  Belgrano  and  applauded  by  the  said  Society,  giving  a  critical 
examination  of  all  the  documents  by  which  the  fact  of  the  discovery  is 
made  known  beyond  question. 

“Of  which  above  facts,  desiring  the  Civic  administration  to  make 
record  by  an  authentic  Act,  we,  the  Notaries,  have  drawn  up  a  testimonial 
written  on  three  sheets,  and  have  read  them  in  a  clear  and  intelligible 


The  Dust  at  Genoa 


5/1 


voice  to  all  the  persons  present,  and  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  well  known 
to  us  as  capable  and  called  to  attest  this  Act  in  the  persons  of  Emanuel 
Ivaldi,  son  of  the  deceased  John  Ivaldi,  Director  the  Imposta  Miinicipalc, 
and  Vincence  Zee,  son  of  the  deceased  Nicolo  Zee,  Civico  Catastaro,  both  of 
them  born  and  domiciled  in  Genoa,  who,  with  all  the  stipulating  parties 
and  ourselves  as  Notaries,  we  do  subscribe  ourselves,  as  follows; 

“Signed.  Lewis  Cambiaso. 

G.  G.  B.  Cambiaso. 
Anthony  Crocco. 

E.  Parodi. 

Goggi. 

Lewis  Argento. 

R.  Bombrini. 

A.  Merello. 

L.  Centurini. 

Marassi. 

E.  Ivaldi. 

J.  G.  Ga.mbaro,  Notary. 

“(Registered  in  Genoa  the  12th  of  August,  1878.  Register  118,  No. 

4847-)” 


CHAPTER  CXXXVII 
THE  CASTILLO  LOCKET  * 

Senor  Jesus  Maria  Castillo,  as  we  have  seen  above,  was 
the  Director  of  Works  of  the  Cathedral,  and  was  in  the  imme¬ 
diate  charge  of  the  repairs  to  that  edifice.  He,  too,  bore  an 
important  part  in  the  exhumation  of  the  remains  and  in  han¬ 
dling  the  box  and  its  contents  during  that  famous  examination 
on  September  lo,  1877.  Some  grains  of  the  dust  of  these 
precious  remains  were  taken  by  him  during  the  examination. 
One  portion  was  placed  in  a  round  crystal  locket.  This,  with 
the  follov/ing  certificate  of  authenticity,  was  given  by  him  to 
Mrs.  Epes  Sargent. 


572 


The  Castillo  Locket,  Containing  Portion  of  the 
Remains  of  Christopher  Columbus. 


Slightly  Enlarged  Vieiv  of  Castillo  Locket. 


The  Castillo  Locket 


573 


In  June  of  the  year  1882  Sehor  Castillo  gave  into  the  hand 
of  Mr.  G.  W.  Stokes  of  New  York,  who  was  then  leaving  San 
Domingo  for  home,  a  portion  of  the  dust  he  had  gathered,  with 
instructions  to  have  part  placed  in  a  locket  and  to  keep  for 
himself  the  remainder.  It  was  contained  in  a  small  vial.  The 
locket  was  constructed,  some  dust  placed  within  and  delivered 
to  Sehor  Castillo,  who  gave  it  in  turn  to  the  daughter  of  Sehor 
Don  Carlos  Nouel  of  San  Domingo.  The  remainder  Mr.  Stokes 
kept  himself,  part  in  the  original  vial  at  his  own  residence,  and 
another  part  in  a  small  vial  which  he  deposited  in  the  Lenox 
Library,  New  York,  on  May  4,  igoi.  The  quantity  of  dust  in 
each  of  these  portions  is  very  small,  a  few  grains  only.  Soon 
we  shall  have  to  speak  of  two  other  little  collections  of  the  dust 
found  on  this  occasion. 


CHAPTER  CXXXVIII 
THE  SPANISH  PROTEST 

Before  we  leave  the  Cathedral  and  are  departed  out  of  its 
sacristy,  we  must  describe  another  scene,  one  which  is  not 
recorded  in  the  Notarial  Act, — indeed,  it  occurred  after  the 
notables  present  had  appended  their  signatures  to  the  docu¬ 
ment.  Arnong  those  present  on  that  occasion  and  included 
in  the  list  of  those  signing  the  act,  and  therefore  testifying 
to  their  faith  in  the  discovery  at  that  time  of  the  veritable 
remains  of  the  First  Admiral,  was  the  Consul  for  his  Catholic 
Majesty  of  Spain,  Don  Jose  Manuel  de  Echeverri.  He  had 
known  of  the  record  of  the  supposed  reception  of  the  great 
Discoverer’s  remains  by  Havana  in  the  year  1796,  but  in  view 
of  the  fact  that  the  said  record  recited  no  proofs  of  authenticity 
beyond  rumour  and  tradition,  and  that  no  signs  indicated  the 
identity  of  the  said  remains,  so  that  the  notary  on  that  occasion 
simply  certified  to  the  fact  that  they  were  various  parts  of  some 
defunct,  he  was  constrained  to  yield  his  faith  to  the  present  dis¬ 
covery  of  the  veritable  remains  which  were  not  only  found  in 
that  portion  of  the  Cathedral  designated  by  the  voice  of  tradi¬ 
tion  for  over  three  hundred  years,  but  which  were  accompanied 
with  indorsements  and  inscriptions  speaking  eloquently  of  their 
true  identity.  Impressed  with  this  sentiment  and  feeling  that 
he  stood  in  the  presence  of  the  relics  of  the  great  Discoverer, 
there  suddenly  came  to  him  the  import  of  what  all  this  must 
mean  to  the  country  he  represented.  If  these  were  the  true 
remains,  those  in  Havana,  guarded  jealously  by  the  Spaniards, 
were  false.  If  the  remains  in  Havana  were  false,  they  had  been 
delivered  to  General  Aristizabel  on  that  December  day  in  the 
year  1795  by  error  or  deceit.  In  any  event  these  present  re- 


574 


575 


The  Spanish  Protest 

mains  belonged  now  not  to  San  Domingo,  but  to  Havana.  The 
Consul,  loyal  to  Spain,  loyal  to  her  colony — Cuba,  and  to  its 
capital,  Havana, — could  not  silently  assent  to  the  possession  of 
these  remains  by  San  Domingo.  By  his  side  stood  Miguel  Pou, 
the  German  Consul,  and,  after  hastily  consulting  him,  he  ad¬ 
dressed  the  Bishop  as  follows: 

“Sir,  the  contents  of  the  tomb  just  discovered,  being  the  veritable 
remains  of  the  First  Admiral  of  the  Ocean,  of  which  fact  no  doubt  what¬ 
ever  is  admissible,  you  should  agree  with  me  that  the  presence  of  these 
remains  in  San  Domingo  is  due  either  to  the  perpetration  of  a  horrible 
crime  or  to  an  error  occurring  in  the  exhumation  of  1795-  Alive  to  the 
discharge  of  your  duties,  you  ought  to  conclude  that  nobody  more  than 
yourself  is  compelled  to  return  to  Spain  the  most  precious  remains  in  ques¬ 
tion,  which  belong  exclusively  to  her.  In  my  position  as  the  Representa¬ 
tive  of  the  adopted  country  of  the  Hero,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  claim  and  to 
maintain  if  necessary  that  I  should  be  one  of  the  guardians  of  the  said 
coffin  containing  his  remains  which  were  they  for  a  moment  permitted 
miraculously  to  speak  would,  I  feel  convinced,  exclaim,  ‘Consul,  let  us  away 
to  our  own  Spain.’  ” 

These  impromptu  words,  embodying  as  they  do  a  most  sin¬ 
cere  and  earnest  protest,  are  worth  remembering  in  view  of  the 
reward  his  fidelity  brought  him  in  his  subsequent  early  removal 
from  the  Consulate  office  and  his  official  disgrace  by  Spain. 


CHAPTER  CXXXVIIII 


THE  CHURCH  “REGINA  ANGELORUM” 

The  examination  had  continued  well  into  the  evening  of  Sep¬ 
tember  lo,  1877,  an  hour  not  very  favourable  for  a  thorough  in¬ 
vestigation.  Moreover  the  sacristy  was  not  particularly  adapted 
for  this  purpose,  and  the  crowds  inside  and  outside  were  anxious 
and  impatient.  It  was  determined  in  the  sacristy  by  those  pres¬ 
ent  that  the  remains  should  be  transferred  to  the  Church  Regina 
A  ngelorwn  (La  Reina  de  los  Angeles) ,  of  which  the  Reverend  Father 
Billini  was  Vicar,  there  to  remain  till  such  time  as  the  Cathedral 
Church  should  be  repaired  and  ready  again  to  receive  its  precious 
charge.  It  was  now  half  an  hour  after  eight  o’clock  in  the  even¬ 
ing  and  the  long  session  in  the  church  had  prepared  the  crowd 
for  its  share  in  the  payment  of  honours.  The  iron  box  had  been 
encased  in  a  wooden  coffin,  locked  by  a  single  key  which  re¬ 
mained  in  the  possession  of  the  Bishop,  sealed  with  the  seals  of 
the  civil  and  consular  authorities,  placed  on  a  portable  bier 
covered  with  drapery  of  rich  damask  taken  from  the  altar, 
the  four  corners  being  held  by  two  members  of  the  consular 
body  and  two  representatives  of  the  civil  authorities.  Thus 
arranged,  the  remains  were  borne  along  in  procession,  the  clergy, 
with  the  Bishop  at  the  head,  leading,  followed  by  the  Consuls, 
the  civil  and  military  authorities,  many  eminent  private  citizens, 
while  an  immense  crowd  of  people  escorted  the  cortege  to  the 
Church  Regina  Angelorum.  The  military  had  contributed  its 
escort  as  well.  Two  battalions  of  troops  and  a  brigade  of  artillery 
with  their  cannon  and  with  their  bands  playing  a  measured 
funeral  march,  added  solemnity  to  the  scene.  The  bells  through¬ 
out  the  city  were  set  ringing  and  there  was  a  profusion  of  illumi¬ 
nation  with  fireworks  from  the  balconies  of  the  richly  decorated 

576 


577 


The  Church  “  Regina  Angelorum  ” 

houses  on  the  route  of  march.  If  the  dead,  whose  passing  at 
Valladolid  was  noted  by  never  a  word  of  sorrow  or  remembrance, 
by  the  tolling  of  no  bell,  the  sound  of  no  dirge,  could  have 
witnessed  this  scene  of  tardy  acknowledgment,  there  must  have 
been  experienced  by  one  dweller  in  the  spirit  world  a  good, 
honest,  wholesome  sensation  of  gratified  pride,  a  feeling  natural 
to  every  human  being  born  into  the  world,  a  feeling  as  natural 
as  that  which  worships  and  bows  and  praises,  and  which  if 
eliminated  in  the  world  beyond,  will  leave  a  soul  cramped  and 
mean,  needing  mightily  some  rich  celestial  compensations. 

When  the  procession  reached  the  church — Regina  A  ngeloruni 
— the  cofhn  was  placed  on  the  High  Altar  and  brief  but  appro¬ 
priate  discourses  were  pronounced  by  the  Bishop  and  the  Vicar 
Billini.  In  conclusion  the  people  indulged  in  loud  acclaims  “  in 
honour  of  the  Hero  and  of  Isabella,  the  Catholic.”  The  sleep 
of  the  dead  was  perturbed  even  in  this  church.  The  protest  of 
the  Spanish  Consul  was  not  the  only  voice  raised  in  a  high  key 
of  indignation.  While  the  civil  authorities  had  been  duly  in¬ 
vited  to  participate  in  the  exhumation  and  two  of  its  repre¬ 
sentatives  were  assigned  to  hold  the  drapery  of  the  bier  as  it 
passed  from  church  to  church,  it  was  the  ecclesiastical  authorities 
which  issued  invitations,  which  controlled  the  proceedings,  and 
which  now  guarded  the  remains.  The  question  of  jurisdiction 
must  be  raised.  Accordingly  the  President  of  the  Municipal 
Council — the  Ayuntamiento — published  or  caused  to  be  pub¬ 
lished  a  claim  that  the  disposition  of  the  remains  made  in  the 
sacristy  of  the  Cathedral  on  the  evening  of  September  lo,  1877, 
was  not  final  or  authoritative  and  the  right  to  make  a  final  and 
even  different  disposition  lay  alone  with  the  Municipal  Council. 
This  naturally  aroused  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  and  the 
Bishop  at  once  addressed  the  following  letter  to  the  President; 


“ Senor  President  of  the  H onourable  Ayuntamiento. 

“S.\N  Domingo,  September  17,  1877. 

“ Mr.  President : 

“  I  have  read  in  La  Patria  the  disposition  which  the  Honourable  Munici¬ 
pal  Council  has  believed  it  could  make  under  date  of  the  loth  of  the  cur¬ 
rent  month. 

“It  is  a  question  of  patriotism  and  I  praise  the  idea  and  the  noble  sen¬ 
timents  which  have  animated  the  Honourable  Ayuntamiento  in  dictating 
this  disposition.  But  I  do  not  accept  either  the  competence  or  the  prac- 

VOL.  111. — 37. 


57S 


Christopher  Columbus 

tical  result,  in  regard  to  the  right  which  the  Honourable  Ayuntamiento 
arrogates  to  itself,  in  disposing  of  the  remains  of  the  immortal  Columbus. 
And  by  the  present  I  protest  in  the  most  formal  manner,  by  the  right 
which  in  such  a  matter  belongs  to  me  in  my  character  of  Chief  of  this 
Archdiocese  for  myself  and  for  my  successors. 

“As  you  see,  I  do  not  open  a  question.  The  precious  treasure  belongs 
to  San  Domingo;  in  that,  there  can  be  no  question  of  any  kind. 

“The  matter  is  purely  of  affection,  of  glory,  and  in  that,  as  the  great 
deposit  has  been  preserved  and  found  by  us  in  the  Cathedral,  it  should 
remain  where  found,  until  a  great  monument  being  raised  also  by  us  and 
in  the  said  Cathedral, — it  can  be  removed  to  the  same  with  due  pomp  and 
solemnity. 

“I  reiterate  to  you,  Senor  President,  and  to  the  Honourable  Municipal 
Council,  the  assurance  of  my  most  distinguished  appreciation. 

“Fr.  Roque  Cocchia.’’ 

Reply  of  the  Ayuntamiento  to  the  Bishop  of  Orope,  relative 
to  the  deposit  of  the  remains  of  Columbus : 

“San  Domingo,  September  25,  1877. 

“The  Honourable  Ayuntamiento  acknowledges  your  note,  dated  the 
17th  of  this  current  month,  relative  to  the  disposition  which  it  dictated 
and  which  was  published  in  La  Patria  in  regard  to  the  deposit  of  the  re¬ 
mains  of  the  immortal  Don  Christopher  Columbus;  which  note  contains  a 
protest  against  the  measure  taken  by  this  corporation. 

“It  has  felt  with  much  regret  that  you,  perhaps  by  an  honourable 
excess  of  zeal  for  the  prerogatives  of  the  high  dignity  which  you  represent, 
wrongly  interpret  the  Act,  attributing  to  it  a  usurpation  of  functions  or  a 
contempt  of  the  rights  of  a  third  party  in  a  matter  of  so  much  importance. 

“It  has  not  been  its  intention  to  reach  this  extreme  and  much  less  to 
disregard  the  degree  of  direct  intervention  of  other  authorities,  like  that 
of  your  own,  in  regard  to  the  ashes  of  the  celebrated  Admiral;  but,  accom¬ 
modating  itself  to  the  Act  drawn  up  in  the  holy  temple  of  the  Cathedral, 
and  considering  its  legitimate  character  of  direct  representative  of  the 
people,  to  whom  by  right  belong  these  venerated  remains  wherever  may 
be  the  place  of  their  deposit  or  wherever  they  may  have  been  found,  it 
was  just  that  it  should  dictate  a  disposition  which  gave  irrefutable  validity 
to  the  deposit  that  was  made  in  the  ‘ Reina  de  los  Angeles.’  It  was  logical 
that  some  competent  authority  should  take  the  initiative,  and  there  is  none 
better  than  that  which  emanates  directly  from  the  people  and  represents 
it  on  all  occasions. 

“The  possession,  the  preservation  and  the  care  of  the  remains  of  the 
great  Genoese  constitute  a  perfect  right  and  duty  of  the  Dominican  people, 
because  of  its  having  been  his  will,  and  by  a  thousand  other  providential 
circumstances;  and  that  right  united  to  that  obligation,  were  enough  in 
the  opinion  of  the  ‘Municipio’  to  decree  in  the  manner  which  it  has  done 


579 


The  Church  “  Regina  Angelorum  ” 

(which  carries  with  it  no  implication  of  any  kind)  that  it,  solely  and  ex¬ 
clusively,  reserves  the  right  of  disposal  when  the  opportunity  arrives,  with¬ 
out  the  direct  concourse  of  other  legitimate  authorities,  of  the  illustrious 
remains  of  the  immortal  man  who  gave  a  world  to  the  true  faith,  to  civilisa¬ 
tion  and  to  science. 

“This  Corporation  hopes  that  you,  with  these  explanations,  wdll  remain 
satisfied  and  will  withdraw  the  protest,  which  has  caused  so  much  regret 
to  the  representatives  of  the  just  and  virtuous  people  of  San  Domingo. 

“Salute,  etc., 

“Juan  de  la  Alfoncesca. 

“To  the  Bishop,  etc.,  etc.” 

This  claim  of  the  city  authorities,  for  a  time  at  least,  was 
effectual  and,  as  we  shall  soon  see,  the  remains  were  construc¬ 
tively  in  the  guardianship  of  the  Ayuntamiento  although  they 
were  in  the  immediate  charge  of  Vicar  Billini. 

On  the  fourteenth  day  of  September,  1877,  it  being  the 
festival  of  the  raising  of  the  Holy  Cross,  the  Bishop  Roque 
Cocchia  issued  a  Pastoral  letter  in  which  he  officially  announced 
to  the  clergy  and  laity  the  discovery,  the  successive  steps  which 
led  thereto,  calling  upon  all  the  churches  to  ring  their  bells  and 
directing  that  the  Te  Denm  in  the  Dominican  language  should 
be  sung  in  San  Domingo  and  providing  that  upon  each  succeed¬ 
ing  tenth  day  of  September  this  ceremony  should  be  repeated 
as  a  memorial  of  the  discovery  of  such  a  precious  treasure. 


CHAPTER  CXXXX 


SECOND  EXAMINATION 

We  must  now  return  to  the  protest  of  the  Spanish  Consul, 
Sehor  Jose  Manuel  de  Eeheverri.  Eaeh  foreign  Consul  present 
on  the  occasion  of  finding  the  remains  of  Columbus,  September 
lo,  1877,  immediately  communicated  the  news  to  his  home 
Government.  The  Spanish  Consul  hastened  to  inform  his 
Majesty’s  Government  at  Madrid  and  the  colonial  authorities 
at  Havana.  That  this  news  was  considered  important  is  evident 
from  the  steps  taken  to  investigate  the  matter.  On  October 
23,  1877,  the  President  of  the  Spanish  Cabinet,  Senor  Canovas, 
at  Madrid,  by  order  of  the  King,  his  Majesty  Alfonso  XIL, 
directed  a  communication  to  the  Royal  Academy  of  History, 
inclosing  documents  furnished  by  the  Spanish  Consul  at  San 
Domingo,  relating  to  the  discovery  of  the  “true  remains”  of 
Christopher  Columbus,  with  the  request  that  the  said  Royal 
Academy  should  institute  an  inquiry  and  report  concerning  the 
value  of  said  documents.  It  was  not  till  November  ii,  1878, 
that  the  Academy  made  its  report. 

According  to  the  command  of  the  King,  a  circular  was  sent  to 
all  the  Representatives  of  Spain  abroad,  by  the  Minister,  under 
date  of  December  17,  1877,  in  which  the  latter  said  substantially 
as  follows ; 

“I  consider  so  insufficient  the  proof  given  by  the  authorities  on  the 
discovery  in  the  present  year  at  San  Domingo,  that  I  judge  the  discoverers 
to  be  under  a  hallucination  brought  on  by  the  double  blindness  of  their 
enthusiasm  and  their  critical  poverty,  not  to  adjudge  them  victims  of  a 
sad  mystification.  In  consequence  I  have  found  nothing  that  could  de¬ 
stroy  the  legitimacy  of  the  remains  of  the  great  man,  which  since  so  many 
years  have  rested  under  the  Nave  of  the  Cathedral  of  Havana,  whither 
they  were  brought  with  such  pomp  and  ceremony  that  we  cannot  now 

580 


Second  Examination 


581 


admit  doubts  concerning  the  alleged  substitution.  The  government,  how¬ 
ever,  not  being  an  infallible  judge  and  to  place  so  important  a  matter 
under  a  clear  light,  I  immediately  placed  the  affair  in  the  hands  of  the  only 
authorised  tribunal,  that  is  the  Scientific  Corporation  of  the  Academy  of 
History,  the  only  authority  that  can  open  the  register  of  the  human  facts, 
study  them  in  the  light  of  its  science  and  judge  them  with  severe  im¬ 
partiality,  the  only  authority  that  has  the  necessary  qualifications  to  in¬ 
validate  or  to  sanction  the  new  discovery.  .  .  .  Each  is  therefore  to 

govern  himself  according  to  the  above  communication,  and  in  his  official  or 
private  conversations  with  the  diplomatic  or  consular  authorities  to  make 
it  known  that  Spain  maintains  and  proclaims  as  legitimate  the  burial  of 
the  remains  of  Christopher  Columbus  placed  on  January  19,  1796,  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Havana  .  .  .  and  to  suspend  whatever  favourable  opin¬ 

ion  any  one  may  have  regarding  the  new  discovery  until  the  aforesaid 
Academic  corporation  shall  give  its  definite  and  authoritative  verdict.” 

About  the  same  time,  December,  1877,  the  Government  of 
Spain,  not  awaiting  the  report  of  its  own  agent  especially  ap¬ 
pointed  for  this  purpose,  addressed  an  order  through  the  Gov¬ 
ernor  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  the  centre  of  its  colonial  jjower,  to 
Sehor  Jose  Manuel  Echeverri.  Agreeable  to  this  order  the 
Consul  presented  himself  before  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
for  the  Government  of  the  Republic  of  Santo  Domingo  and  ad¬ 
dressed  him  on  behalf  of  the  Government  he  represented,  as 
follows : 

‘‘Excellency,  I  have  the  honour  to  present  myself  to  your  Excellency 
to  make  to  you  this  communication;  according  to  an  official  document 
received  this  very  day  (December,  1877)  the  government  of  H.  M.  the 
King  (q.  D.  g.)  directs  me  to  procure  and  forward  to  Spain  in  the  shortest 
possible  time  the  items  of  information  that  I  here  enumerate: 

“First.  A  legalised  copy  of  the  Act  of  Exhumation  of  the  mortal  re¬ 
mains  found  lately  in  the  Cathedral  of  this  Capital. 

“Second.  A  photographic  reproduction  of  each  one  of  the  four  sides  and 
of  the  cover  of  the  coffin  exhumed  in  the  said  excavations,  with  fac-simile 
heliotypes  or  other  forms  of  reproduction,  of  the  inscriptions  which  are 
upon  the  aforementioned  coffin. 

‘‘  Third.  A  certificate  from  the  Honourable  scientific  faculty  giving  the 
state  of  preservation  in  which  the  said  coffin  was  found,  stating  scientific¬ 
ally  the  effects  produced  on  its  exposed  parts  by  the  action  which  any 
material  may  have  produced  on  them  during  the  341  years  passed  since  the 
transferment  of  the  same  to  this  island. 

“  Fotirth.  A  detailed  and  sufficient  report,  to  promote  or  furnish  histori¬ 
cal  proofs,  showing  if  at  any  time  the  pavement  of  the  Cathedral  has  been 
removed,  particularly  in  the  space  where  the  remains  of  the  hero  have 


582  Christopher  Columbus 

been  found,  and  if  in  any  way  it  is  known  if  the  said  remains  were  really 
interred  under  the  ground  or  in  a  sepulchre  which  would  have  preserved 
them  uninjured  and  without  danger  that  the  bones  of  the  great  man  might 
have  been  confused  with  those  of  other  dead  bodies. 

“I  conclude,  begging  your  Excellency  to  give  the  necessary  instruc¬ 
tions  to  the  end  that  this  information  may  be  obtained  in  the  shortest 
possible  time  so  that  I  on  my  part  may  execute  the  order  given  me  by  my 
government.”  ' 


Two  days  later  the  Consul  received  a  communication  in¬ 
forming  him  that  the  Council  of  Ministers  had  decided  to  furnish 
him  such  information  as  was  asked  for  in  his  request  and  asking 
him  to  name  a  day  when  the  scientific  examination  might  take 
place.  The  second  day  of  January  in  the  year  1878  was  ap¬ 
pointed  for  this  new,  thorough,  and  scientific  investigation,  and 
the  following  form  of  official  invitation  was  issued : 

‘‘Saint  Domingo,  December  26,  1877. 

‘‘Messrs.  Consuls: 

‘‘  I  am  in  receipt,  under  this  same  date  from  the  Sehor  Consul  of  Spain, 
of  a  note  in  which  he  says  to  me; 

‘‘That,  by  order  of  his  government,  in  order  to  make  an  identification, 
and  to  take  by  means  of  photography  some  pictures  of  the  box  which  con¬ 
tains  the  precious  remains  of  Columbus,  he  would  like  to  have  the  latter 
opened  for  such  purpose. 

‘‘Therefore,  having  recognised  the  motive  and  the  official  character  of 
the  petition  and  having  seen  the  authorisation  of  the  Government  of  this 
Republic,  for  which  reference  is  made  to  the  Civil  Authority,  I  have  be¬ 
lieved  it  my  duty  to  accede,  as  Ecclesiastical  Authority. 

‘‘But  finding  the  precious  deposit  to  be  under  the  seals  and  protection 
of  all  the  Ministry,  of  the  Governor  of  the  Province,  of  the  Honourable 
Municipal  Council,  of  the  Honourable  Diplomatic  and  Consular  Body, 
resident  in  this  Capital  of  the  Sehor  Penitentiary,  as  depositary,  and  my 
own;  I  have  the  honour  to  invite  your  Excellencies  in  order  that  you  may 
kindly  assist  to-morrow  at  3.30  in  the  afternoon,  in  the  sanctuary  of 
Regina  Angeloruni,  in  witnessing  the  opening  of  the  box,  the  signing  of  the 
Act  of  this  operation,  the  placing  of  the  seals  anew  and  the  leaving  of  the 
deposit  with  the  same  guarantees  in  the  responsibility  of  the  same  deposi¬ 
tary. 

‘‘Receive,  Senores  Consuls,  the  sentiments  of  my  highest  and  most 
distinguished  consideration. 

‘‘(Signed.)  F.  Roque,  Bishop  of  Grope, 

‘‘Delegate  and  Apostolic  Vicar.” 

^  This  account  of  the  relationship  of  the  Spanish  Consul  to  the  exhumation  and 
the  several  examinations  of  the  remains  of  Columbus  is  taken  from  his  book,  D6 
Existen  Depositadas  Las  Cenizas  de  Cristobal  Colon?  Published  at  Santander  in 
1879,  and  the  same  year  reprinted  at  San  Domingo. 


Second  Examination 


583 


“I  believe  that  3.30  in  the  afternoon  is  almost  useless  for  the  taking  of 
a  photograph,  in  my  humble  opinion:  I  believe  that  it  should  be  at  10.30 
in  the  morning  or  at  i  in  the  afternoon. 

“(Signed.)  The  Consul  of  the  German  Emperor. 

“Miguel  Pou.” 

“In  regard  to  the  hour,  the  Sehor  Consul  of  Spain  has  arranged  with 
the  photographer  and  advised  his  colleagues,  the  Minister  of  the  Interior, 
the  Governor  and  the  President  of  the  Municipal  Council  and  myself. 

“(Signed.)  F.  Roque,  Bishop. 

“(Signed.)  Jose  Manuel  de  Echeverri. 

“A.  Aubin  Desfougerais. 

“Paul  Jones. 

U.  S.  Consul. 

“D.  Coen.” 

As  in  the  case  of  the  first  examination,  a  formal  Act  was 
drawn  up  reciting  the  various  steps  taken  on  this  occasion, 
the  truth  of  the  recital  being  attested  by  those  present.  The 
reader  will  notice  that  the  protest  made  by  the  Ayuntamiento 
seems  to  have  been  effective,  since  the  actual  act  of  opening 
the  coffin  was  performed  by  its  President,  indicating  the  acknow¬ 
ledgment  of  his  official  guardianship. 

ACT  OF  JANUARY  2,  1878 

“In  the  city  of  San  Domingo,  capital  of  the  Dominican  Republic,  at 
12  o’clock  noon,  January  2,  1878,  we  Leonardo  Delmonte  y  Aponte,  Pub¬ 
lic  Notary  of  this  city,  at  the  request  of  his  Excellency,  the  Minister  of 
Justice  and  Public  Instruction,  went  to  the  ex-monastery  of  Regina  Angel- 
oruni  and  there  found  assembled  the  Ministers  General  D.  Marcos  Cabral 
of  the  Interior,  Police  and  Agriculture;  Don  Felipe  Davila  Fernandez  de 
Castro  of  Foreign  Relations;  Don  Joaquin  Montolio,  of  Justice  and  Public 
Instruction;  General  Don  Felix  Mariano  Lluveres,  Minister  of  War  and 
Marine;  General  D.  Braulio  Alvarez,  civil  and  military  Governor  of  this 
Province;  the  members  of  the  illustrious  Municipal  Council  of  this  city, 
Senores  Don  Juan  de  la  Cruz  Alfonseca,  President,  Don  Felix  Baez,  Don 
Manuel  Ma.  Cabral,  Don  Jos^  Ma.  Bonetty,  Don  Antonio  de  Soto,  Don 
Francisco  Aybar,  Aldermen;  and  Don  Manuel  de  Jesus  Garcia,  Secretary; 
Don  Manuel  Jose  de  Echeverri,  Consul  of  his  Catholic  Majesty,  the  King 
of  Spain;  Don  Luis  Cambiaso,  Consul  of  his  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy; 
Don  Miguel  Pou,  Consul  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany;  Don  Jos6  Martin 
Leyba,  Consul  of  the  King  of  Holland;  Senores  Don  Pedro  Ma.  Pineyro; 
Don  Mariano  Socarrez  and  Don  Manuel  Duran,  Doctors  of  I\Iedicine  and 
Surgery,  commissioned  to  inspect  the  condition  of  the  leaden  box  in  which 
lie  the  remains  of  the  Great  Admiral,  Christopher  Columbus,  the  Discoverer 


584 


Christopher  Columbus 

of  America,  found  September  10  of  the  past  year  1877  in  the  Cathedral 
of  this  city;  Senor  Don  Ramon  Alonso  Ravelo,  Constitutional  Alcalde, 
assisted  by  his  Secretary  Don  Jose  Llaverias  and  Senores  Don  Apolinar 
Tejera,  Don  Manuel  Ma.  Santamaria,  Don  Rafael  Ramirez  Baez,  Don  Jose 
Francisco  Pellerano  and  Don  lose  Joaquin  Machado,  witnesses  required 
by  the  said  Senor  Alcalde,  in  order  to  certify  the  condition  in  which  shall 
be  found  the  seals  placed  on  the  box  already  cited,  the  loth  of  September 
last  by  the  notaries  not  here  present  in  this  Act;  and  a  numerous  concourse 
of  particular  persons,  national  and  foreign. 

“The  President  of  the  Illustrious  Municipal  Council  stated  that  by  dis¬ 
position  of  the  Governor  of  the  Republic,  acceding  to  a  solicitation  of  the 
Consul  of  his  Catholic  Majesty,  the  King  of  Spain,  he  was  about  to  raise 
the  seals  and  open  the  box  which  contains  the  remains  of  the  grand  Ad¬ 
miral  Christopher  Columbus,  in  order  to  make  certain  examinations  which 
the  Spanish  Academy  of  History  had  believed  it  best  to  demand,  in  order 
to  determine  upon  the  authenticity  of  the  discovery  of  September  10, 
already  mentioned.  The  Senor  Canon  Billini,  depositary  [trustee]  of  the 
box  and  remains  found  in  the  same,  presented  and  delivered  it,  closed 
[lacreada]  and  sealed  to  the  President  of  the  Ayuntamiento.  The  said  box 
and  the  seals  referred  to,  being  examined,  everything  was  found  intact, 
and  the  same  as  it  had  been  delivered  the  loth  of  September  last,  according 
to  the  Act  of  that  same  date,  which  was  in  hand.  Continuing  the  Act, 
each  one  of  the  Ministers  of  State,  the  Consuls  and  the  President  of  the 
Municipal  Council  broke  their  respective  seals;  the  Senor  Canon  Billini 
removed  his  and  that  of  the  Senor  Bishop  of  Grope,  Apostolic  Delegate; 
the  Consul  of  Italy,  that  of  the  Consul  of  the  U.  S.  A.,  both  having  suffi¬ 
cient  authority;  and  the  Alcalde  assisted  by  his  Secretary  and  witnesses 
removed  the  seals  of  the  absent  notaries  and  we  removed  our  own.  The 
box  being  opened,  there  was  found  within  it  another  of  lead,  of  rough  con¬ 
struction,  apparently  very  antique,  somewhat  bruised,  with  projecting 
cover  joined  to  the  box  by  hinges  riveted,  which  being  scrupulously  exam¬ 
ined  resulted  in  showing  in  the  interior  as  well  as  on  the  exterior,  the  same 
inscriptions,  and  in  being  the  same  in  v/hich  were  found  the  bones  of  the 
Discoverer  and  which  were  given  over  for  deposit  the  loth  of  September 
to  the  Canon  Billini,  for  his  custody.  The  scientific  gentlemen  already 
mentioned  made  their  examination  of  the  box  in  sight  of  every  one.  On 
removing  the  dust  of  the  bones  which  lay  in  the  box,  one  of  the  scientists 
[‘ facultativos  ’ — generally  used  in  speaking  of  medical  men]  found  and  ex¬ 
tracted  a  sheet  of  silver  of  quadrangular  form,  beaten  with  a  hammer, 
eighty-seven  millimetres  long,  thirty-two  wide,  with  two  circular  holes  in 
the  upper  part,  which  coincided  with  two  others  which  are  in  the  leaden 
box  beside  the  hinges.  The  sheet  of  silver  has  inscriptions  engraved  on 
both  sides;  on  one  side  it  says  ‘Ua.  Pte.  de  los  Rtos.  del  Pmer.  Alte.  D. 
Cristoval  Colon,  Desr.’  and  on  the  other  side,  ‘U.  Cristoval  Colon.’  The 
examination  of  the  medical  men  being  completed,  a  photograph  was  taken 
of  the  four  sides  of  the  said  box,  it  being  undertaken  through  vigilance  in 


Second  Examination 


585 


a  dark  room,  the  custody  of  the  said  box  being  entrusted  to  the  President 
of  the  Municipal  Council  and  other  aldermen  present,  although  the  opera¬ 
tion  was  under  public  inspection.  The  photographer,  Narciso  Arteaga,  de¬ 
livered  the  negatives  to  the  President  of  the  Municipal  Council,  and  he 
delivered  them  to  the  Canon  Billini,  for  deposit.  The  Alderman  Fran¬ 
cisco  Aybar  was  charged  with  the  execution  of  having  fac-similes  made 
of  the  inscriptions  on  the  box  and  plate  (sheet  of  metal).  All  the  opera¬ 
tions  being  terminated  about  5  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  box  of  lead 
which  contains  the  remains  was  arranged  anew  in  the  other  box  of  wood, 
and  the  Ministers,  the  President  of  the  Municipal  Council  and  the  Consuls 
present  placed  their  respective  seals  on  the  box;  afterwards  it  was  closed 
with  a  key  and  was  delivered  by  the  President  of  the  Municipal  Council  to 
the  said  custodian  Canon  Billini,  who,  as  representative  of  the  Bishop  of 
Orope,  Apostolic  Delegate,  placed  thereon  the  Bishop’s  seal,  as  well  as  his 
own;  and  the  Consul  of  Italy  placed  his,  and  that  of  the  Consul  of  the 
U.  S.  with  sufficient  powers.  The  Alcalde,  assisted  by  his  Secretary  and 
witnesses,  placed  his  seal  and  we,  the  acting  notary,  placed  our  own.  The 
Act  being  concluded,  the  present  Act  was  drawn  up,  which  will  be  depos¬ 
ited  in  the  archives  of  the  Illustrious  Ayuntamiento  of  this  Capital,  and 
which  the  persons  named  in  it  signed,  having  first  read  and  approved;  to 
all  of  which  I,  the  Notary,  certify.  (Signed.) 

“  [By  persons  named  in  the  Act  above.] 

The  scientific  representatives  making  the  examination  on 
that  occasion  made  their  report  as  follows : 

“Report  of  the  Medical  Commission  Charged  with  the  Verification  of  the 
Condition  of  the  Box  Containing  the  Remains  of  Christopher  Columbus : 

“The  Medical  Commission  required  to  pass  judgment  on  ‘the  state  of 
preservation  of  the  box  which  incloses  the  venerated  remains  of  the  im¬ 
mortal  Columbus,’  proceeds  to  give  the  result  of  its  investigations  simply 
and  clearlv;  the  circumstances  occurring  in  that  Act  of  January  2  of  the 
present  year,  1878:  and  its  scientific  opinion  and  conclusions  conscien¬ 
tiously,  as  required  by  professional  duty  and  the  great  importance  and 
delicacy  of  the  matter. 

“The  box  closed  and  the  dimensions  being  taken  of  the  lid,  which 
slightly  exceeds  the  body  of  said  box,  measures  44  centimetres  long,  21^ 
wide  and  22  high.  Its  appearance  is  metallic  of  a  whitish  colour  in  parts, 
very  particularly  towards  its  bottom,  dark  grey  in  others.  It  presents  on 
the  exterior  the  letters  and  inscriptions  which  are  given  in  the  Act  of  Sep¬ 
tember  10,  1877,  and  many  depressions  and  bruises,  probably  caused  by 
external  violence.  Also  some  cracks  in  the  union  of  the  ‘  perimetro  ’  with 
the  bottom,  by  which  there  constantly  escape  portions  of  the  interior  dust. 

“A  part  of  the  grey  dust  which  covers  the  exterior  being  separated  and 
the  fine  whitish  coating  which  covers  it  in  part  being  destroyed,  we  classify 
it  as  ‘protoxide  de  plomo  hidratado,’  which  forms  on  the  surface  of  this 


586 


Christopher  Columbus 

metal  on  contact  with  air  or  humidity :  and  after  having  made  small  cuts 
in  it,  observing  the  brilliant  bluish-white  of  the  metal,  its  malleability  and 
other  properties,  we  have  recognised  the  box  as  of  lead. 

“One  plate  only  forms  the  lid,  fastened  by  two  hinges  which  are  also 
of  lead;  another  plate  forms  the  body  united  by  rivets  on  the  right  side, 
middle  part,  and  a  third  forms  the  bottom,  also  united  by  rivets. 

“  In  the  posterior  face  middle  and  upper  part  are  two  holes  placed  hori¬ 
zontally  at  a  distance  of  55  millimetres  between  them. 

“The  uncommon  and  rough  appearance  of  the  box,  the  antique  form 
of  its  letters  and  inscriptions,  its  solid  and  particular  construction  and  its 
union  by  rivets,  together  with  the  other  circumstances  observed,  induce 
us  to  believe  that  it  is  of  antique  construction  and  that  it  may  well  have 
the  341  years  of  age  which  it  is  supposed  to  have,  since  we  know  that  lead 
resists  indefinitely  the  action  of  time. 

“Once  the  coating  of  grey  dust  or  the  sub-oxide  which  covers  its  sur¬ 
face,  being  formed,  this  metal  is  preserved  inalterable  through  centuries. 

“The  lid  being  raised,  it  is  found  to  be  fastened  solely  by  the  two  afore¬ 
said  hinges,  and  the  edge  or  thickness  of  the  plates  is  seen,  measuring  two 
and  as  much  as  three  millimetres  in  some  places. 

“On  the  interior  face  of  the  lid  may  be  seen  very  legibly,  the  following 
inscription : 


Ilustre.  I  Esdo.  Varon.  Dn.  Cristoval  Colon.’ 

“In  the  interior  of  the  box  we  find  some  human  bones,  detonated, 
light,  easily  crumbled  between  the  fingers,  some  fragments  and  dust.  On 
removing  these  in  order  to  see  the  bottom  we  find  a  ball  of  lead  about  30 
‘gramos’  in  weight,  two  small  screws  and  a  plate  of  silver,  with  two  holes 
which  exactly  correspond  to  those  described  in  the  box. 

“The  plate  has  two  graven  inscriptions,  and  measures  87  millimetres  in 
length  and  33  in  width. 

“The  lack  of  some  elements  and  the  passing  of  the  time,  the  photo¬ 
graphers  and  others  requiring  the  remaining  light  in  order  to  do  their  work, 
and  the  inadequate  conditions  in  which  we  found  ourselves,  surrounded 
and  hampered,  so  to  speak,  by  the  Illustrious  Municipal  Council,  some 
members  of  the  clergy,  various  authorities,  a  multitude  of  strangers  and  a 
numerous  concourse  of  the  people,  in  which  all  with  equal  care  made  efforts 
to  approach  and  witness  the  Act;  all  these  circumstances  then  prevented 
us  from  making  a  more  profound  and  extended  examination. 

“Being  attentive,  however,  to  the  letter  of  the  communication  of  his 
Excellency,  the  Minister,  in  which  he  begged  us  to  ‘examine  the  state  of 
preservation  of  the  box  which  inclosed  the  venerated  remains  of  the  im¬ 
mortal  Columbus  we  believe  that  we  have  given  our  opinion  frankly  and 
sincerely  upon  this  point,  adjusted  to  the  light  of  truth  and  of  science. 

“We  believe  that  the  lapse  of  time  from  the  period  to  which  the  said 
box  belongs  would  not  alter  the  good  conditions  in  which  it  is  found,  if  it 
continued  isolated  from  all  organic  matter. 


Second  Examination  587 

“  In  leaving  our  charge  thus  fulfilled,  we  have  the  honour  to  salute  your 
Excellency  with  our  most  distinguished  consideration. 

“San  Domingo,  January  i8,  1878.  (Signed.) 

“  PiNEYRO. - SoCARREZ. - DuRAN. 

“His  Excellency  the  Minister  of  the  Dominican  Republic.” 

While  it  is  not  stated  in  the  Act,  we  learn  from  the  Spanish 
Consul  that  in  this  investigation,  on  January  2,  1878,  the  seals 
placed  upon  the  outer  coffin  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  preceding 


Inscription  on  the  Tzvo  Sides  of  the  Silver  Plate  Found  in  Box  Contain¬ 
ing  the  Remains  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

September  were  examined  through  a  magnifying  glass  in  order 
to  satisfy  those  present  that  they  had  not  been  tampered  with. 
The  second  investigation  was  begun  at  high  twelve,  in  the  ful¬ 
ness  of  the  day,  and  completed  by  five  o’clock  in  the  afternoon. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  the  first  examination,  that  of  Sep¬ 
tember  10,  1877,  was  begun  late  in  the  afternoon  and  it  was 
long  after  eight  o’clock  in  the  evening  when  it  was  finished. 
We  find  the  scientific  examiners  in  this  second  investigation 
complaining  of  the  passing  light  and  of  the  multitude  pressing 
them  upon  every  side.  It  must  have  been  under  far  more 


5SS  Christopher  Columbus 

tr\’ing  conditions  that  the  first  investigation  was  held.  Hence 
the  failure  t3  find  the  thin  plate  of  silver'  is  not  inconsistent 
with  a  performance  at  the  first  investigation  on  the  part  of 
the  examiners  as  faithful  and  as  complete  as  the  circumstances 
admitted.  It  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  leaden  box,  underneath 
the  dust  and  pulverised  bones,  and  was  of  such  slight  thickness 
that  one’s  fingers  might  pass  over  the  bottom  of  a  leaden  box 
filled  with  dust  without  at  first  discovering  it.  The  importance 
of  this  corroborating  witness  unknown  at  the  first  trial  and  now 
summoned  spectacularly  to  appear  at  the  second  cannot  be 
over-estimated.  Every  proof  points  to  its  presence,  though 
uncalled  and  unknown,  at  the  first  trial  and  of  its  possession  by 
the  Court  as  an  exhibit.  It  could  not  have  been  introduced  in 
the  interval  between  the  two  examinations.  That  is  to  say,  it 
could  not  have  been  so  introduced  unless  the  persons  holding 
the  many  sealing  instruments  were  in  a  conspiracy,  and  this 
would  require  collusion  on  the  part  of  the  ecclesiastical  and 
civil  authorities,  as  well  as  on  the  part  of  the  several  members 
of  the  consular  body.  It  could  not  have  been  inserted  into 
the  coffin  surreptitiously  by  some  interested  individual  for  the 
simple  reason  that  it  had  two  holes  which  exactly  fitted  over 
two  other  holes  in  the  leaden  box  beside  the  hinges.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  at  the  first  examination  two  screws  were 
found,  and  these  two  screws  exactly  fitted  the  two  holes  in  the 
plate  and  the  two  holes  in  the  leaden  box.  But  it  is  also  to  be 
remembered  that  the  two  holes  in  the  leaden  box  were  as  much 
a  discovery  at  the  time  of  the  second  examination  as  the  silver 
plate  itself.  The  Act  of  September  lo,  1877,  does  not  disclose 
the  presence  of  screw-holes  in  the  box  itself."  Is  it  possible 
that  the  same  individual  who  might  have  fabricated  the  plate 
had  on  that  September  evening  found  the  two  holes  in  the  box, 
measured  them  with  such  exactness  that  only  mechanical  tools 
could  have  been  employed  for  the  purpose,  and  then  have  waited 

'  The  thickness  of  the  plate  is  not  given.  It  was  87  mm.  long  by  33  mm.  wide; 
that  is  to  say,  about  3^^  inches  long  by  17%  inches  wide.  The  two  holes  were  55  mm., 
or  inches  apart. 

^  By  implication  the  holes  in  the  box  might  be  understood.  The  passage  reads: 

“  Y  dos  pequenos  tornillos  de  la  misma  caja":  “And  two  small  screws  from  the 
same  box.” 

This  does  not  locate  or  measure  the  distance  between  the  holes,  information 
which  would  have  been  absolutely  necessary  to  enable  any  one  to  fabricate  a  plate  to 
screw  into  the  said  holes  of  the  box  themselves.  So  far  as  any  one  could  determine 


Second  Examination 


589 


patiently  till  there  should  occur  some  unknown  and  unexpected 
and  totally  unnatural  opportunity  for  inserting  the  said  plate 
within  the  coffin'  If  the  Spanish  Academy  had  not  appealed 
to  the  King  of  Spain,  if  the  King  of  Spain  had  not  directed  his 
Consul  to  apply  for  a  new  examination,  the  seals  might  have 
remained  unbroken  and  the  coffin  unopened  for  ever.  The 
question  of  conspiracy  is  no  more  to  be  entertained  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  this  second  examination  than  on  the  occasion  of  the 
finding  of  the  remains  on  September  10,  1877.  The  very  sim¬ 
plicity  of  the  inscription  on  the  plate  stamps  it  as  genuine. 
Whosesoever  hand  engraved  those  letters,  it  certainly  had  no 
great  skill.  It  is  evident  that  the  engraver’s  first  effort  was  un¬ 
satisfactory,  but  the  plate  was  of  silver  and  not  to  be  abandoned 
or  rebeaten.  Therefore  it  was  turned  over  and  a  fuller  and 
more  detailed  inscription  was  cut  into  the  plate,  identifying  the 
Christoval  Colon  of  the  rejected  side,  whose  name  is  corrected 
to  Cristoval  Colon,  with  that  Cristoval  Colon  who  was  the  Pre¬ 
mier  Almirante  and  the  Descubridor.  As  we  have  said,  this 
certainly  is  a  spectacular  presentation  of  a  witness,  the  star 
witness,  so  to  speak,  of  the  entire  case.  But  to  our  mind  it  was 
unpremeditated,  unarranged,  unexpected,  and  its  discovery  was 
due  entirely  to  the  opportunity  demanded  and  secured  by  the 
Spaniards,  who  have  claimed  that  the  discovery  in  1877  of  the 
remains  in  the  Cathedral  of  San  Domingo  was  a  solemn  farce, 
the  remains  themselves  fraudulent,  the  world  deluded,  and  truth 
mocked. 

The  Spanish  Consul  transmitted  to  his  Government  a  certi¬ 
fied  copy  of  this  second  Act,  the  report  of  the  scientific  ex¬ 
aminers,  and  such  other  details  as  he  had  been  directed  to 
gather.  Shortly  after  he  was  notified  that  he  had  been  removed 
from  his  office  and  directed  to  transfer  his  effects  to  the  Vice- 
Consul  of  France.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  zealous,  alert 
official  and  his  colleagues  have  since  spoken  of  him  as  an  honest, 

from  published  reports,  the  two  screws  mentioned  in  the  .'Vet  might  have  no  connec¬ 
tion  with  each  other.  They  might  be  in  juxtaposition  or  separated  by  the  length  of 
the  box. 

It  is  true  that  in  his  book  published  in  the  year  1892,  the  Rev.  Roque  Cocchia, 
then  Archbishop  of  Chieti,  says  that  they  found  on  the  box  two  small  holes.  He 
mentions  in  the  inv'entory  two  small  iron  screws,  but  does  not  associate  them  at  all 
with  the  “two  small  holes”  found  on  the  box.  But  it  must  be  remembered  he  is 
speaking  of  an  occurrence  fifteen  years  previous  in  its  action,  and  probably  con¬ 
fuses  the  two  examinations.  In  his  earlier  report  he  makes  no  mention  of  these  holes. 


590 


Christopher  Columbus 

intelligent,  and  upright  man.  Acting  almost  on  an  inspiration,  he 
had  publicly  protested,  directly  the  remains  were  found  on  that 
evening  of  September  lo,  1877,  that  the  remains  belonged  to 
Spain,  an  error  or  a  fraud  having  delivered  the  wrong  remains  to 
his  nation  in  December,  1795.  This  should  have  been  the  key¬ 
note  on  which  to  utter  Spain’s  protest  and  there  would  have  been 
heard  from  the  civilised  world  echoes  of  sympathy  and  support. 
But  Fatality  had  its  clammy  touch  on  Spain  then,  as  on  other 
occasions  before  and  since,  and  she  contented  herself  with  deny¬ 
ing  the  evident  and  closing  her  eyes  to  the  visible. 

The  very  agents  of  the  Academy  of  Spain  sent  to  San 
Domingo  to  investigate  this  matter  of  the  remains  never  viewed 
them  or  asked  to  examine  them."  Of  course  the  question  of 
title  would  have  been  embarrassing.  By  the  correspondence  of 
December,  1795,  it  does  not  appear  that  France,  in  whose  name 
was  then  registered  San  Domingo  and  therefore  its  Cathedral, 
and  therefore  its  deposits,  ever  consented  to  the  removal  of  the 
remains  which  were  given  over  to  General  Aristizabel  on  Decem¬ 
ber  20,  1795.  On  the  other  hand,  the  failure  to  have  recorded  a 
protest  and  the  peaceable  possession  for  more  than  eighty  years 
might  be  construed  into  an  undisputed  title,  but  a  title  to  the 
remains  in  Havana,  and  not  to  those  in  San  Domingo,  a  claim 
to  what  Spain  already  possessed  and  not  to  what  she  did  not 
possess.  If  the  Government  of  San  Domingo  should  regard  itself 
as  bound  to  fulfil  the  obligations  of  France  from  which  it  had 
title,  it  could  have  demanded  the  written  or  verbal  agreement 
of  France  to  deliver  to  Spain  the  veritable  remains  of  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus  before  she  honoured  the  obligation.  Could  Spain 
produce  this  obligation  ?  An  ecclesiastic,  the  Rev.  Don  Fernando 
Portillo  y  Torres,  Archbishop  of  San  Domingo,  delivered  on  De¬ 
cember  20,  1795,  a  coffin  said  to  contain  the  remains  of  Chris¬ 
topher  Columbus  and  a  key  to  the  said  coffin  to  Marshal  Don 
Joaquin  Garcia,  the  Spanish  Captain-General  of  the  island  of 
Santo  Domingo, — the  French  Commissioners  not  yet  having 
appeared  to  receive  the  island  from  France, — and  the  Spanish 
Captain-General  Joaquin  Garcia  handed  over  coffin  and  key  to 
Don  Gabriel  de  Aristizabel,  Lieutenant-General  of  the  Spanish 
Royal  Armada,  and  this  coffin  and  key  were  in  turn  delivered 

'  The  Bishop  of  Orope,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Roque  Cocchia,  and  Luigi  Cambiaso  are  our 
authorities  for  this  statement. 


Second  Examination 


591 


to  the  Spanish  Governor  of  Havana  as  a  trust  until  the  King 
of  Spain  might  determine  what  further  disposition  should  be 
made  of  them.  In  all  this  we  do  not  see  that  France  had  part, 
lot,  duty,  or  obligation.  It  would  then  have  been  difficult  for 
Spain  to  establish  her  legal  rights  to  the  remains  of  Columbus. 


CHAPTER  CXXXXI 
THE  THIRD  EXAMINATION 

When  there  arrived  the  first  anniversary  of  this  discovery 
of  the  remains,  September  lo,  1878,  the  event  was  celebrated 
in  accordance  with  the  Pastoral  letter  issued  the  year  before. 
Cannon  fired  their  salutes,  the  bells  of  the  different  churches 
were  rung,  and  the  Te  Deum  recited.  The  most  important 
ceremony,  as  might  have  been  expected,  took  place  in  the 
Church  Regina  Angelorum,  where  were  still  deposited  the  pre¬ 
cious  relics.  At  eight  o’clock  in  the  morning  there  gathered  in 
the  Palace  of  the  Governor,  the  ecclesiastical,  civil,  and  mili¬ 
tary  authorities,  the  Consular  Body,  the  Supreme  Court  of  Jus¬ 
tice,  and  prominent  citizens  to  whom  the  Rev.  Bishop  Roque 
Cocchia  announced  that  it  was  purposed  to  place  the  remains  of 
the  Discoverer  in  a  repository  more  worthy  of  the  great  man, 
and  to  that  end  there  had  been  prepared  an  urn  of  crystal. 
Those  present  then  formed  in  procession  and  directed  their  steps 
to  the  salle  of  the  College  St.  Luis  Gonzaga,  near  the  church, 
where  the  Vicar  Billini  had  on  deposit  the  cofhn  and  its  con¬ 
tents.  Here  the  remains  were  transferred  to  the  urn  of  crystal 
prepared  for  their  reception  and  placed  on  a  richly  caparisoned 
bier.  Then  the  procession  once  more  wended  its  way  to  the 
Church  Regina  Angelorum  and  up  to  the  presbytery,  where  the 
urn  was  deposited.  During  the  procession  different  members 
of  the  civil,  military,  judiciary,  and  consular  bodies  alternated 
in  performing  the  duty  of  bearers.  The  Bishop  then  mounted 
the  pulpit  and  preached  an  excellent  discourse  on  the  suggestive 
theme,  Exultabent  Ossa  Humiliata.  The  urn  remained  exposed 
to  public  gaze  the  entire  day,  guarded  by  the  most  distinguished 
citizens  of  San  Domingo,  and  was  viewed  by  a  vast  concourse 


592 


Third  Examination 


593 


of  people.  At  six  o’clock  it  was  again  closed,  placed  in  an  outer 
box,  and  remanded  to  the  custody  of  the  Vicar  Billini. 

It  was  on  this  occasion,  at  the  early  morning  meeting  in  the 
salle  of  the  College  St.  Luis  Gonzaga  that  the  Reverend  Bishop 
caused  to  be  taken  from  the  leaden  box,  as  the  remains  were 
being  transferred  to  the  crystal  urn,  a  small  quantity  of  dust 
with  two  small  fragments  of  bone,  which  he  afterwards  sent  to 
his  Holiness  Pope  Leo  XIIL,  and  also  another  small  quantity 
of  dust  which  he  consigned  to  the  University  of  Pavia,  and  a 
third  small  quantity  of  dust  which  he  retained  himself.  These 
are  his  words. : 

“On  that  occasion  [referring  to  the  anniversary  day,  September  lo, 
1878]  I  proposed  to  offer  to  the  Pope  Leo  XIIL  a  relic  of  the  great  man 
and  then  and  there  a  small  quantity  of  the  dust  and  two  small  frag¬ 
ments  of  bone  were  given  to  me.  I  sent  immediately  due  notice  to  his 
Holiness,  who  was  grateful  and  ordered  that  I  should  interpret  to  the  Gov¬ 
ernment  his  appreciation.  I  did  so  at  once  and  the  Minister  of  the  Interior 
acknowledged  this  in  his  letter  dated  January  16,  1879,  as  follows: 

“‘I  have  had  the  honour  of  receiving  and  transmitting  to  the  Govern¬ 
ment  your  courteous  note  of  January  10,  1879,  in  which  your  Eminence 
informs  me  of  the  good  reception  given  by  his  Holiness  of  the  relic  of  the 
great  Christopher  Columbus  that  was  dedicated  to  him  the  loth  of  Sep¬ 
tember  last,  the  anniversary  of  the  great  discovery.  The  Government  begs 
me  to  inform  you  of  its  gratification  in  hearing  of  his  Holiness’s  having 
accepted  the  relic.’ 

“Of  the  other  fragments,  a  small  pinch  was  sent  to  Pavia,  where  it  was 
delivered  in  the  manner  stated:  the  remainder  I  retained  myself,  in  the 
presence  of  a  witness  and  I  keep  the  precious  relic  amongst  my  most  sacred 
remembrances.  ’  ’ 

Whatever  of  desecration  there  may  have  been  in  this  act, 
it  was  participated  in  by  the  Bishop’s  partner,  the  Dominican 
government.  As  to  the  University  of  Pavia,  it  seems  that  on 
November  22,  1877,  Dr.  Carlo  Dell’  Acqua,  Assistant  Librarian 
of  the  University  of  Pavia,  wrote  to  the  Bishop  as  follows: 

“I  am  very  glad  to  learn  from  the  newspapers  that  in  the  Cathedral  of 
your  city  have  been  found  the  mortal  remains  of  Christopher  Columbus. 
This  city,  Pavia,  that  had  the  honour  of  having  Christopher  Columbus  as 
a  student  in  its  University,  warmly  participates  in  the  joy  of  such  a  grand 
event.  If  your  Excellency,  as  guardian  of  such  precious  remains,  were 
able  with  due  authorisation  to  send  me  a  relic  of  that  great  man,  I  should 

VOL.  111.-38. 


594 


Christopher  Columbus 

consider  myself  exceedingly  fortunate  to  be  able  to  offer  it  to  the  Univer¬ 
sity,  of  which  I  am  a  member,  confident  that  it  will  be  preserved  with  the 
greatest  respect.” 

The  Bishop  obtained  this  dust  only  on  September  lo,  1878, 
and  it  was  nearly  two  years  before  a  suitable  opportunity  oe- 
curred  for  transmitting  it  to  the  University.  This  opportunity 
occurred  when  the  Bishop’s  Secretary  (afterwards  his  successor 
as  Apostolic  Delegate,  and  still  later,  Bishop  of  Larino),  the  Rev. 
Father  Bernardino  d’Emilia,  departed  from  San  Domingo  for 
Italy.  The  precious  dust  was  consigned  to  his  care  and  was 
duly  delivered  in  the  summer  of  1880.  In  the  interest  of  pre¬ 
serving  historical  fragments  comparatively  unimportant  of 
themselves  but  essential  to  the  careful  student,  we  give  the  Act 
acknowledging  the  receipt  of  these  ashes; 

‘‘In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1880,  this  day  Thursday,  the  5th  of  August 
at  2  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  the  city  of  Pavia  and  in  the  University,  I, 
Dr.  Cesar  Rizzi,  Notary  residing  in  Pavia,  record  in  this  Act  what  follows: 

‘‘First:  That  in  another  hall  of  this  University’s  Library  and  precisely 
in  the  so-called  hall  of  the  Professors,  were  gathered  personally  in  the 
presence  of  invited  guests  who  had  been  duly  admitted :  Mr.  Commendator 
Joseph  Bosi,  Prefect  of  the  Province  of  Pavia,  as  representative  of  the 
Royal  Government  and  most  especially  as  Delegate  and  representative  of 
the  Minister  of  Public  Instruction;  Cavalier  Anzel  Nocca,  Senior  Alderman 
of  the  Municipality  of  Pavia  and  as  such  representative  of  his  Excellency 
Commendator  Admiral  William  Acton,  Minister  of  the  Marine  and  also  as 
representative  of  the  Italian  Geographical  Society;  the  Barrister  John. 
Vidari,  Provincial  Deputy  at  Pavia,  as  representative  of  this  Provincial 
deputation;  Barrister  Emilio  Pellegrini,  President  of  the  Administration 
of  the  Royal  College  Ghisilieri  of  Pavia;  the  Commendator  Reverend  Joseph 
Chiazza,  Rector  of  the  ‘College  Borromeo’  of  Pavia;  Mr.  Cav.  Jules  Villa, 
President  of  the  Civil  and  Correctional  Tribunal  of  Pavia;  Commendator 
Tullius  Brugnatelli,  ordinary  Professor  of  Chemistry  in  this  University, 
Messrs.  Cav.  John  Rizzi  and  Barrister  Joseph  Dapelli,  Municipal  Aldermen 
of  Pavia;  the  Reverend  Don  Francis  Magnani,  Parish  Priest  of  the  Church 
of  St.  Francis,  as  representative  of  his  Excellency  Monseigneur  Augustin 
G.  Riboldi,  Bishop  of  the  City  and  of  the  Diocese  of  Pavia;  the  Reverend 
Don  John  Dell’  Acqua,  as  representative  of  the  Clergy  of  Pavia,  the  Rev. 
Bernardino  d’Emilia,  Capuchin,  charged  by  his  Excellency  Rev.  Monseign¬ 
eur  Archbishop  Roque  Cocchia,  of  whom  he  is  Secretarv,  and  Messrs. 
Cav.  Professor  Alexander  Nova,  Cav.  Prof.  Eugenio  Balbi,  Cav.  Dr.  Angel 
Vecchi  and  Cav.  Barrister  Nobile  Zanino  Volta,  members,  with  the  Mayor 
of  Pavia  (who  is  absent) ,  of  the  Committee  for  the  reception  of  the  afore- 


Third  Examination  595 

mentioned  relic  and  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  Columbus,  the  great 
Navigator,  in  Pavia. 

“Second;  That  Commendator  Bosi  as  representative  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment  and  Delegate  of  the  Minister  of  Instruction  did  first  make  a  speech 
in  which  he  rendered  publicly  and  solemnly  the  most  sincere  thanks  to  the 
Government  of  the  Republic  of  Santo  Domingo,  to  Monseigneur,  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  Roque  Cocchia  and  to  the  bearer  of  the  precious  relic,  Don  Ber¬ 
nardino  d’Emilia;  to  which  address  this  last-mentioned  answered  most 
frankly,  deploring  the  absence  of  Cav.  Dell’  Acqua,  Assistant  Librarian. 
Afterwards  speeches  were  made  by  the  Rector  of  the  University  and  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Committee,  Prof.  Nova,  the  Vice-Librarian,  Barrister  Volta, 
expressing  the  same  sentiments  advanced  by  the  Prefect,  and  finally  Cav. 
Nocco,  Alderman,  who  presented  his  thanks  in  the  name  of  the  city,  of  the 
Minister  of  Marine  and  of  the  Geographical  Society. 

“Third:  That  in  accordance  with  what  was  above  stated  the  Reverend 
Don  Bernardino  d’Emilia,  from  Calitri,  consigned  formally  to  the  Rector, 
Prof.  Nova,  in  his  quality  of  President  of  the  Committee,  the  relic  which 
consists  (according  to  the  description  in  the  document  given  by  Monseign¬ 
eur  Roque  Cocchia)  of  small  fragments  of  bones  and  a  pinch  of  dust  en¬ 
closed  in  a  small  pyramid  of  crystal  duly  sealed  by  the  Notary  Perez  of 
San  Domingo,  by  the  Consul  of  Italy  in  San  Domingo,  Cavalier  Lewis 
Cambiaso,  and  by  Monseigneur  Roque  Cocchia. 

“Fourth:  That  the  said  small  pyramid  was  by  the  Rector  Nova  placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  Vice-Librarian,  Barrister  Volta,  that  he  acknowledged 
receipt  of  the  same,  promising  to  preserve  it  with  care  in  the  safe  of  the 
said  Library,  until  it  shall  be  decided  to  have  it  placed  elsewhere,  b}.^  the 
Committee  or  by  the  authorities. 

“Fifth;  That  the  Reverend  Father  Bernardino  d’Emilia  invited  by  the 
Prefect,  gave  an  account  of  how  the  discovery  took  place  in  the  Cathedral 
of  San  Domingo,  of  the  remains  of  Christopher  Columbus,  the  great  Ad¬ 
miral,  and  all  about  the  festivals  which  took  place  in  that  Capital  in  order 
to  celebrate  the  happy  event,  a  speech  which  was  received  with  cheers  by 
all  the  people  present  and  listened  to  with  the  most  intense  interest. 

“The  said  Act  by  me  written  out  was  made  public,  by  reading  it,  the 
reading  being  done  by  me,  in  a  high  and  clear  voice  to  all  those  present, 
the  witnesses  included,  and  was  thence  signed  by  all  tliose  present,  as  well 
as  the  witnesses  and  by  me,  the  Notary  as  last  signed.’’ 

[Here  follow  the  signatures  of  those  persons  mentioned  in  the  first 
paragraph.] 

In  his  speech  made  on  that  occasion,  the  Barrister  Volta 
gave  the  credit  for  initiating  the  movement  which  resulted 
in  obtaining  the  precious  relic,  to  the  Director  Cavalier  Dell 
Acqua.  The  Capuchin  Bernardino  d’Emilia,  the  Envoy  bear¬ 
ing  the  relic,  remarked  as  follows; 


596 


Christopher  Columbus 

“Only  to-day  I  have  had  the  great  honour  to  consign  into  your  hands 
the  treasure  confided  to  me,  I  mean  the  precious  relic  of  Christopher  Co¬ 
lumbus  which  through  my  means  has  been  sent  you  by  Monseigneur  Roque 
Cocchia,  formerly  Bishop  of  Orope  and  now  Archbishop  of  Chieti,  to  whom 
I  have  had  the  honour  of  acting  as  Secretary  for  the  last  six  years,  and 
upon  this  fortunate  occasion  I  am  deputed  by  him  to  bring  you  the  relic 
and  to  interpret  his  sentiments.  Receive,  therefore,  Monsieur  the  Rector 
and  as  well  the  Committee  and  the  City,  this  small  urn,  this  small  pyramid 
containing  a  pinch  of  dust  and  a  few  fragments  of  the  veritable  remains 
of  the  Great  Navigator,  discovered  not  long  since  in  the  Cathedral  of  San 
Domingo  and  at  which  discovery  I  was  present.  I  rejoice  most  exceedingly 
with  all  my  heart,  in  accomplishing  to-day  the  desire  of  so  many  learned 
citizens,  admirers  of  the  glory  of  Christopher  Columbus,  a  glory  that  most 
probably  sowed  its  first  seed  from  the  studies  acquired  by  him  in  this 
ancient  asylum  of  the  sciences.  The  City  of  his  birth  received  not  long 
ago  a  small  pinch  of  the  remains  of  the  Great  Navigator,  the  remains  most 
fortunately  discovered  by  the  Italian  Roque  Cocchia,  in  the  Cathedral  of 
San  Domingo.  Now,  let  Pavia  rejoice  and  be  happy,  having  received  so 
precious  a  relic  of  that  great  man,  envied  by  all  Nations,  and  may  the 
youths  of  this  Athenaeum  receive  from  these  remains  vital  sparks  of  love 
for  knowledge  together  with  the  constant;  attachment  to  noble  purposes.” 


CHAPTER  CXXXXII 


THE  FOURTH  EXAMINATION 

On  the  second  anniversary  of  the  discovery  of  the  remains, 
September  lo,  1879,  the  restorations  being  completed  in  the 
Cathedral,  the  authorities  decided  to  deposit  the  remains  once 
more  and  finally  in  the  Cathedral  Church.  The  Bishop  de¬ 
clares  that  the  ceremonies  on  this  occasion  were  more  solemn 
but  more  quiet  than  on  the  previous  anniversary,  although 
losing  nothing  of  their  splendour  or  festival  character.  The  re¬ 
mains  were  escorted  from  the  Church  Regina  Angelorum  to  the 
Cathedral  and  there  deposited  in  the  vault  or  little  chamber 
adjoining  the  Chapel  of  the  Bastides,  and  there,  in  that  little 
chamber  of  the  Cathedral  Church,  these  remains,  be  they  veri¬ 
table  or  false,  rest  until  this  day. 

The  next  information  we  have  of  an  examination  of  these 
relics  is  when  Herr  Rudolf  Cronau,  a  German  writer,  having 
obtained  the  necessary  authority,  viewed  the  remains  on  the 
morning  of  Sunday,  January  ii,  1891.  There  were  present 
the  ecclesiastical  authorities,  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  of 
the  Republic  of  Santo  Domingo,  all  the  Consuls  of  the  Govern¬ 
ments  having  representatives  in  San  Domingo,  as  well  as  other 
prominent  persons,  among  whom  was  Emiliano  Tejera,  who  has 
written  rfiany  pamphlets  and  articles  on  this  subject.  In  his 
work  entitled  Die  Geschichte  seiner  Entdecknng  von  der  altesten 
bis  auf  die  neuste  Zeit,  Herr  Cronau  has  detailed  for  us  the 
investigation  on  that  occasion  ' : 

“The  two  little  sepulchral  chambers,  the  position  of  which  can  be  seen 
from  the  plan  and  the  illuminations  referring  to  the  Sanctuary,  occupy  the 

'  This  account  is  published  as  given  in  Herr  Cronau’s  book  without  an  attempt 
to  correct  the  few  errors. 


597 


59S  Christopher  Columbus 

entire  space  between  the  staircase  C  and  the  wall,  and  are  separated 
from  one  another  only  by  a  thin  wall  i6  centimetres  thick.  Both 
vaults  are  covered  with  a  cement-like  mortar.  Their  interior  can  easily  be 
seen  from  above,  for  they  were  purposely  left  in  a  way  to  be  examined 
with  ease. 

“Both  rather  small  rooms  are  empty:  the  contents  of  vault  2  are  in 
Havana,  and  the  leaded  coffin  found  in  vault  i  is  kept  under  lock  and  key 
in  a  room  behind  the  first  side  chapel  on  the  left,  in  the  cathedral.  The 
door  leading  to  this  room  can  be  opened  only  by  means  of  three  keys,  of 
which  the  first  is  in  the  hands  of  the  archbishop  and  the  other  two  in  those 
of  the  Government.  The  regulations  require  that  the  room  should  be 
opened  only  in  the  presence  of  one  official  connected  with  the  Church,  and 
two  of  the  officers  of  the  Government.  Admission  is  granted  very  rarely 
and  a  record  is  kept  of  all  visitors. 

“In  the  centre  of  the  room  stands  a  rather  large  chest  (which  can  also 
be  opened  only  by  the  use  of  several  keys),  containing  the  disputed  lead 
coffin.  The  coffin  itself  is  inclosed  in  a  glass  case,  held  together  by  strong 
strips  of  wood  and  ornamented  with  silver  handles.  This  glass  case  can, 
in  its  turn,  be  opened  by  means  of  several  keys.  In  order,  however,  to 
prevent  its  being  opened,  a  broad  white  silk  ribbon  had  in  1877  been  wound 
several  times  about  the  glass  case,  immediately  after  the  body  was  placed 
here,  and  the  seals  of  the  Governments  of  San  Domingo,  the  Church,  and  of 
the  Consulates  of  Spain,  Italy,  Germany,  England,  France,  Holland,  and 
the  United  States  were  put  upon  the  case. 

“No  one  had  opened  the  case  since,  and  consequently  the  coffin  and  the 
remains  were  in  exactly  the  condition  in  which  they  had  been  left  in  1877. 
After  the  door  of  the  room  and  the  chest  had  been  opened  on  the  above- 
mentioned  date  (the  nth  of  January,  1891),  in  the  presence  of  the  wit¬ 
nesses  enumerated  above,  the  glass  case  and  its  contents  were  lifted  out 
and  were  put  on  a  table  covered  with  brocade  in  the  side  nave  of  the 
church,  and  we  were  allowed  to  examine  them.  It  turned  out  that  the 
lead  coffin  was  open;  its  cover  was  turned  back  and  fastened  to  the  cover 
of  the  glass  case,  so  that  the  bones  lying  inside  were  plainly  visible.  A  con¬ 
siderable  number  of  the  vertebras  of  the  neck  and  back,  and  parts  of  the 
arm  and  leg  bones  proved  very  well  preserved.  A  vessel  of  glass  contained 
the  dust  which  had  been  found  in  the  bottom  of  the  coffin.  Furthermore, 
one  could  see  a  little  silver  plate  covered  with  inscriptions,  and  a  round 
leaden  bullet;  the  latter  lay  outside  of  the  lead  coffin. 

“On  the  suggestion  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  of  the  Republic,  the 
consuls  of  the  foreign  governments  declared  unanimously  that  not  only 
the  silk  ribbon  wound  about  the  glass  case,  but  also  all  the  seals  which  had 
been  put  on  in  1877,  were  absolutely  intact.  After  this  the  seals  were 
broken,  the  ribbon  loosened,  the  glass  case  opened  by  means  of  three  keys, 
and  the  lead  coffin  lifted  out  and  put  upon  a  table,  so  that  an  examination 
could  now  be  carried  on  in  the  most  careful  way.  The  coffin  itself  proved 
badly  oxidised  and  showed  the  effects  of  being  dented  in  some  places,  but 


Fourth  Examination 


599 


in  other  respects  was  rather  well  preserved.  A  few  fragments  of  the  lead 
which  had  fallen  olf  were  found  carefully  wrapped  in  a  piece  of  paper. 

“The  first  thing  to  be  done  was,  of  course,  to  investigate  the  inscriptions 
on  the  lead  coffin  and  the  little  plate  of  silver.  The  result  was  the  discov¬ 
ery  that  the  reproductions  from  these  which  have  so  far  been  published 
are  in  part  very  incorrect.  This  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  in  the  absence 
of  good  instruments  an  attempt  was  made,  as  Mr.  Tejera  assured  us,  to 
copy  the  inscriptions  on  wood  by  means  of  penknives.  I  made  a  special 
effort  to  make  the  correctest  possible  copies  of  all  inscriptions.  These  I 
had  photographed  on  zinc  and  then  etched,  and  they  may  be  compared 
with  older  representations  of  the  inscriptions. 

“The  appearance  of  these  inscriptions,  which  were  engraved  on  the 
lead  and  the  silver  by  means  of  a  sharp  instrument,  shows  them  to  be  un¬ 
mistakably  old.  On  the  outside  of  the  left  wall  of  the  coffin  was  found  the 
letter  C,  on  the  front  wall  a  letter  C,  on  the  right  side  wall  a  letter  A.  These 
letters  have  been  explained  as  the  initials  of  the  words,  ‘Cristoval  Colon, 
Almirante.’ 

“The  cover  bears  the  inscription  (the  first  of  our  reproductions)  which 
has  been  interpreted  as  standing  for  ‘Descubridor  de  la  America,  primero 
Almirante,’  i.  e.,  ‘The  discoverer  of  America,  the  first  Admiral.’ 

“The  words  standing  on  the  inside,  written  in  Gothic  script,  and  partly 
abbreviated,  have  been  translated  as  follows;  ‘The  famous  and  excellent 
man,  Don  Cristoval  Colon.’ 

“  It  has  been  believed  by  some  people  that  the  fourth  letter  of  the  word 
Cristoval  ought  to  be  regarded  as  an  f.  This  would  in  no  way  impair  the 
correctness  of  the  inscription,  as  the  spelling  ‘Criftoval’  is  found. 

“As  to  the  silver  plate  (which  in  our  illustration  is  reproduced  in  its 
real  size),  it  must  be  mentioned  that  it  was  found  with  the  leaden  bullet 
under  the  ashes  which  covered  the  bottom  of  the  coffin.  Two  small  screws 
which  were  also  found  there,  and  which  corresponded  to  two  holes  in  the 
plate,  and  to  two  other  holes  in  the  back  wall  of  the  coffin,  show  that  the 
little  plate  was  originally  screwed  fast  on  the  inside  of  the  coffin,  but  that 
in  course  of  time  the  oxidising  of  the  lead  had  caused  the  screws  to  become 
loose  and  to  fall  down  together  with  the  plate. 

“Both  sides  of  the  plates  are  written  upon  and  both  inscriptions  are 
evidently  meant  to  state  the  same  thing.  It  would  seem,  however,  as  if 
their  author  had  not  been  satisfied  with  the  first  inscription,  perhaps  be¬ 
cause  it  did  not  seem  intelligible  enough  on  account  of  its  too  great  brevity, 
and  had  then  tried  to  express  the  same  thing  on  the  other  side  more  in 
detail.  For  it  would  otherwise  seem  senseless  to  write  on  both  sides  of  a 
plate,  one  side  of  which  was  always  invisible,  because  turned  towards  the 
side  of  the  coffin.  The  more  complete  inscription,  which  was  doubtless 
turned  towards  the  beholder,  has  been  interpreted  as  follows:  ‘Ultima 
parte  de  los  restos  del  primera  Almirante  Cristoval  Colon  Descubridor,’ 
i.  e.,  ‘The  last  part  of  the  remains  of  the  first  Admiral,  Cristoval  Colon, 
the  Discoverer.’ 


6oo 


Christopher  Columbus 

“It  is  to  be  noticed  that  the  first  abbreviated  word  might  also  be  re¬ 
solved  into  ‘una’  or  'unica.’  Then  the  first  part  of  the  sentence  would  be 
‘a  part’  or  ‘the  only  part.’ 

“'\Ve  now  must  mention  the  leaden  bullet  found  in  the  dust  on  the 
bottom  of  the  coffin.  The  theory  has  been  advanced  that  it  was  lodged  in 
the  body  of  Columbus  during  the  first  years  of  his  career  as  a  seaman  and 
dropped  from  its  place  in  the  course  of  the  decomposition.  No  special 
importance  has  been  so  far  attributed  to  its  presence.  We,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  are  inclined  to  consider  it  as  a  proof  of  the  identity  of  these  remnants 
and  those  of  Columbus,  for  the  reason  that  he  says  in  a  letter  written  to 
the  Spanish  monarchs  during  his  fourth  voyage,  and  mentioned  above  by 
us,  ‘My  wound  has  opened  again.’ 


“  During  my  stay  of  a  month  I  made  it  a  business  to  question  a  consid¬ 
erable  number  of  persons  who  had  been  present  at  the  discovery  of  the 
coffin,  singly  and  without  each  other’s  knowledge,  and  found  complete 
agreement  in  the  statements  of  all  of  them. 

“After  I  had  finished  my  investigation  of  the  coffin  and  the  remains 
(this  took  me  about  three  hours)  the  ashes  in  the  glass  vessel  were  put  into 
a  silver  casket  ornamented  with  gold,  and  this  casket  was  also  put  into 
the  coffin.  After  the  leaden  coffin  had  been  put  back  into  the  glass  case 
the  latter  was  again  carefully  closed,  a  ribbon  with  the  three  colours  of  the 
Republic  San  Domingo,  red,  white,  and  blue,  was  tied  about  it,  and  it  was 
locked  as  it  had  been  before;  that  is,  by  the  governments,  the  church,  and 
different  consulates  putting  their  seals  upon  it.  Notaries  who  had  been 
called  read  the  report  they  had  made,  the  coffin  was  put  back  into  its  old 
place,  and  those  present  at  this  memorable  act  took  their  departure.  The 
author,  and  certainly  all  those  who  were  there  with  him,  went  away  with 
the  conviction  that  the  venerable  remains  of  the  great  discoverer  were 
lying  and  are  still  lying  in  the  cathedral  of  San  Domingo.” 

The  leaden  box  is  forty-four  centimetres  long,  twenty-three 
high,  and  twenty-one  wide.  The  lid  is  a  single  sheet  of  lead 
made  so  as  to  overlap  the  box  in  front  and  on  the  two  sides. 

As  we  stand  facing  the  box  there  is  on  the  front  side  and 
about  in  the  middle  a  large  capital  letter  C,  perpendicular  in  its 
position;  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  box  is  a  large  capital 
letter  1^^,  horizontal  in  its  position;  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the 
box  is  a  large  capital  letter  (h,  also  horizontal  in  its  position. 

These  were  all  the  inscriptions  found  in  connection  with 
the  remains  when  they  were  discovered  in  the  Capilla  Mayor  of 
the  Cathedral  at  San  Domingo,  on  September  lo,  1877.  At  the 
second  examination,  held  on  January  2,  1878,  at  the  Church 


Fourth  Examination 


6oi 


Regina  Angelorum,  at  the  instance  of  his  Majesty  Alfonso  XII., 
King  of  Spain,  a  silver  plate  was  found  with  an  inscription  on 
both  sides.  We  have  quoted  in  full  the  description  given  by 
Herr  Cronau  of  the  remains,  the  urn,  and  the  inscriptions  as  seen 
by  him,  and  for  purposes  of  comparison  we  give  his  fac-similes 
of  the  inscriptions  on  the  silver  plate  and  those  made  by  the 
agent  of  the  Spanish  Academy,  D.  Antonio  Lopez  Prieto, 


Inscription  on  Silver  Plate  as  Taken  by  Agent  of  the 
Spanish  Academy. 


Inscription  on  Silver  Plate  as  Taken  by  Herr  Cronau. 

602 


CHAPTER  CXXXXIII 


THE  TRUE  REMAINS 

We  have  now  before  us  all  the  inscriptions  connected  with 
the  leaden  box  and  the  remains.  There  were  no  inscriptions 
or  marks  whatsoever  on  the  leaden  box  found  in  the  little  vault 
adjoining  the  one  from  which  the  present  box  was  removed, 
and  which  was  unearthed  in  1783  and  which  in  1795  was  de¬ 
livered  to  General  Aristizabel  for  translation  to  Havana,  and 
which,  in  1899,  was  deposited  in  the  Cathedral  at  Seville.  Here 
were  two  vaults  lying  side  by  side,  one  next  the  wall,  the  other 
adjoining  on  the  side  farther  away  from  the  wall.  We  will  call 
the  first  A,  the  second  B.  A  was  next  the  door  leading  to  the 
Chapter  Chamber.  B  was  near  the  door  leading  to  the  Chapter 
Chamber.  The  unmarked  leaden  box,  discovered  in  1783  on 
the  Gospel  side  of  the  altar,  was  described  as  taken  from  a 
vault  near  the  door  leading  to  the  Chapter  Chamber,  not  next  it. 
History  tells  us  that  at  least  two  of  the  Columbus  family  were 
buried  in  the  Capilla  Mayor  of  the  Cathedral,  Don  Christopher, 
the  First  Admiral,  and  Don  Diego,  the  second  Admiral. 
Tradition  tells  us  there  were  three  buried  in  that  Capilla  Mayor, 
Don  Christopher,  the  First  Admiral;  Don  Diego,  the  second 
Admiral;  and  Don  Luis,  the  third  Admiral.  Tradition  tells 
us  that  the  First  Admiral  was  buried  on  the  right,  or  Gospel, 
side  of  the  High  Altar,  and  that  another  of  the  family  was 
buried  on  the  left,  or  Epistle,  side  of  the  High  Altar.  Some¬ 
time  previous  to  the  repairs  to  the  Cathedral  in  1783,  there 
was  discovered  a  vault  which  we  will  call  vault  C,  on  the  left, 
or  Epistle,  side  of  the  altar  in  the  old  Capilla  Mayor,  and  in  it 
was  found  a  leaden  box  with  an  inscription  reciting  that  it  con¬ 
tained  the  remains  of  Don  Luis  Columbus,  but  in  describing 

603 


6o4  Christopher  Columbus 

the  discovery,  the  Canon  of  the  Cathedral  called  him  Don  Luis, 
the  brother  of  Christopher  Columbus,  meaning  the  Christopher 
Columbus  who  was  the  First  Admiral,  and  the  Discoverer  of 
the  New  World.  There  is  no  evidence  that  there  ever  were 
buried  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  this  original  Capilla  Mayor 
any  other  bodies  than  those  of  the  Columbus  family,  and  the 
Royal  Decree  of  Charles  V.  gave  that  family  the  exclusive  use 
of  the  said  original  Capilla  Mayor.  There  never  was  any  evi¬ 
dence  that  more  than  three  members  of  the  Columbus  family 
were  there  buried.  Those  who  assert  that  Don  Bartholomew, 
the  Adelantado,  was  buried  in  the  Cathedral,  say  so  on  the 
authority  of  the  Synod  Report  of  1683,  in  which  Don  Luis  is 
called  the  brother  of  Christopher  Columbus,  referring  to  the 
First  Admiral. 

In  December,  1795,  vault  B  was  opened  and  its  unmarked 
box  and  the  unidentified  contents  were  transferred  to  Havana. 
In  May,  1877,  vault  C  was  again  found  and  opened,  and  from 
the  inscriptions  on  the  leaden  box  within,  the  latter  was  identi¬ 
fied  as  containing,  as  its  legend  recited,  the  mortal  remains  of 

“  El  Almir.\nte,  D.  Luis  Colon,  Duque  de  Veragua,  Marquis  de — ” 


>C2  At  nlli  1  ^ 

9titvv  Q.  1 CT® 

Inscription  on  Box  Containing  Remains  of  Don  Luis  Columbus,  the  TJnrd  Admiral. 


On  Sunday,  September  9,  1877,  there  was  found  and  opened 
a  vault  on  the  right  or  Gospel  side  of  the  High  Altar,  but  re¬ 
moved  somewhat  from  the  wall.  This  vault  was  empty  and 
was  recognised  as  that  from  which,  in  i795’  ^  leaden  box  con¬ 
taining  “parts  of  some  defunct”  was  removed  and  transferred 
to  Havana.  This  is  our  vault  B.  On  Monday,  September  10, 
1877,  there  was  found  a  vault  on  the  right  or  Gospel  side  of 


The  True  Remai  ns 


605 


the  High  Altar  adjoining  the  principal  wall  and  between  that 
wall  and  the  empty  vault,  from  which  was  taken  a  leaden  box 
with  the  inscriptions  as  above  given.  This  is  our  vault  A,  and, 
we  confidently  believe,  contained  for  more  than  three  hundred 
years  the  veritable  remains  of  Christopher  Columbus.  If  we 
approach  this  leaden  box  taken  from  vault  A  we  will  read  the 
three  capital  letters  from  left  to  right  C.  C.  A.,  and  we  naturally 
interpret  these  to  stand  for  Cristoval  Colon  Almirante, — Chris¬ 
topher  Columbus,  Admiral. 

No  one  will  dispute  this  reading  or  suggest  another.  On 
the  top  of  the  box  on  the  outside  of  the  cover  is  the  inscription 
D.  dc  la  A.  Per.  Ate.  Here  is  room  for  discussion.  It  will  be 
admitted  that  this  inscription  stands  for  Descubridor  de  la 
America,  Primer  Almirante,  Discoverer  of  America,  First  Ad¬ 
miral.  This  being  admitted,  the  Spanish  Academy  says  it 
follows  that  the  inscription  could  not  be  contemporaneous  with 
the  death  of  Columbus  or  with  the  transferment  of  his  remains 
about  the  year  1541  to  San  Domingo.  In  this  inference  we  are 
in  accord  with  the  Spanish  Academy.  The  New  World  was 
baptised  America  on  May  5,  1507.’  It  was  twice  sounded  in 

*  The  CosmographicE  Introductio,  printed  at  St.  Di4  in  the  Vosgian  Mountains, 
and  in  which  it  was  first  suggested  calling  the  New  World  America  after  Americtis 
VespHcius,  is  dated  VII  Kl.  Maii  1507.  that  is  to  say,  April  25,  which  being  corrected 
by  the  Gregorian  Calendar,  gives  us  May  5,  1507,  as  the  Baptismal  day  of  America. 

It  is  astonishing  that  people  will  still  strain  their  imaginations  in  finding  Indian 
names  of  tribes  and  places  to  suggest  the  name  of  America.  Let  us  suppose  that 
there  were  to  be  found  somewhere  on  this  continent  a  marble  tablet  with  the  name 
America  or  any  word  approaching  it  in  appearance  or  sound,  and  that  proof  could  be 
presented  showing  that  this  tablet  was  in  existence,  that  it  represented  a  people,  a 
region,  or  a  thing  before  1507;  it  nevertheless  would  have  absolutely  no  bearing  on 
the  naming  of  the  continent.  The  editor  of  the  Cosmographicc  Introductio  suggested 
calling  the  continent  .‘\mertca  after  .Americus  Vespucius  because  the  latter  had  widely 
explored  it,  and  since  Europe,  Asia,  and  .Africa  had  feminine  names,  it  was  proposed 
that  a  feminine  termination  be  given  this  name,  and  that  accordingly  it  be  called 
America.  Martin  Waldseemuller,  who  is  credited  with  this  suggestion,  knew  that 
Christopher  Columbus  and  not  .Americus  Vespucius  was  the  first  of  modern  men  to 
set  foot  on  the  New  World,  indeed  he  read  that  fact  in  the  writing  of  Vespucius 
himself  in  the  very  bonk  he  printed,  but  he  also  knew  that  .Americus  A^'espucius  had 
in  his  four  voyages  sailed  and  explored  regions  extending  from  about  38°  north  lati¬ 
tude  to  about  52°  south  latitude,  and  that  the  distance  was  equal  to  00®,  or  the  fourth 
part  of  the  circumference  of  the  globe.  Captivated  by  the  glowing  account  of  his  e.x- 
plorations,  the  German  student  suggested  the  explorer's  name  for  the  New  World, 
having  probably  the  southern  part  thereof  more  particularly  in  his  mind,  and  the 
world  accepted  his  suggestion,  each  new  voice  repeating  with  the  use  of  the  name  its 
reason  for  that  use. 

The  reader  is  referred  to  the  .Author’s  Continent  of  America  for  a  complete  dis¬ 
cussion  of  this  question  of  the  naming  of  .America. 


6o6 


Christopher  Columbus 

that  year  and  again  in  1509  men  spoke  the  name  at  Strasburg. 
Some  writers  assert  that  the  name  was  first  spoken  in  English 
in  the  year  1510/  In  1520  Apianus  placed  it  upon  his  map, 
and  in  1522  it  secured  a  permanent  place  on  a  Ptolemy  map. 
In  the  Gerardus  Mercator  map  of  1538  it  was  applied  to  both 
continents  of  the  Western  Hemisphere.  By  the  middle  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  even  by  the  year  1540,  it  was  the  common 
designation  for  the  New  World  in  Germany,  Italy,  France,  the 
Low  Countries,  and  England.  The  Primera  Parte  de  las  Difer- 
encias  de  Libras  que  ay  en  el  Universo,  of  Alexio  Vanegas  de 
Busto,  printed  at  Toledo  in  1546,  designate  the  new  parts  as 
America.^  But  the  use  of  the  word  America  was  not  common 
in  Spain  in  the  sixteenth  century.  The  universal  Spanish 
designation  of  its  possessions  in  the  New  World  was  Las  Indias. 
Nueva  Espana  was  used  to  designate  a  portion  only  of  Las 
Indias.  This  designation  has  never  entirely  ceased,  even  in 
our  day,  and  when  Spain  has  so  little  occasion  for  its  use.  We 
therefore  reject  the  inscription  as  contemporaneous  with  the 
death  of  Columbus.  Nor  is  the  leaden  box  or  coffin  itself  con¬ 
temporaneous  with  the  death  of  the  Admiral.  Not  that  the 
appearance  of  its  age  would  preclude  this  opinion,  but  the  body 
of  the  DiscoA^erer  would  not  have  been  in  a  state  to  be  rudely 
thrust  into  so  narroAv  a  receptacle  either  then,  or  in  1508,  or 
for  many  years  after.  Perhaps  in  1541  the  exigencies  of  the 
condition  mav  have  been  such  as  to  have  required  for  so  long 
a  transportation  a  box  of  lead.  But  if  the  inscription  was 
made  in  1541,  Ave  are  of  the  opinion  it  was  not  made  by  a 
Spaniard  or  by  direction  of  a  Spaniard.  We  are  not  obliged, 
however,  to  consider  this  inscription  by  itself.  Corroborative 

1  In  the  unique  little  tract  preserved  in  the  British  Museum,  entitled  A  New 
Interlude  and  a  Mery,  is  this  passage; 

"But  this  newe  lands  founde  lately  Ben  callyd  America,  by  cause  only  Americus 
dyd  jurst  them  fynde.” 

The  date  of  this  impression  is  not  given,  but  it  contains  a  manuscript  note, 
saying : 

"First  impression  dated  2^th  Oct.  II  Henry  VIII. 

This  would  give  the  date  as  October  25,  1510-  VIg.  have  examined  the  book, 
and  while  the  manuscript  note  is  of  a  comparatively  late  inscribing,  and  therefore 
not  at  all  authoritative,  there  is  internal  evidence  that  the  book  was  printed  prior  to 
1520. 

2  There  was  an  edition  of  this  work  printed  at  Toledo,  En  Casa  de  Juan  de  Ayala, 
in  1^40,  but  not  having  seen  it,  we  do  not  know  if  it  contains  this  early  Spanish  use 
of  the  word. 


The  True  Remai  ns 


607 


evidence  is  found  in  other  inscriptions  connected  with  the  box. 
On  the  inside  of  the  cover  of  the  box,  we  read; 

y  Es“°  Varon  Cristoval  Colon.” 

‘‘Ilustre  y  Esclarecido  Varon  Don  Cristoval  Colon.” 

‘‘The  illustrious  and  excellent  man,  Don  Cristoval  Colon.” 

Even  if  this  inscription  stood  by  itself  unsupported  by  another 
identifying  line  or  word,  it  could  not  be  taken  for  that  only 
other  Cristoval  Colon,  the  brother  of  Don  Luis.  The  latter 
never  had  distinguished  rank  or  title.  It  is  said  in  criticism  of 
the  authenticity  of  this  inscription  that  the  curled  form  or  the 
small  letter  5  occurring  in  the  middle  of  a  word  (as  the  fourth 
letter  in  Cristoval)  was  not  used  in  that  time.  It  is  only  neces¬ 
sary  to  point  to  certain  books  and  manuscripts  of  the  period 
to  contradict  this  assertion.  The  reader  will  see  in  the  quotation 
from  the  Histone  at  the  beginning  of  our  chapter  xxxxviii. 
frequent  use  of  the  curled  letter.  It  is  met  with  more  frequently 
during  the  sixteenth  century  in  manuscripts  than  in  printed 
books.  Many  examples  of  this  use  will  be  found  in  Silvestre’s 
U niversal  Palaeography.^  The  letter  so  common  at  the  beginning 
or  end  of  a  word  was  slowly  making  its  way  into  the  heart  of  a 
word.  We  have  seen  it  so  used  in  manuscript  as  early  as  the 
year  1484.  It  had  been  undergoing  a  gradual  transition  in 
print,  but  by  1540  it  had  arrived.  The  old  form  “f,”  however, 
was  more  or  less  used  in  the  middle  of  a  word  for  two  centuries. 
This  inscription  is  by  far  the  most  elaborate  of  those  found  at 
the  time,  and  was  the  work  of  an  artist  of  no  mean  ability  with 
the  engraving  tool.  As  to  the  two  inscriptions  on  the  silver 
plate,  we  have  already  discussed  them.  They  certainly  are 
crude  and  do  not  appear  to  have  been  made  by  the  same  hand 
which  engraved  either  of  the  other  inscriptions.  The  fact  that 
the  plate  had  an  inscription  on  the  inner  side,  whichever  may 
have  been  the  side  fastened  on  the  box,  is  not  difficult  to  ex¬ 
plain.  The  engraver  was  very  properly  dissatisfied  with  his 
work  when  he  had  completed  one  side  of  the  plate.  He  had 
cut  the  Christian  name  of  the  Admiral  with  a  letter  h  after  the 


’  As,  for  instance,  in  Plate  CCLXVIIL,  where,  in  the  reproduction  of  the  beauti¬ 
ful  manuscript  of  the  sixteenth  century  preserved  in  the  Imperial  Library  at  Vienna, 
we  have  both  forms  in  the  same  word:  DEUS  JUDEX  JUfTISSIMUS  POTEfT. 


6oS 


Christopher  Columbus 

C  and  had  left  no  room  for  any  other  words  than  the  two  con¬ 
stituting  the  names.  Naturally,  he  turned  over  the  plate  and 
began  anew.  This  time  he  introduced  what  he  may  have  at 
first  intended  to  put  upon  the  plate, — a  description  of  the  object 
for  which  the  plate  was  engraved.  He  cut  the  characters 
which  we  may  interpret: 

“UlTIM.A.  P.\RTE  DE  LOS  RESTOS  DEL 

PRIMER  Almir.'vnte,  Don  Cristoval  Colon, 
Descubridor  ”  :  “The  last  part  of  the 
remains  of  the  First  Admiral,  Don 
Cristoval  Colon,  the  Discoverer.” 

The  plate  was  then  screwed  into  the  leaden  box  with  the  first 
or  rejected  side,  having  the  ill-spelled  inscription,  against 
the  box,  leaving  the  side  with  the  fuller  inscription  to  be 
read  b}^  some  one  who  in  after  time  might  open  the  box.  We 
do  not  believe  historical  writers  should  permit  themselves 
theories,  and  yet  it  is  impossible  not  to  yield  one’s  self  at  times 
to  speculation.  If,  then,  on  this  occasion  we  venture  to  ex¬ 
press  an  opinion,  it  is  that  there  was  purposely  no  inscription  on 
the  outer  side  of  the  box  for  many  years,  or  if  there  had  been 
such  distinguishing  marks  (and  we  must  believe  there  had  been, 
when  the  first  remains  of  so  distinguished  a  character  were 
interred  in  the  Cathedral),  they  had  been  removed,  or  a  new 
box,  with  all  inscriptions  on  the  inside  had  been  substituted  for 
the  other,  and  we  believe  that  this  was  done  about  the  time  of 
the  expected  attack  by  the  English  in  1655.  We  have  already 
alluded  to  the  precautions  taken  to  conceal  from  possible  pro¬ 
fanation  the  tomb  of  the  First  Admiral.  Then,  years  later,  the 
leaden  box  was  discovered,  the  inscriptions  on  the  inner  side 
read,  and,  as  concealment  was  no  longer  necessary,  some  more 
modern  hand  engraved  the  disputed  line: 

“D.  DE  LA  A.  A^.” 


There  was  found  in  this  same  leaden  box,  on  September  10, 
1877,  a  ball  of  lead,  says  the  Act,  Del  Peso  de  una  Onza  Mas 
6  Menos,  weighing  an  ounce,  a  little  more  or  less. 

The  somewhat  natural  inference  has  been  drawn  that  this 
ball  was  a  bullet  which  had  entered  the  living  body  of  him 


The  True  Remains 


609 


whose  remains  were  there  gathered,  and  that  in  the  process  of 
its  return  to  dust,  the  bullet  had  dropped  to  the  bottom  of  the 
box.  This  piece  of  lead  has  never  been,  so  far  as  we  know, 
critically  examined  to  determine  whether  or  not  it  was  a  bullet. 
Every  round  piece  of  lead  is  not  a  bullet.  If  it  is  a  bullet,  the 
question  arises.  Was  Christopher  Columbus,  whose  remains,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  inscriptions,  occupied  the  box,  ever  wounded  in 
such  a  way  as  to  admit  of  such  a  bullet  entering  his  body  ?  The 
reader  will  remember  that  passage  in  the  Letter  a,  written  July  7, 
1503,  from  the  island  of  Jamaica,  and  describing  the  trials  and 
discomfitures  of  the  voyage,  in  which  the  Admiral  wrote  the 
details  of  his  stormy  adventures  off  the  coast  of  Veragua,  and  ex¬ 
claimed,  ''Quiiii  se  me  rinfresed  del  male  la  piaga" :  “Here  my 
wound  opened  itself  afresh.”  There  has  been  great  dispute  as  to 
the  meaning  of  the  word  piaga.  We  have  the  authority  of  Profes¬ 
sor  Pio  Rajna  of  Florence,  probably  the  foremost  philologist  of 
the  Italian  language,  for  saying  that  the  word  was  used  at  the 
time  to  characterise  just  such  a  wound  as  would  have  come  from 
a  bullet  shot  from  a  gun.  This  being  so,  two  questions  present 
themselves:  first,  Did  any  firearm  exist  prior  to  i486,  in  which 
a  leaden  ball  weighing  an  ounce,  more  or  less,  was  used?  and, 
second.  Was  Christopher  Columbus  ever  known  to  have  received 
such  a  wound?  Neither  of  these  questions  can  be  satisfactorily 
answered.  Considering  the  second  question,  out  of  its  order, 
we  may  say  that  there  are  years  of  the  life  of  Columbus  unac¬ 
counted  for  in  detail.  He  doubtless  led  a  life  more  or  less 
adventurous.  If  we  were  to  believe  his  son  Ferdinand,  as  re¬ 
ported  in  the  Historie,  Columbus  sailed  on  expeditions  with 
captains  who  were  sea-rovers  of  the  ideal  practical  sort.  But 
neither  dates  nor  seasons  correspond  with  the  adventures  attri¬ 
buted  to  our  hero.  He  certainly  sailed  the  seas  for  years.  He 
was  in  the  South,  where  the  Portuguese  had  pushed  their  way  to 
the  Equinoctial  line.  He  was  in  the  North,  where  the  men  of 
Bristol  traded  with  the  natives  of  Iceland  and  its  neighbouring 
islands.  He  might  have  been  wounded  indeed  his  own  ex¬ 
pression  shows  that  he  was  wounded,  but  this  brings  us  to  the 
first  question.  Was  he  wounded  by  a  bullet  weighing  an  ounce, 
more  or  less,  such  a  bullet,  for  example,  as  the  piece  of  lead 
found  in  his  coffin?  No  firearm  of  the  fifteenth  century,  firing 
a  shot  of  an  ounce,  more  or  less,  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to 

VOL.  III. — 39, 


6io 


Christopher  Columbus 

ascertain,'  is  preserved  in  aii}^  museum,  public  or  private. 
This  does  not  prove  that  no  such  firearm  ever  existed.  But  it 
is  such  a  weapon  so  desirable  in  character  that  when  once  intro¬ 
duced  it  would  have  probably  remained  in  use.  In  a  paper  read 
before  the  Ligurian  Society  of  History,  by  Signor  L.  T.  Belgrano, 
on  July  2  1,  1879,  the  author  introduces  a  document,  the  genuine¬ 
ness  of  which  was  attested  by  Cavalier  Angelucci,  himself  a 
great  authority  on  firearms  and  antiquities.  This  document 
was  part  of  an  inventory  of  the  Great  Castle  of  Pavia,  dated 
in  1448 — two  years  after  Columbus  was  born, — in  which  the 
receipt  was  acknowledged  of  eight  quintals  of  lead — one  quintal 
of  small  shot  containing  4500  in  number.  As  the  lead  was 
from  Genoa  it  is  to  be  weighed  by  a  Genoese  standard,  and  a 
Genoese  quintal  was  equal  to  about  47.649  kilogrammes,  or 
47,500  grammes,  or  104J-  pounds.  Each  shot  then  weighed 
10.5  grammes,  or  not  much  more  than  a  third  of  an  ounce.  The 
ball  was  weighed  or  estimated  by  the  scientific  investigators  em¬ 
ployed  at  the  examination  of  January  2,  1878,  and  reported  as 
weighing  about  jo  gramos — a  trifle  less  than  one  ounce.  We  do 
not  interpret  this  to  mean  that  there  was  a  firearm  existing  as 
early  as  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century  which  used  a  single 
bullet  half  an  ounce  in  weight.  No  great  accuracy  could  have 
been  attained,  as  whatever  barrel  was  employed  had  its  bore 
smooth.  The  inference  rather  is  that  a  gun  was  used  firing 
several  or  many  such  pieces  of  lead  together,  in  which  case  they 
would  not  be;  bullets,  but,  as  the  Pavia  document  says,  small 
shot. 

However  mysterious  the  presence  of  this  bit  of  lead,  it  does 
not  in  our  judgment  invalidate  the  testimony  of  history,  of 
tradition,  and  of  inscriptions  all  pointing  to  these  remains  as 
those  of  the  First  Admiral.  If  the  whole  matter  was  a  con¬ 
spiracy  extending  from  December,  1795,  to  January,  1878, 
employing  agents  in  three  generations,  agents  capable  of  keep¬ 
ing  and  transmitting  secrets,  how  could  there  have  been  intro¬ 
duced  a  piece  of  evidence  certain,  if  taken  by  itself,  to  arouse 
doubt  and  excite  distrust.  A  man,  or  a  group  of  men,  intelligent 

^  We  may  say  that  for  months  we  had  in  one  of  the  foremost  European  periodicals 
devoted  to  antiquarian  matters,  an  inquiry  of  this  nature:  Is  there  anywhere  known 
a  gun  or  firearm,  or  a  reference  to  a  gun  or  firearm,  which  in  the  time  of  Columbus  and 
prior  to  his  going  into  Spain  [i486],  fired  a  bullet  weighing  an  ounce  more  or  less? 

No  answer  was  ever  made  to  this  inquiry. 


The  True  Remains 


6i  I 

enough  to  devise  and  execute  so  clever  a  deceit,  would  certainly 
have  possessed  sufficient  intelligence  to  guard  against  such  an 
unnecessary  and,  we  acknowledge,  unintelligible  witness  as  this 
leaden  ball.’ 

We  have  thus  endeavoured  to  trace  the  remains  of  Columbus 
from  his  death  at  Valladolid  on  Ascension  Day  in  the  year 
1506  to  the  present  hour.  We  have  found  that  they  were 
probably  first  interred  in  the  Monastery  of  the  San  Franciscans 
in  Valladolid;  that  they  were  thence  transferred  about  1508 
to  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  near  Seville;  that  they  were 
taken  thence  about  1541  to  the  Cathedral  Church  of  San  Do¬ 
mingo  where  they  were  interred  in  the  Presbytery  of  Capilla 
Mayor;  that  they  remained  there  until  September  10,  1877, 
when  they  were  taken  to  the  Church  Regina  Angelorum  in  San 
Domingo;  that  on  September  10,  1878,  they  were  removed  to 
the  College  of  St.  Luis  Gonzaga  in  San  Domingo,  where  they 
were  transferred  from  the  leaden  box  to  a  crystal  urn,  and  the 
same  day  borne  back  again  to  the  Church  Regina  Angelorum; 
that  on  September  10,  1879,  they  were  transferred  to  the 
Cathedral  Church  to  a  vault  back  of  the  Chapel  Bastides,  in 
which  they  remain  to  this  day. 

We  have  also  discovered  that  if  the  remains,  if  the  bones 
and  dust  found  on  September  10,  1877,  are  the  veritable  remains 
of  the  great  Discoverer,  strange  and  not  altogether  pious  cir¬ 
cumstances  have  conspired  to  separate  many  particles  of  their 
precious  ashes.  We  have  seen  Don  Luigi  Cambiaso,  the  Italian 
Consul,  and  Don  Joaquin  Montolio,  the  Minister  of  Justice,  on 

•  While  the  Admiral  was  on  the  coast  of  Veragua  and  in  the  island  of  Jamaica, 
he  suffered  constantly  from  his  infirmity,  the  gout.  During  an  attack  of  gout  a 
mechanical  interference  would  take  place,  especially  in  the  extremities  or  in  the 
part  affected,  which  would  materially  tend  to  reopen  the  track  of  a  bullet,  and  if  a 
foreign  substance  was  imbedded  or  encysted  where  occurred  the  cedema.  or  infil¬ 
tration  of  serous  fluid  into  the  cellular  tissues  due  to  the  obstruction  of  the  venous 
flow,  the  pressure  would  cause  an  irritation  which  would  result  in  an  inflammation  or 
suppuration.  This  would  be  especially  true  of  an  old  injury.  To-day  there  are  still 
innumerable  cases  where  veterans  of  the  Civil  War  in  the  United  States  suffer  from 
the  reopening  of  wounds  received  from  bullets  which  entered  the  body  more  than 
thirty-seven  years  ago,  and  which  arc  still  lodged  in  the  body. 

A  bullet  28^^  grammes,  or  one  ounce  avoirdupois,  would  in  these  days  require 
a  barrel  17.45  millimetres,  or  JJ  inch  in  diameter. 

Lead  bullets  in  early  days  carried  much  more  silver  than  to-day,  when  this 
latter  element  is  separated  from  the  lead,  and  consequently  the  specific  gravity 
would  have  been  greater,  and  thus  the  diameter  or  barrel  required  would  probably 
have  been  less. 


6i2  Christopher  Columbus 

the  day  of  the  discovery  appropriate  a  pinch  of  the  dust  which 
they’  presented  to  the  Municipality^  of  Genoa  where  it  now  rests. 
We  have  seen  on  this  same  occasion  Sehor  Jesus  Maria  Castillo, 
the  civil  engineer  in  charge  of  the  repairs  to  the  Cathedral,  ap¬ 
propriate  a  second  pinch  which  in  turn  he  divided  as  follows : 

A  portion  preserved  in  a  crystal  locket  presented  to  Mrs. 
Epes  Sargent,  August  25,  1878. 

A  portion  preserved  in  a  cry^stal  locket  presented  to  the 
daughter  of  Senor  Don  Carlos  Nouel.' 

A  portion  preserved  in  a  glass  vial  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Stokes  of 
New  York  at  his  own  residence. 

A  portion  preserved  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Stokes  in  a  glass  vail 
deposited  in  the  Lenox  Library,  New  York. 

One  of  the  above-mentioned  crystal  lockets — if  indeed  there 
were  two — was  exhibited  by  Senor  Castillo  in  the  city  of  Boston 
at  the  time  he  was  soliciting  funds  for  repairing  the  Cathedral 
Church  at  San  Domingo. 

We  have  seen  Roque  Cocchia,  the  Bishop  of  Orope,  on  Sep¬ 
tember  10,  1878,  appropriate  a  pinch  of  the  precious  dust  which 
in  turn  he  divided  into  three  portions: 

A  portion  which  he  transferred  to  His  Holiness  Pope  Leo 

XIII. 

A  portion  which  he  sent  to  the  University  of  Pavia,  where 
it  is  preserved  with  the  greatest  reverence. 

A  portion  which  he  retained  for  himself,  the  present  location 
of  which  we  do  not  know.^ 

Thus,  in  addition  to  the  main  portion  of  the  dust  and  bones 
of  Columbus,  now,  as  we  believe,  deposited  in  the  Cathedral 
Church  at  San  Domingo,  we  find  no  less  than  eight  small  por¬ 
tions  scattered  about  the  world.  Perhaps  the  body  of  no  saint 
has  furnished  a  greater  number  of  relics. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  Royal  Academy  of  Spain  did 
not  cause  to  be  made  a  more  careful  investigation  of  this  ques¬ 
tion  of  the  remains  of  Columbus  and  that  it  did  not  approach 

^  There  is  some  reason  to  suppose  that  this  is  identical  with  the  preceding  item. 

®  The  Spanish  Academy  of  History,  in  its  Report  signed  by  Manuel  Colmeiro,  and 
dated  Madrid,  October  14,  1878,  declares  that  in  the  month  of  the  preceding  May 
there  was  exhibited  at  Caracas  “a  portion  of  the  sacred  dust  with  a  piece  of  the  in¬ 
scription  stone  that  covered  the  vault.”  This  relic  was  accompanied  by  certificates 
and  notarial  vouchers.  We  hear  for  the  first  time  of  an  inscription  stone,  but  it  may 
be  that  the  portion  of  dust  was  the  one  once  possessed  by  the  Bishop  of  Orope. 


The  True  Remains 


613 


the  subject  more  in  a  spirit  of  earnest  inquiry  and  in  a  desire 
to  know  the  truth.  It  was  not  merely  a  Spanish  institution; 
it  was  a  historical  society.  History  knows  no  nation  except 
the  universal  brotherhood  of  man.  History  acknowledges  no 
loyalty  except  to  truth. 

The  drama  recorded  by  history  was  not  composed  by  man, 
although  acted  by  man.  A  higher  power  has  clothed  the  figures, 
handed  them  their  stammering  parts,  thrust  them  on  the 
stage,  and  guided  them  through  their  struttings.  If  we  could 
have  directed  all  these  steps  with  our  present  knowledge  of  the 
ways  travelled  and  the  things  accomplished,  we  might  alter  much 
in  the  interest  of  apparent  dramatic  unity.  We  might  have  given 
Columbus  his  discovery  in  the  days  of  his  youth  and  in  the  ful¬ 
ness  of  his  strength ;  we  might  have  paid  him  with  real  rewards 
instead  of  postponing  them  to  the  Greek  Kalends;  we  might 
have  dug  for  him  gold  from  the  earth  and  hammered  out  for 
him  gems  from  the  stones  and  purchased  him  a  crusading  force 
to  take  for  Rome  the  old  Jerusalem;  we  might  have  closed  his 
days  on  a  couch  by  the  throne  and  buried  him  beneath  the  High 
Altar  of  the  Cathedral  in  Seville;  and  from  this  tomb  only  the 
final  trump  should  summon  his  bones.  But  not  so  symmetrical 
is  the  pattern  woven  by  destiny.  If  the  world  is  full  of  justice 
and  injustice,  order  and  disorder,  these  in  their  coming  and 
appearance  are  no  more  mysterious  than  the  force  which  moves 
them  in  and  out  of  the  affairs  of  men.  We  do  not  know  just 
what  part  we  have  or  are  to  have  in  these  movements.  We  do 
not  know  how  much  freedom  we  have  in  the  operation  of  this 
force.  It  may  not  altogether  sweep  us  along.  The  will  of  a 
man  and  the  stretching  of  his  arm  may  count  against  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  a  current.  At  all  events,  supine  indifference  will  not 
relieve  us  of  responsibility.  We  may  lift  glasses  to  the  sun, 
but  the  earth  exacts  of  us  toil  and  labour.  The  best  we  can  get 
out  of  the  life  of  Columbus  is  the  lesson  of  religious  faith,  of 
unyielding  purpose,  of  continued  action  and  confidence  in  the 
existence  and  ultimate  control  of  a  Power  greater  than  ourselves 
and  which  is  employing  us,  as  it  employed  Christopher  Columbus, 
the  Discoverer,  for  its  own  design  and  for  the  ultimate  good  of 


man. 


PART  X 


ARBOR  CONSANGUINITATIS 


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I 


CHAPTER  CXXXXIV 


ROYAL  AND  PLEBEIAN  BLOOD 

The  blood  of  Christopher  Columbus  flows  to-day  in  the  veins 
of  two  of  the  highest  families  of  Spain.  The  one  family  has  for 
its  head  the  present  Duke  of  Veragua  and  of  La  Vega,  a  Grandee 
of  Spain  of  the  first  class,'  Don  Cristoval  de  Larreategui  y  La 
Cerda-Palafox.  He  was  born  June  8,  1837,  and  is  entitled  to 
call  himself,  as  was  his  ancestor.  Admiral  of  the  Indies.  From 
his  accession  to  the  title  and  until  Puerto  Rico  ^  passed  into  our 
hands,  he  represented  that  island  in  the  Congress  of  De]5uties. 
His  eldest  son,  Cristoval  de  Larreategui  y  Aguilera,  born  Sep¬ 
tember  12,  1878,  is  heir  to  the  titles  and  estates.  The  Larreategui 
family  descend  from  Cristoval,  the  second  son  of  the  second 
Admiral,  Don  Diego,  and  his  wife.  Ana  de  Pravia,  through  their 
daughter,  Francisca  Colon,  who  married  Diego  Ortagan.  The 
Larreategui  family  has  l^een  in  possession  of  the  titles  only  since 
the  year  1790,  when  the  courts  decided  the  long  legal  contest  in 
its  favour.  It  is  believed  that  to-day  no  direct  revenue  from 
the  New  World  goes  into  the  treasury  of  the  House  of  \"eragua. 

The  second  family  had  for  its  last  male  head  Don  Santiago 

'  “Nada  diremos  de  los  altos  y  distinguidos  empleos,  de  las  honorificas  distin- 
ciones  que  posteriorraente  han  obtenido  sus  sucesores  de  todos  los  monarcas  espanoles, 
nombrandolos  vireyes,  capitanes  generales,  presidentes  y  gobcrnadores  de  los  con- 
sejos:  a  cuyas  eminentes  honras  se  debe  anadir  la  Grandeza  de  Espaiia,  declarada  de 
primera  clase  por  el  Sr.  D.  Felipe  V  en  i8  de  Abril  de  1712,  d  la  casa  y  estado  del 
diique  de  Veragua;  y  de  los  honores  que  aun  en  nuestros  dias  se  han  dispensado  d  las 
cenizas  y  d  la  buena  memoria  del  primer  almirante  y  descubridor  del  Nuevo-Mundo. 

"We  will  say  nothing  of  the  exalted  and  distinguished  employments  and  of  the 
honourable  distinctions  which  lastly  have  been  obtained  by  all  his  successors  from 
all  the  Spanish  monarchs,  they  being  named  Viceroys,  Captains-General,  Presidents 
and  Governors  of  the  Councils;  to  which  eminent  honours  must  be  added  that  of  the 
Grandeeship  of  Spain,  the  house  and  estate  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  being  declared  of 
the  first  rank  by  the  Sr.  D.  Philip  April  18,  1712:  and  the  honours  which  even  in 
our  days  have  been  paid  to  the  ashes  and  to  the  memory  of  the  First  Admiral  and 
Discoverer  of  the  New  World.” — (Navarrete,  vol.  i.,  p.  xcvii.) 

If  Navarrete  is  to  be  understood  literally  it  is  strange  that  this  honour  should 
be  bestowed  only  in  1712.  It  can  hardly  mean  that  the  head  of  the  family  was  a 
Grandee  of  the  second  or  third  class.  At  that  time  the  Berwick  family  possessed  the 
titles  through  Catarina  Ventura  and  perhaps  the  reference  is  to  bestowing  this  honour 
on  the  Duke  of  Liria. 

*  At  high  noon,  on  Tuesday,  October  18,  1898,  Spain  marched  her  troops  out  of 
the  city  of  San  Juan,  the  capital  of  the  Island  of  Puerto  Rico,  and  by  that  act  fixed  the 
hour  when  the  island  became  the  possession  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

617 


6i8 


Christopher  Columbus 

Luis  Rafael  Fitz- James,  Duke  of  Liria,  of  Berwiek  and  of  Alba, 
who  since  1847  possessed  these  titles.  In  this  family,  inter¬ 
mingled  with  Spanish  and  Portuguese  streams,  flows  English 
blood.  The  Duke  of  York,  afterward  King  James  II.  of  England, 
and  Arabella  Churchill,  sister  of  the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough, 
through  an  irregular  connection  became  the  father  and  mother 
of  James  Fitz-James,  first  Duke  of  Berwick,'  and  one  of  the 
great  soldiers  of  history.  This  first  Duke,  by  his  first  wife, 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Clanricarde,  was  the  father  of  James 
Francis  Fitz-James  Stuart,  Count  of  Tinmouth,  Baron  of  Bos- 
worth,  Duke  of  Liria,  Grandee  of  Spain.  This  son  married 
Catarina  Ventura  de  Portugal  y  Ayala,  descendant  of  Isabel, 
daughter  of  Diego  and  granddaughter  of  the  First  Admiral,  who 
had  married  Jorge  de  Portugal.  The  blood  lines  of  this  Jorge 
de  Portugal  ran  back  to  a  common  source  with  the  stream  flow¬ 
ing  through  Isabella  the  Catholic.  This  intermingling  of  the 
blood  of  Columbus  and  that  which  flowed  in  the  veins  of  royalty 
is  an  interesting  fact." 

Joao  I.,  King  of  Portugal. 


Joao, 

Constable. 


Isabel  of  Portugal, 
Wife  of  Jean  II.  of  Castile. 


Isabella  the  Catholic, 
Queen  of  Castile  and  Leon, 
Wife  of  Ferdinand  V.  of  Aragon. 

Jorge  de  Portugal.  - ' - ^ 

^ - - ^  Joanna  La  Loca, 

Alvaro  de  Portugal  y  Colon,  Wife  of  Philip  of  Burgundy. 

son  of  Isabel,  granddaughter  ^ - ^ - ^ 

of  Christopher  Columbus  Charles  V., 

the  Discoverer.  Emperor  of  Germany. 


Philip  II. 

King  of  Spain. 

^  The  Duke  of  Berwick,  an  Englishman,  commanded  a  French  army  in  1707 
against  England,  while  his  opponent,  the  commander  of  the  English  army,  was  a 
Frenchman,  the  Earl  of  Galway  (Count  of  Ruvigny). 

Afterward  the  first  Duke  of  Berwick,  having  set  Philip  V.  upon  the  throne  of 
Spain,  was  obliged  as  a  French  servant  to  fight  against  him,  but  so  broad  and  mag¬ 
nanimous  was  his  spirit  that  he  counselled  his  son,  then  a  Spanish  subject,  to  fight  on 
the  side  of  his  Sovereign  and  consequently  against  himself.  The  best  of  the  Stuarts, 
like  some  of  the  best  of  the  Columbus  family,  seem  to  have  come  from  an  illegal  union. 

^  See  also  the  pedigree  of  Don  Luis  in  our  chapter  cxxxxvi. 


Afionso  (Bastard), 
Duke  de  Bragance. 


Fernao  I. 


Fernao  II. 


Alvaro  de  Portugal. 


Royal  and  Plebeian  Blood  619 

Thus  we  see  that  the  House  of  Berwick  y  Alba  many  genera¬ 
tions  ago  had  its  veins  charged  from  the  Royal  blood  of  Portugal 
and  from  the  Royal  blood  of  England  and  Scotland.  Some  of 
the  descendants  of  Dominicus  Columbus,  the  Genoese  weaver, 
can  trace  their  lines  back  to  the  grandfather  of  Ferdinand  of 
Aragon  the  Catholic,  to  the  great-grandfather  of  Isabella  the 
Catholic,  to  Mary  Stuart,  Queen  of  Scotland,  and  to  Henry  VIE, 
King  of  England.  This  is  a  glorious  ancestry.  But  it  is  also 
true  that  the  family  tree  of  Columbus  bore  much  forbidden  fruit. 


CHAPTER  CXXXXV 


DON  DIEGO,  SECOND  ADMIRAL 

Christopher  Columbus,  the  Discoverer  of  the  New  World, 
left  two  sons,  Diego,  whose  mother  was  Philippa  Moniz,  and 
Ferdinand,  whose  mother  was  Beatriz  Enriquez.  As  Ferdinand 
was  never  married  and  lived  a  most  exemplary  life,  the  question 
of  his  legitimacy  belongs  to  the  realm  of  ethics  rather  than  to 
that  of  genealogy.  Don  Diego  was  a  legitimate  son  and  heir. 
We  do  not  know  the  date  of  his  birth.  During  the  famous  trial 
in  the  year  1513,  one  of  the  witnesses,  Juan  Rodriguez  Cabezudo, 
testified  that  it  was  about  twenty-two  years  before  that  date 
when  there  occurred  the  memorable  return  of  Columbus  to  the 
Spanish  Court  on  a  mule  from  La  Rabida,  accompanied  by  a 
Franciscan  friar,  the  witness  testifying  that  he  himself  had 
loaned  or  rented  him  the  mule.'  It  was  at  that  time  when, 

^  “Juan  Rodriguez  Cabezudo,  vecino  de  Moguer,  sabe  que  puede  haber  22  anos 
que  este  testigo  vido  al  Almirante  viejo  en  esta  villa  de  Moguer,  andando  negociando 
de  ir  a  descobrir  las  Indias,  con  un  fraile  de  S.  Francisco  que  andaba  con  el  dicho 
Almirante,  e  que  a  cste  testigo  le  demando  el  dicho  Almirante  una  mula  en  que  fuese 
el  dicho  fraile  d  la  corte  d  negociar,  y  se  la  dio :  y  que  sabe  que  el  dicho  Almirante  se 
partio  el  ano  de  92  desta  villa  e  de  la  villa  de  Palos  a  descubrir  las  dichas  Indias,  e 
las  descubrio  y  volvio  en  salvo  al  puerto  de  la  villa  de  Palos,  descubieras  ya  las  dichas 
Indias.  .  .  .  Al  tiempo  que  se  partio  le  dio  a  D.  Diego,  su  hijo,  en  guarda  d  este 

testigo  y  a  Martin  Sanchez,  clerigo,  e  despues  que  vino  de  descubrir,  este  testigo  le  fue 
d  ver  y  otros  asimismo,  y  les  mostro  el  dicho  Almirante  cardtulas  de  oro  que  traia  de 
las  Indias,  e  seis  6  seite  indios  que  traia  de  alld,  e  que  el  dicho  Almirante  le  dijo  que 
habia  descubierto  muchas  islas,  e  que  habia  mucho  oro  en  las  dichas  Indias. 

“Juan  Rodriguez  Cabezudo,  citizen  of  Moguer,  knows  that  it  is  about  22  years 
ago  that  this  witness  saw  the  old  Admiral  in  this  town  of  Moguer,  going  about  making 
negotiations  to  go  and  discover  the  Indies,  with  a  friar  of  St.  Francis  who  went  with 
the  said  Admiral.  And  that  the  said  Admiral  asked  this  witness  for  a  mule  for  the 
said  friar  to  go  to  the  Court  and  negotiate,  and  he  gave  the  mule  to  him:  and  he 
knows  that  the  said  Admiral  started  in  the  year  1492  from  this  village  and  from  the 
village  of  Palos  to  discover  the  said  Indies,  and  he  discovered  them  and  returned  in 
safety  to  the  port  of  the  town  of  Palos,  having  already  discovered  the  said  Indies. 

At  the  time  of  his  departure  he  gave  Don  Diego,  his  son,  to  this  witness  and 
to  Martin  Sanchez,  a  priest,  and  after  he  came  from  making  his  discoveries,  this 
witness  went  to  see  him  and  others  went  likewise,  and  the  said  Admiral  showed  them 
golden  masks  which  he  brought  from  the  Indies  and  six  or  seven  Indians  whom  he 
brought  from  there,  and  the  said  Admiral  told  him  that  he  had  discovered  many 
islands,  and  that  there  was  much  gold  in  the  said  Indies.” — (Navarrete,  vol.  hi.,  p. 
580.) 


620 


621 


Don  Diego,  Second  Admiral 

discouraged  at  the  indifferenee  to  his  projects  by  the  Sovereigns, 
Columbus,  leading  by  the  hand  his  little  son  Diego,  halted  at 
the  Monastery  of  La  Rabida  in  Palos.  The  witness  declared ; 

“  .  .  .  ^  que  sabe  que  el  dicho  Almirante  D.  Cristdbal  Colon  viniendo 

a  la  arribada  con  su  fijo  D.  Diego,  que  es  agora  Almirante,  a  pie,  se  vino  a 
Rabida,  que  es  monasterio  de  frailes  en  esta  villa,  el  cual  demando  a  la 
porten'a  que  le  diesen  para  aquel  ninico  que  era  nino,  pan  y  agua  que 
bebiese.” 

“  .  .  .  he  knows  that  the  said  Admiral  Don  Christopher  Columbus, 

in  arriving  on  foot  at  the  landing-place  with  his  son,  Don  Diego,  who  is 
now  Admiral,  came  to  Rabida,  which  is  a  monastery  of  friars  in  this  town, 
and  asked  the  porter  to  give  him  bread  and  water  to  drink  for  the  boy  who 
was  a  small  child.” 

This  scene  is  fixed  then  at  the  end  of  the  year  1491,  and  the 
only  clue  to  the  age  of  the  son  is  found  in  the  use  of  the  words 
ninico  and  nino,  little  boy  or  child.  The  child  might  be 
anywhere  from  five  to  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age.  If  the  boy 
was  ten  years  old  in  1491,  he  would  have  been  between  four 
and  five  when  Columbus  brought  him  from  Portugal  into  Spain. 
Diego,  on  May  8,  1492,  was  made  page  to  the  Prince  Don  Juan, 
who  was  born  June  30,  1478,  and  it  is  not  likely  the  young  at¬ 
tendant  was  quite  as  old  as  his  young  master.  Oviedo  was  a 
page  in  the  Royal  Household  at  the  age  of  twelve,  and  perhaps 
this  age  may  be  accepted  as  that  of  Diego  when  he  received  his 
appointment  to  an  office  the  duties  of  which  he  was  not  to  fill 
for  a  time.  Thus  he  would  have  been  born  about  the  year  1480, 
and  have  been  between  five  and  six  when  he  came  into  Spain 
and  between  eleven  and  twelve  when  he  stood  hungry  and 
weary  by  the  porter’s  lodge  at  La  Rabida.  He  was  sent  to 
Cordova  to  school  where  he  remained  until  1494,  when  his  uncle 
Bartholomew,  on  his  way  to  the  New  World,  took  him  with 
him  to  Valladolid,  where  the  Court  then  was.  He  continued  in 
the  suite  of  Prince  Don  Juan  until  the  unfortunate  heir  to  the 
crown  died  October  4,  1497.  Ro3’al  Letters  Patent,  dated 
February  19,  1498,  Diego  was  appointed  page  to  Queen  Isabella 
at  an  annual  salary  of  nine  thousand  four  hundred  maravedis. 
It  is  a  curious  fact  that  on  the  preceding  day,  February  18, 
1498,  his  younger  brother  Ferdinand  had  been  appointed  to  a 
like  position  and  with  a  like  salary.  On  November  15,  1503, 
Diego  was  appointed  as  one  of  the  Continos,  or  Household  Guard 


622 


Christopher  Columbus 

of  One  Hnndred.  Although  Ferdinand  accompanied  his  father 
on  the  fourth  voyage,  there  is  no  record  of  Diego’s  even  ex¬ 
pressing  a  desire  to  go  to  his  father,  notwithstanding  that 
Columbus  in  1499  asked  to  have  him  sent  out  to  Espahola. 
When  the  Queen  died  on  November  22  (or  26),  1504,  Diego 
remained  at  the  Court  in  Segovia  for  a  while,  as  his  father’s 
letters  indicate,  and  on  February  22,  1505,  he  received  the  sum 
of  fifty  thousand  maravedis  “  due  him  since  the  preceding  year. 
Diego  was  with  his  father  at  Valladolid  early  in  May,  1506,  and 
was  with  him  when  he  closed  his  eyes  on  the  things  of  life,  May 
20,  1506.  As  we  have  already  seen  in  King  Ferdinand’s  Cedula, 
dated  June  2,  1506,  Diego  is  acknowledged  as  the  heir  and 
successor  to  his  father’s  rights  and  titles  and  Nicolas  de 
Ovando  is  ordered  to  pay  him  certain  moneys.  He  was 
long  getting  his  rights.  King  Ferdinand,  with  his  new  Queen, 
being  departed  from  his  Italian  capital  of  Naples  for  Savona 
and  thence  to  his  own  kingdom,  Diego  resolved  to  go  to  the 
King  on  his  first  arrival  in  Spain,  and  Queen  Joanna  granted 
him,  under  date  of  July  13,  1507,  a  safe -conduct.  King  Ferdi¬ 
nand  landed  at  Valencia  ^  on  July  20,  1507,  and  on  August 
24,  1507,  Diego  had  so  conducted  his  affairs  with  the  King  as 
to  receive  another  peremptory  order  on  Ovando,  requiring  the 
latter  to  pay  him  his  tenths  due  him  under  the  Capitulation 
of  1492. 

The  popular  impression  is  that  Christopher  Columbus  died 
in  poverty.  We  have  already  called  attention  to  his  household 
containing  seven  servants  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In  this 
Royal  Cedula  of  Queen  Joanna,  Don  Diego  was  suffered  to  pass 
with  a  retinue  of  twenty  beasts  of  burden  and  six  mules,  with 
all  his  gold  and  silver  and  money  and  vestments  and  such 
things  as  he  might  require  for  his  journey,  and  no  examination 
was  to  be  made  of  the  cavalcade  and  its  accoutrements  provided 
Don  Diego  declared  that  what  he  had  belonged  to  himself  and 
his  servants.  As  there  is  no  record  of  the  payment  of  money  by 
the  crown  to  Don  Diego  between  May  20,  1506,  and  this  date, 
over  a  year,  we  may  assume  that  the  First  Admiral  died  possessed 

^  About  $308  in  our  money. 

*  Ferdinand  and  his  young  Queen,  Germaine  de  Foix,  reached  Codaques,  near  the 
Gulf  of  Rosas  on  the  coast  of  Catalonia,  July  lo,  1507,  but  as  there  was  a  pestilence 
raging  there,  they  moved  slowly  along  to  Valencia. 


Don  Diego,  Second  Admiral  623 

of  sufficient  means  to  maintain  his  sons  in  comfort  and  splendour 
becoming  their  position.  About  this  time  Don  Diego  must  have 
formed  a  relation  with  Constanza  Rosa  of  Burgos,  by  whom  he 
had  a  child  in  the  summer  of  1508.  In  his  Will  of  March  16, 
1509,  made  at  Las  Cuevas,  Diego  provides  somewhat  illiberally 
for  Constanza,  with  whom  he  seems  to  have  broken,  and  whose 
child  he  seems  never  to  have  seen  as  he  did  not  know  even  its 
sex;  “  y  por  cuanto  se  ha  dicho,  quc  esta  dicha  Constanza  pario  un 
hijo  6  hija  de  mi.  ’  ’  At  some  time  between  the  birth  of  Constan¬ 
za ’s  child  and  the  making  of  his  first  Will,  Diego  was  married 
to  Dona  Maria  de  Toledo  y  Rojas,  daughter  of  Fernando  de 
Toledo,  Lord  of  Villorias,  Grand  Falconer,  Commander-in-Chief 
of  Leon,  of  the  Order  of  St.  James,  and  niece  of  the  Duke  of 
Alba.  With  his  young  wife  Diego  embarked  from  San  Lucar 
early  in  June,  1509,  and  arrived  at  San  Domingo,  July  10,  1509, 
taking  possession  of  the  government  by  virtue  of  his  rights.  The 
islands  of  Jamaica  and  Cuba  were  settled  under  his  administra¬ 
tion.'  There  resulted  from  this  union  seven  children,  four  girls 
followed  in  succession  by  three  boys.  The  House  of  Larreategui 
is  descended  from  the  second  son,  Don  Christoval,  while  the 
House  of  Berwick  y  Alba  is  descended  from  the  fourth  daughter, 
Isabel  Colon  y  Toledo. 

The  second  Admiral  made  frequent  trips  between  Spain  and 
Espahola.  A  letter  of  his  dated  from  Seville  shows  he  was  in 
that  city  on  July  19,  1511,  while  he  was  in  Espahola  in  1512. 
Don  Diego  was  in  Spain  when  proceedings  were  instituted  by 
the  King’s  Fiscal  in  the  year  1513,  an  inquiry  which  seems  to 
have  been  carried  on  both  at  San  Domingo  and  at  Seville.^  At 

’  The  credit  of  settling  the  fourth  important  island,  that  of  Puerto  Rico,  is  gen¬ 
erally  given  Nicolas  de  Ovando.  It  was  from  the  port  of  St.  Elmo  on  Puerto  Rico 
that  Ponce  de  Leon  sailed  March  i,  1512,  on  his  famous  expedition  to  Florida. 

“  Phis  famous  Fiscal  trial  was  divided  into  two  sittings,  the  one  held  in  the  year 
1513  and  the  other  in  1515.  Navarrete,  in  his  third  volume,  gives  an  account  of  the 
trial,  reproducing  that  part  collected  by  Munoz  and  supplementing  it  by  much  fuller 
reports  made  in  1826  and  1827  by  the  .Archivist  of  the  Indies,  Sehor  Don  Josef  de  la 
Higuera  y  Lara,  and  then  copying  much  more  abundantly  from  the  originals  himself, 
asserting  even  then  that  he  had  availed  himself  only  of  what  he  thought  most  im¬ 
portant.  Over  and  over  again  a  proposition  is  stated  simply  as  "proved  by  ten 
witnesses”  or  by  twelve  witnesses,  giving  in  these  instances  neither  their  names  nor 
any  clue  to  what  their  detailed  testimony  might  have  been.  This  method  of  re¬ 
producing  a  judicial  trial  is  unsatisfactory.  What  Navarrete  deemed  unimportant 
we  might  think  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  even  the  names  of  the  witnesses  might 
aid  us  in  identifying  more  completely  the  companions  of  Columbus  on  his  several 
voyages. 


624  Christopher  Columbus 

least,  certain  witnesses  were  examined  in  the  island  of  Espanola 
and  among  the  important  depositions  made  there  were  those 
by  Alonzo  de  Hojeda  and  Andres  de  Morales.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1514  Diego  was  again  in  San  Domingo,  and  at  the 
order  of  the  King  he  returned  to  Spain  at  the  end  of  the  year 
1514  or  early  in  1515.  It  was  while  at  the  Court  on  this  last 
\dsit  that  there  occurred  the  conversation  reported  by  Las  Casas 
between  King  Ferdinand  and  Diego  and  which  the  latter  re¬ 
peated  to  him  in  1516  when  they  were  together  in  Madrid: 

“  Ferdinand:  Mirad,  Almirante,  de  vos  bienes  lo  confiara  yo  pero  no  lo 
hago  sino  por  vuestros  hijos  y  sucesores. 

“  Don  Diego  :  Senor,  es  razon  que  pague  y  pene  por  los  pecados  de  mio 
hijos  y  sucesores,  que  por  ventura  nos  los  tiene?” 

“  King  Ferdinand:  Look  you,  Admiral,  I  would  willingly  bestow  on  you 
your  rights  if  it  were  not  for  your  sons  and  successors. 

“Diego:  Sire,  is  it  reasonable  that  I  should  have  to  pay  and  suffer  for 
the  shortcomings  of  sons  and  successors  whom  I  may  never  have.?’’  ' 

His  uncle,  Diego  Columbus,  youngest  brother  of  the  Dis¬ 
coverer,  died  at  Seville  February  21,  1515,  and  named  as  his 
heiress  Maria,  the  second  daughter  of  Don  Diego.  This  inherit¬ 
ance  was  conveyed  afterward  to  Doha  Maria  de  Toledo  and  by 
her  to  her  son,  Don  Luis.  Don  Diego  remained  this  time  long 
at  the  Court,  as  the  old  King  had  died  and  it  was  necessary  to 
watch  his  interests  under  the  administration  of  the  youthful 
Charles.  However  he  was  in  Espanola  in  1517  and  again  in 
Spain  in  1518.  In  1519  Diego  had  a  part  in  the  Council  at 
Barcelona,  presided  over  by  King  Charles.  It  was  at  Barcelona 
that  the  King  received  the  news  of  his  grandfather’s  death  in 
January,  1519,  and  of  his  succession  to  the  Imperial  throne  by 
the  choice  of  the  Electors  at  Frankfort  on  June  28  of  that  year, 
and  when  his  Majesty  sailed  from  Corunna  on  May  22,  1520, 
Don  Diego  was  one  of  the  cortege  which  escorted  him  to  that 
Spanish  port.  It  was  on  this  occasion,  when  the  newly  elected 
Emperor  needed  money  to  present  himself  before  his  subjects 
in  a  manner  befitting  his  state,  that  Don  Diego  advanced  him 
ten  thousand  ducats.  In  his  second  Will  made  September  8, 
1523,  one  of  the  items  reads: 


^  Las  Casas,  Historia,  vol.  iii.,  p.  237. 


Don  Diego,  Second  Admiral  625 

“  Item :  El  Emperador  nuestro  Senor,  me  debe  diez  mill  ducados  nuevos 
que  le  preste  en  dineros  en  la  cibdad  de  la  Coruna,  quando  fue  a  Flandes, 
como  parescera  por  una  cedula  firmada  de  su  nombre,  que  queda  en  poder 
de  la  Virreina,  mi  muger.” 

“Item,  the  Emperor,  our  Lord,  owes  me  ten  thousand  new  ducats 
which  I  loaned  him  in  cash  in  the  city  of  Corunna  when  he  went  to  Flan¬ 
ders,  as  will  appear  by  a  cedula  signed  by  his  name,  which  is  in  the  pos¬ 
session  of  the  Vice-Queen,  my  wife.’’ 

Thus  we  see  the  high  fortunes  to  which  the  House  of  Columbus 
had  arrived,  when  one  of  its  sons  could  loan  his  Sovereign  a 
sum  of  money  equal  to  three  times  the  cost  of  the  expedition  of 
discovery.  As  a  slight  recompense  for  this  timely  aid,  Charles 
\h  secured  to  him  the  title  of  Viceroy  of  the  Indies,  which,  under 
the  Capitulation,  belonged  among  the  titles  and  which  had  been 
denominated  in  two  or  three  Royal  Cedulas,  but  which  it  would 
seem  had  not  been  for  some  years  fully  acknowledged. 

Diego  now  returned  to  his  government  and  began  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  that  palace  in  the  city  of  San  Domingo  the  ruins  of 
which  are  still  to  be  seen.’ 

In  1523  the  Emperor  ordered  Diego  to  return  to  Spain  and 
render  an  account  of  his  administration,  charges  having  been 
made  against  him  by  Lucas  Vasquez  de  Ay  lion.  He  executed 
at  San  Domingo  his  second  Will  September  8,  1523,  and  on  the 
sixteenth  of  the  same  month  set  sail  for  Spain. ^  He  landed  at 
San  Lucar  November  5,  1523,  and  went  to  Seville  where  he 
seems  to  have  had  a  meeting  with  his  accuser.  In  January 
1524,  he  was  in  Vittoria  in  the  presence  of  the  Emperor.  Again 
we  find  Don  Diego  remaining  long  in  Spain.  That  he  was 
much  thought  of  by  the  Emperor  is  seen  in  the  mission  given 
him  to  meet  June  12,  1525,  the  Venetian  Ambassadors.  His 

’  The  oldest  building  in  America  erected  by  Europeans  is  the  (iastle  or  tower, 
known  as  the  Homenaje,  erected  in  the  year  1509.  on  the  island  of  Santo  Domingo 
and  in  the  city  of  San  Domingo,  or  the  New  Isabella.  It  stands  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Ozama,  on  its  west  or  right  bank.  There  are  some  ruins  of  a  part  of  the  chapel 
on  the  opposite  bank  which  would  be  of  a  still  earlier  erection.  It  was  from  this 
chapel  that  it  was  said  Bobadilla  read  his  proclamation  when  he  arrived  at  San 
Domingo  to  replace  Columbus. 

Near  the  Homenaje,  and  the  most  sightly  object  attracting  the  notice  of  the 
traveller  as  he  approaches  the  island,  stand  the  walls  of  the  grand  palace  erected  by 
Don  Diego,  the  second  Admiral.  Its  roof  is  gone,  its  magnificent  corridors  destroyed, 
and  its  courts  harbour  only  beasts  of  burden  and  beasts  of  the  field. 

“  Oviedo  was  on  the  ship  returning  with  Don  Diego,  and  relates  in  his  Libro  de 
los  N aujragios  (lib.  1.,  cap.  iv.)  the  experiences  through  which  they  passed. 

VOL.  III. — 40. 


626 


Christopher  Columbus 

personality  was  pleasing.  Las  Casas  describes  him  as  of  large 
stature  like  his  father,  a  gentleman,  well  proportioned  in  body, 
of  long  visage, — another  distinguishing  feature  of  his  father, — 
and  of  a  dignified  bearing. 

Don  Diego  followed  the  Court  from  Burgos  to  Valladolid, 
from  Madrid  '  to  Toledo,  always  in  the  presence  of  his  Emperor 
and  always  held  in  high  esteem.  When  the  Court  went  to 
Seville  to  attend  the  marriage,  March  12,  1526,  of  the  Emperor 
to  Isabella,  the  daughter  of  Emmanuel,  the  King  of  Port¬ 
ugal,  the  second  Admiral  was  unable  to  follow  by  reason  of 
illness,  and  borne  upon  a  litter  he  set  out  for  Toledo,  February 
21,  1526.  He  never  reached  that  city,  but  was  forced  to  halt  in 
the  little  town  of  Montalbin,  six  leagues  from  Toledo,  where,  in 
the  house  of  Alonzo  Tellez  Pacheco,  he  died  on  Friday,  February 
23,  1526,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  He  doubtless  would 
have  desired  to  have  had  sepulture  in  the  Chapel  of  La  Antigua 
in  the  Cathedral  of  Seville,  but  his  remains  were  some  years  after 
transported  to  San  Domingo  and  deposited  with  those  of  his 
illustrious  father  at  the  right  of  the  High  Altar  in  the  Cathedral 
Church,  there  to  rest  until,  as  we  believe,  they  were  removed 
to  Havana  in  the  year  1795  by  mistake  for  those  of  the  great 
Discoverer. 

^  When  we  followed  Columbus,  the  Discoverer,  the  Court  was  now  in  Andalusia 
and  now  in  Aragon,  now  at  Seville  and  now  at  Valladolid.  But  those  cities  were  for 
the  most  part  attractive  in  themselves.  It  was  under  Charles  V.  that  Madrid  became 
the  capital.  The  climate  of  that  city  was  never  salubrious.  It  was  over-hot  in 
summer  and  in  the  winter  cold  and  cheerless.  Some  one  said  of  this  Spanish  city: 

“  El  aire  de  Madrid  e  tan  sotil 
Que  mata  a  un  hombre,  y  no  apaga  a  un  candil." 

“  The  air  of  Madrid  is  so  sweet  and  so  subtle — ■ 

It  will  blow  out  a  man,  yet  fan  not  a  candle.” 


CHAPTER  CXXXXVI 


DON  LUIS,  THIRD  ADMIRAL 

If  the  character  of  Don  Diego  was  not  conspicuous  for  its 
virtues,  that  of  Don  Luis  shone  not  at  all.  Don  Luis  was  the 
fifth  child  but  the  eldest  son  of  Diego  and  Maria  de  Toledo. 
He  was  born  in  San  Domingo  about  1521.  As  the  oldest  male 
child  he  was  heir  to  his  father  and  when  Don  Diego  died,  in 
1526,  he  succeeded  to  his  titles  and  estates.  Maria  de  Toledo 
was  a  woman  of  strong  character  and  determined  upon  securing 
for  her  son  all  those  rights  and  privileges  guaranteed  to  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus  and  his  heirs  and  successors  by  the  Capitulation 
of  1492  and  subsequent  grants.  She  departed  for  Spain  in 
1529  to  seek  a  decision  from  the  Courts  or  to  make  a  personal 
appeal  to  the  Emperor.  She  left  behind  her  the  young  Luis, 
whose  character  doubtless  owes  something  of  its  deformity  to 
the  removal  of  her  shaping  hand.  The  government  of  Espahola 
was,  nominally  at  least,  in  the  name  of  Don  Luis,  for  Charles  V., 
when  he  sent  Francisco  de  Barrio  Nuevo  to  end  the  war  against 
the  native  chief  Enrique,  addressed  the  credentials  of  his  envoy 
to  Don  Luis  Columbus.  The  year  1536  was  a  critical  period 
for  the  Columbus  family.  On  January  28  of  that  year,  the 
Cardinal  Garcia  de  Loaysa  gave  out  the  decision  of  the  Council 
of  the  Indies,  which  was  amended  and  enlarged  on  July  7  and 
formerly  confirmed  by  the  Emperor  on  September  8,  1536. 
Under  this  judgment  the  heirs  of  Columbus  were  to  renounce 
the  revenues  due  them  and  in  particular  the  tenth  part  of  the 
gross  receipts  from  the  Indies,  the  title  of  Viceroy,  and  the 
privilege  of  nominating  the  persons  who  were  to  be  employed  in 
the  New  World,  three  of  the  most  vital  concessions  granted 
by  the  Spanish  Sovereigns  to  the  Discoverer.  In  return  for 

627 


628 


Christopher  Columbus 

abandoning  these  rights,  Don  Luis,  or  whoever  might  succeed 
him,  was  to  continue  to  enjoy  the  title  of  Admiral  of  the  Indies 
with  its  functions  and  privileges,  and  to  assume  the  title  of 
Duke  or  Marquis  of  Jamaica  or  the  title  of  Duke  or  Marquis  of 
\"eragua,  as  he  might  elect ;  he  was  to  possess  in  fief  the  island 
of  Jamaica  with  a  manorial  domain  of  twenty-five  square  leagues 
on  continental  land  in  Veragua ;  and  he  was  to  draw  a  perpetual, 
income  of  ten  thousand  ducats  each  year,  this  last  sum  being 
derived  from  the  revenue  of  the  island  of  Santo  Domingo.  His 
uncle,  Don  Fernando  Columbus,  dying  in  1539,  made  Don  Luis 
his  heir,  but  with  such  conditions  as  to  caring  for  and  increasing 
the  famous  library  at  Seville,  founded  by  him,  that  the  nephew 
did  not  accept  the  legacy — an  event  anticipated  in  the  Will  of 
the  uncle.  Herrera  records  that  Don  Luis  was  made  Captain- 
General  in  1540  and  the  active  administration  of  affairs  de¬ 
volved  upon  him.  Harrisse  believes  him  to  have  been  in  Spain 
for  some  period  previous  to  his  appointment.  In  1541  there 
was  born  to  Don  Luis  an  illegitimate  daughter,  the  first  of 
many,  on  whom  he  bestowed  the  name  of  his  third  sister.  Dona 
Juana  Colon  y  Toledo.  The  following  year  he  married  in  San 
Domingo  Maria  de  Orozco  '  against  the  will  of  his  mother.  Not¬ 
withstanding  Maria  de  Orozco  was  still  living  in  1547,  Don  Luis 
was  married  in  San  Domingo  to  Maria  de  Mosquera,  daughter  of 
Juan  Mosquera,  and  as  an  evidence  that  the  marriage  was  au¬ 
thorised  we  may  refer  to  the  ceremony  having  been  performed 
by  the  Bishop  of  San  Juan,  Rodrigo  de  Bastidas.  However, 
the  legal  evidence  of  his  right  to  marry  does  not  appear.  Dona 
Maria  de  Toledo  died  at  San  Domingo  May  ii,  1549,  a  remark¬ 
able  woman  who  brought  into  the  family  an  infusion  of  rich 
blood — albeit  it  did  but  little  for  Don  Luis, — and  who  secured 
tangible  and  permanent  rights  for  her  descendants  by  her  force¬ 
ful  methods  and  her  importunity. 

Another  remarkable  fact  connected  with  the  Columbian 
genealogy  is  that  the  great-grandmother  of  Don  Luis  Columbus, 
the  third  Admiral,  was  Maria  Enriquez,  sister  of  Juana  Enriquez, 
mother  of  Ferdinand  the  Catholic,  King  of  Aragon.  Thus  Don 

’  The  reader  will  find  in  the  Memorial  del  Pleyio  a  great  mass  of  information  rela¬ 
tive  to  the  family  of  Columbus  and  their  domestic  transactions.  This  Maria  de 
Orozco  afterwards  went  to  Honduras,  where  she  married  the  Treasurer  Castellanos 
and  became  the  mother  of  many  children. 


Don  Luis,  Third  Admiral 


629 


Luis  and  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  were  each  but  five  genera¬ 
tions  removed  from  a  common  source : 


Fadrique  Enriquez, 
Admiral  of  Castile. 


Juana  Enriquez, 
wife  of  Jean  IE, 
King  of  Aragon. 


Ferdinand  the  Catholic, 
Husband  of  Isabella 
of  Castile. 


Jean  la  Folle  [La  Loca], 
wife  of  Philippe  le  Beau. 

f - ^ - ^ 

Charles  V., 

Emperor  of  Germany. 


Maria  Enriquez, 
wife  of  Garcia  Alvarez 
de  Toledo,  ist  Duke  of 
Alba. 


Fernando  of  Toledo 


Maria  of  Toledo, 

Wife  of  Don  Diego  Columbus, 
second  Admiral. 


Don  Luis  Columbus, 
Third  Admiral. 


Don  Luis  returned  to  Spain  in  June,  1551,  and  the  following 
year,  at  Seville,  offered  to  endow  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas, 
so  intimately  connected  with  the  family  history. 

Philip,  the  son  of  the  Emperor,  while  yet  governing  Spain 
for  his  father,  had  taken  from  Don  Luis  his  fief  of  Veragua,  and 
in  Letters  Patent  dated  at  Gand,  September  28,  1556,'  con¬ 
firmed  the  new  arrangements  by  which  the  title  of  Admiral  of 
the  Indies  was  to  be  retained  and  the  ownership  of  Veragua 
abandoned,  and  by  which  a  new  title,  that  of  Duke  of  La  Vega, 
and  an  added  income  of  seven  thousand  ducats  were  to  be 
enjoyed  by  Luis. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Don  Luis,  notwithstanding  that 
Maria  de  Orozco  and  Maria  de  Mosquera  were  both  still  living, 
married,  at  Valladolid,  Ana  de  Castro  Ossorio,  daughter  of  Bea- 
triz.  Countess  de  Lemos,  to  whom  he  had  long  been  affianced. 
But  now  he  had  married  once  too  often.  There  was  judicial 
notice  taken  of  his  delinquency,  as  he  was  arrested  early  in  the 

^  It  was  not  until  October  25  or  28,  in  the  year  1556,  at  the  city  of  Brussels,  that 
Charles  V.,  with  great  pomp  and  ceremony,  resigned  the  Kingdom  of  Spain  and  the 
possessions  of  Spain  in  the  New  World  to  his  son,  Philip  II.  Historians  are  not 
agreed  as  to  the  exact  date  of  this  transaction.  Godlevius  {De  Abdicatione  Caroli  V.) 
and  Herrera  fix  the  date  on  October  25,  but  because  Sandoval  was  an  eye-witness 
and  declares  the  ceremony  to  have  occurred  on  October  28,  the  greater  number  of 
writers  accept  that  date.  The  attention  of  the  reader  is  again  invited  to  our  dis¬ 
cussion  of  the  date  of  the  coronation  of  Charles  V.  at  .-\ix-la-Chapelle.  The  testimony 
of  the  eye-witness,  Alfonso  Valdds,  should  not  be  ignored  in  fixing  that  event. 


630  Christopher  Columbus 

year  1559  and  subjected  to  a  trial  and  to  punishment/  The 
infliction  of  this  punishment  seems  to  have  dragged  along 
awaiting  a  flnal  conviction,  and  for  five  years  he  was  conflned 
in  the  fortresses  of  Arevalo,  Medina  del  Campo,  Simancas,  and 
Madrid.'  Finally,  on  August  4,  1566,  he  was  sentenced  to  exile 
in  Oran,  Africa,  for  a  term  of  ten  years.  Before  this  sentence 
was  carried  into  execution,  however,  he  managed  in  some  way 
to  marry  a  fourth  time,  his  other  three  wives  still  living, — 
although  he  had  accused,  and  obtained  a  divorce  from,  Maria 
de  Mosquera, — on  May  26,  1565,  Luisa  de  Carvajal,  who  on 
the  same  day  bore  him  a  son,  Christoval  Colon  y  Carvajal.  It 
was  while  still  in  exile  that  there  died  on  February  3,  1572,  at 
Oran,  this  wretched  man,  Don  Luis  Columbus,  grandson  of 
Christopher  Columbus,  himself  the  third  Admiral  of  the  Indies 
and  the  First  Duke  of  Veragua  and  Vega.  His  remains  were 
taken  to  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  in  Seville,  and  then,  at 
some  period  of  which  we  have  no  definite  record,  carried  to  the 
New  World  and  deposited  on  the  Epistle  side  of  the  High  Altar 
in  the  Cathedral  Church  of  San  Domingo,  beneath  whose  roof 
were  sleeping  his  father,  Don  Diego,  and  his  grandfather,  the 
Discoverer. 

Don  Luis  left  two  legitimate  daughters  by  Maria  de  Mos¬ 
quera:  Maria  Colon  y  Mosquera,  who  became  a  nun,  and  Felipa 
Colon  y  Mosquera,  who  married  her  cousin,  Diego  Colon  y  Pra- 
via.  Dona  Felipa  left  no  descendants.  As  we  have  seen,  Don 
Luis  also  left  two  illegitimate  children:  a  daughter,  Juana  Colon 
de  Toledo,  and  by  Luisa  de  Carvajal  a  son,  Christoval  Colon  y 
Carvajal.  This  daughter,  born  at  San  Domingo,  where  she  was 
educated,  afterward  went  into  Spain,  where  she  married  Versio 
Capitelo  and  was  established  at  Gelves.  The  son  of  Luisa  de 
Carvajal,  Christoval,  had  been  selected  by  his  father  to  succeed 
to  the  titles,  honours,  and  estates  of  the  House,  in  case  his 
legitimate  daughter,  Felipa,  did  not  marry  her  cousin  Diego,  a 
marriage  which,  as  we  have  seen,  was  duly  consummated.  Don 

^  It  was  in  1581,  at  the  famous  trial,  that  Don  Luis’s  own  nephew,  Don  Christoval 
de  Cardona,  produced  the  testimony  and  all  the  details  of  this  scandal. 

®  While  imprisoned  at  Madrid,  Don  Luis  corrupted  his  gaolers,  and  again  met 
Ana  de  Castro,  whom  he  remarried  on  September  9,  1563,  and  who  quite  shortly  after 
bore  him  a  child.  He  was  not  even  faithful  to  her,  for  he  had  a  mistress  at  the  same 
hour  in  Madrid  by  the  name  of  Luisa  de  Carvajal,  in  whose  house  in  the  street  d’Are- 
nal  he  once  received  a  wound  at  the  hands  of  some  rivals. 


Don  Luis,  Third  Admiral  631 

Luis,  however,  in  his  Will,  left  his  son  some  money  which  Christo- 
val  Colon  y  Toledo  refused  to  pay.  His  aunt  Dona  Felipa,  the 
nun,  gave  him  an  annual  pension  of  four  hundred  ducats.  When 
Don  Diego  Colon  y  Pravia,  the  Fourth  Admiral,  died  without 
children,  this  Christoval  Colon  y  Carvajal,  by  virtue  of  his 
father’s  Will,  contested  the  inheritance,  but  without  avail.  He 
died  in  i6oi,  aged  36,  without  posterity. 


CHAPTER  CXXXXVII 


THE  HOUSE  OF  PORTUGAL-COLUMBUS 

There  was  much  litigation  connected  with  the  inheritance 
of  the  titles  and  estates  of  the  family.  Directly  Don  Luis  died, 
his  daughters  instituted  proceedings  to  prevent  their  cousin, 
Don  Diego  Colon  y  Pravia,  from  assuming  the  titles.  He  was 
accused  of  being  illegitimate,  and  another  and  worse  bar  was 
sought  to  be  introduced — Don  Diego  no  es  descendiente  legitimo 
y  natural  del  Almirante  don  Christoval  Colon,  antes  es  espurio 
inceshwso  y  tal  que  no  puede  succeder  en  este  estadoq  As  Har- 
risse  remarks,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  depriving  Don  Diego 
of  the  titles  could  have  benefited  the  daughters  of  Don  Luis, 
since  they  could  only  inherit  on  the  exhaustion  of  male  heirs; 
and  there  were  at  that  time  living  Christoval  de  Cardona,  son 
of  their  aunt  Maria  and  her  husband  Sancho  de  Cardona, 
Admiral  of  Aragon,  and  also  Alvaro  de  Portugal,  son  of  their 
aunt  Isabel  and  her  husband  Jorge  of  Portugal,  founders  of  a 
long  and  proud  line,  holding  the  titles  for  generations.  The  con¬ 
test  against  Don  Diego  did  not  last  long  and  ended  by  Maria’s 
withdrawing  the  suit  and  by  Felipa’s  marrying  her  cousin,  the 
defendant,  at  Madrid,  on  May  15,  1573.  Thus  Don  Diego  Colon 
y  Pravia,  son  of  Don  Christoval,  brother  of  Don  Luis,  became 
the  fourth  Admiral  of  the  Indies.  Four  years  later  Dona 
Felipa  died,  and  Diego  died  January  27,  1578,  without  posterity. 

Don  Diego  was  immediately  succeeded  by  Don  Christoval  de 
Cardona  y  Colon,  eldest  son  of  Maria  Colon  y  Toledo  and  her 
husband  Sancho  de  Cardona.  It  was  he  who  obtained  posses¬ 
sion  of  the  famous  chest  deposited  in  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cue- 

^  Formal  allegation  made  by  Dona  Maria,  June  25,  1572,  in  Memorial  del 
Pleyto,  No.  176. 

632 


The  H  ouse  of  Portugal — Columbus  633 

vas  and  who  was  accused  of  tampering  with  the  pages  of  the 
Majorat.  He  died  in  November,  1583,  leaving  no  legitimate  is¬ 
sue.  The  deaths  of  Don  Diego  and  Doha  Felipa  without  child¬ 
ren  opened  a  question  of  inheritance  which  the  Courts  alone 
could  decide,  and  into  the  contest  there  entered  as  claimants 
not  only  the  relatives  of  that  generation ;  not  only  Christoval  de 
Cardona  and  Alvarez  de  Portugal;  not  only  Maria  de  la  Cueva 
and  Francisea  Ortegon;  not  only  the  illegitimate  Christoval  de 
Carvajal,  but  there  came  from  Italy  Baldassare  de  Columbus 
of  Cuccaro  and  Bernardo  de  Columbus  of  Cogoleto,  whose  lines, 
if  ever  they  touched  it,  branched  off  the  main  trunk  long  before 
Dominicus,  the  weaver,  or  his  father,  Johannes,  came  into  life. 
We  have  already  in  the  earlier  part  of  this  work  told  the  story 
of  these  Italian  claimants.  It  is  now  sufficient  to  say  that  the 
Council  of  the  Indies  decided  the  case  in  favour  of  the  descend¬ 
ants  of  Isabel,  the  fourth  daughter  of  Don  Diego,  the  second 
Admiral  and  awarded  the  Majorat,  with  its  rights,  titles,  and 
privileges,  to  her  grandson,  Nuho  de  Portugal,  the  son  of  Alvaro 
de  Portugal  y  Colon.  This  Alvaro  de  Portugal  had  a  son  older 
than  Nuno  de  Portugal,  one  Jorge- Alberto  de  Portugal  y  Car¬ 
dona,  but  he  died  in  1589  before  the  heir  had  been  judicially 
named,  leaving  no  issue. 

Nuho  de  Portugal  y  Cordova  was  born  at  Seville  about 
1568  and  was  created  Knight  of  Alcantara  by  Philip  II.  He 
married  in  April,  1593,  a  rich  heiress,  Aldonza  Portocarrero, 
daughter  of  Diego  de  la  Bastida  Espinosa.  He  died  at  Madrid, 
March  9,  1622.  He  left  two  sons,  Alvaro-Jacinto  and  Christo¬ 
val,  and  a  daughter,  Leonor-Maria.  He  had  two  illegitimate 
daughters,  Luisa  and  Catarina. 

Alvaro-Jacinto  de  Portugal  y  la  Bastida  succeeded  his  father 
in  the  titles.  He  married  his  niece,  Catarina  de  Castro  y  Por¬ 
tugal,  in  1614,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  Pedro  Nuho  I.  and 
Fernando,  and  a  daughter,  Leonor.  He  also  had  two  illegitimate 
daughters  who  ended  their  days  in  a  convent.  He  was  named 
Captain-General  and  died  at  Lisbon  as  he  was  embarking  for 
Flanders,  April  26,  1636. 

Pedro  Nuho  L’  de  Portugal  y  Castro  was  born  at  Madrid, 
December  13,  1618,  and  succeeded  his  father  as  Duke  of  Veragua 

^  We  call  him  Pedro  Nuho  First  to  distinguish  him  from  his  grandson  of  the 
same  name. 


634 


Christopher  Columbus 

and  Admiral  of  the  Indies  in  1636.  He  was  a  patron  of  letters 
and  was  a  soldier  of  reputation,  a  redeeming  twig  on  an  unsound 
tree.  He  gained  the  honour  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  distinguished 
himself  at  the  siege  of  Lerida,  and  commanded  the  marines  in 
the  Low  Countries.  He  married,  in  1645,  Isabel  Fernandez  de 
la  Cueva,  Duchess  of  Najera,  widow  of  Jorge  Manrique  de 
Cardenas,  who,  dying  in  1657,  oiie  son,  Pedro  Manuel. 

He  made  a  second  marriage,  January  5,  1663,  espousing  Maria- 
Luisa  de  Castro,  daughter  of  the  Count  of  Lenios,  who  died  Sep¬ 
tember  10,  1670,  leaving  one  son,  Alvaro,  and  two  daughters, 
Francisca-Maria  and  Catarina.  A  descendant  of  the  second 
Admiral’s  daughter,  Juana  Colon  y  Toledo,  by  the  name  of 
Carlos  Pacheco  de  Cordova,  had  instituted  a  suit  inherited  from 
Luis  de  Avila,  against  this  Pedro  Nuno  1.  for  a  restoration  to 
his  family  of  the  Majorat.  This  suit,  after  running  for  eight-and- 
twenty  years  was  finally,  on  March  20,  1664,  decided  in  favour 
of  Pedro  Nuno  1.  But  this  decision  was  broken  finally  in  1790, 
when  the  Majorat  was  bestowed  on  the  House  of  Larreategui, 
the  present  holders.  In  the  year  1661  Pedro  Nuno  petitioned 
Marianne  of  Austria,  Regent  for  her  son  Charles  11.  of 
Spain,  asking  reparation  for  losses  that  his  possessions  on 
the  island  of  Jamaica  had  suffered  at  the  hand  of  Admiral 
William  Penn,  in  1655,  when  the  English  took  possession  of 
the  island.  He  was  appointed  June  19,  1672,  Viceroy  and 
Captain-General  in  Mexico,  in  which  country  he  died  December 
13.  1673. 

Pedro-Manuel  de  Portugal  y  la  Cueva  was  born  December 
25,  1651.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  in  1673,  he  inherited  his 
titles  and  became  Admiral  of  the  Indies,  a  title  meaning  little 
or  nothing  even  at  that  time.  He  had  other  titles,  being  Count 
of  Gelves  and  Marquis  of  Villamizar.  On  August  30,  1674,  he 
married  Teresa  Marina,  daughter  of  the  Count  d’Ayala  and  of 
Catarina  Faxardo  de  Mendoza.  They  had  one  son,  Pedro- 
Nuno  IL,  and  one  daughter,  Catarina  Ventura,  and  from  this 
daughter  came  the  Berwick-Alba  line.  Pedro-Manuel  was 
Knight  of  the  Golden  Fleece  in  1675,  Viceroy  of  Gallicia  in 
1679,  3-1^^  afterward  Viceroy  of  Valencia.  In  1693  he  was 
appointed  Viceroy  of  Sicily,  which  office  he  held  for  several 
years.  He  was  President  of  the  Council  of  Orders  in  1703,  a 
position  he  held  until  his  death  at  Madrid,  September  10,  1710. 


The  H  ouse  of  Portugal — Columbus  635 

Like  his  father  he  was  a  man  of  letters  and  a  correspondent 
of  the  famous  national  poet  Calderon,  and  it  is  to  him  that 
the  world  owes  much  of  its  information  concerning  the  great 
Spanish  poet. 

Pedro  Nuno  II.  was  born  at  Madrid  October  17,  1676.  He 
succeeded,  in  1710,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  to  the  titles  of 
the  Majorat.  On  April  17,  1702,  he  married  Maria  Francisca 
de  Cordova,  eldest  daughter  of  Fernandez  de  Cordova-Cardona, 
Duke  of  Sessa,  and  of  his  wife,  Margarita  d ’Aragon,  who  died 
May  28,  1712.  They  had  two  sons,  Pedro- Antonio,  born  May 
17,  1707,  and  dying  July  16,  1711,  and  Antonio-Felix,  born 
January  1 1 ,  1 7 1 1 ,  and  dying  young ;  and  they  had  one  daughter, 
Maria-Teresa,  born  November  23,  1709,  and  dying  March  31, 
1713.  Pedro  Nuno  II.  reached  very  high  preferment  in  the  pub¬ 
lic  service  of  Spain,  having  been  appointed  in  July,  1705,  to  visit 
the  Court  of  France  in  the  capacity  of  Envoy  Extraordinary 
to  represent  the  King  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  the  Due 
de  Bretagne.  In  February,  1707,  he  was  made  Viceroy  and 
Captain-General  of  Sardinia  where,  in  1708,  he  was  taken 
prisoner  in  the  Chateau  de  Cagliari,  besieged  by  the  Imperial 
troops.  He  was  Viceroy  and  Captain-General  of  Navarre  in 
February,  1712,  and  Adviser  to  the  Council  of  War  in  November, 
1726.  Saint  Simon,  in  his  Memoires,  relates  his  acquaintance 
with  this  man,  having  met  him  at  Madrid  in  1721,  where  the 
Due  d ’Orleans  sent  an  Embassy  to  Spain  to  demand  the  hand 
of  the  Infanta  for  Louis  XV. 

“He  had  come  into  France,”  says  Saint  Simon,  “under  that  title — 
Marquis  of  Jamaica — with  the  scheme  of  recovering  from  the  English  the 
island  of  Jamaica  of  which  he  claimed  to  have  been  despoiled  by  them.  A 
long  time  after  my  return  he  came  back  into  France  for  the  same  scheme 
which  he  in  vain  followed  for  two  long  years,  spite  of  all  the  Duke  of  Ber¬ 
wick  or  I  could  say  to  him,  entertaining  himself  meanwhile  with  a  famous 
opera  singer.  Finally  he  fell  ill;  fear  of  the  Devil  overcame  him,  and  he 
separated  himself  from  this  girl,  for  whom  he  provided  liberally.  The 
vapours  and  scruples  shut  him  up  from  seeing  any  one.  He  distributed 
large  charities  and  announced  often  that  he  repented  of  having  angered 
God — such  was  his  expression.  Finally  he  went  back  into  Spain  by  little 
journeys :  but  he  lived  for  two  years  always  confined  with  the  same  vapours, 
visible  onlv  to  his  sister,  the  Duchess  of  Liria,  whom  by  his  death  he  left 
one  of  the  richest  heiresses  in  all  Spain.  He  had  presided  over  the  financial 
interests  of  the  Indies  as  a  member  of  the  Council  with  ability  and  honesty. 


636  ^  Christopher  Columbus 

The  jealousy  of  Alberoni  had  kept  him  prisoner  two  years  in  the  Chateau 
of  Malaga,  where  he  had  so  accustomed  himself  to  captivity  that  he  scarcely 
wished  to  go  out.  He  was  a  man  of  much  wit  and  knowledge,  and  of  so 
incredible  bodily  indolence  that  it  affected  his  ambitions;  a  little  avaricious, 
very  suave  and  good,  uncleanly  and  slovenly  to  a  degree,  for  which  he 
was  reproached  unmercifully;  of  strong  character,  agreeable  and  instruct¬ 
ive  in  company,  charming  in  society,  when  he  took  the  trouble  to  lend 
himself  to  social  duties.  He  was  beloved  and  well  received  in  the  best 
circles,  often  in  spite  of  himself  and  his  slothfulness,  up  to  the  time  when 
the  vapours  made  him  a  recluse.  And  so  ends  this  branch  of  the  House  of 
Portugal.” 

Pedro  Nuno  died,  then,  at  Madrid  July  4,  1733,  without  issue, 
and  the  male  line  of  the  House  of  Portugal  y  Colon  died  with  him. 


CHAPTER  CXXXXVin 


THE  HOUSE  OF  BERWICK-ALBA 


Pedro  Nuno  II.  had  an  only  sister,  Catarina- Ventura  de 
Portugal  y  Ayala,  born  July  14,  1690.  She  married,  August 
15,  1709,  for  her  first  husband  Francisco  de  Toledo,  Count  of 
Vilharda,  and  on  December  31,  1716,  for  her  second  husband, 
James  Francis  Fitz-James  Stuart,  Baron  of  Bosworth,  Duke  of 
Liria,  only  son  of  the  famous  Duke  of  Berwick,  whose  father 
was  James  II.  of  England,  and  whose  mother  was  Arabella 
Churchill.  When,  therefore,  Pedro  Nuno  II.  died  in  1733 
without  issue,  his  sister  Catarina- Ventura,  Duchess  of  Liria, 
succeeded  to  the  Majorat.  She  was  a  woman  as  great  of 
force  and  of  ambition  as  her  brother  had  been  deficient  in 
those  qualities.  She  succeeded  to  the  honours  beeause  she 
took  them.  Her  husband  became  Admiral  of  the  Indies,  Duke 
of  Veragua,  and  La  Vega.  She  had  a  son,  and  he,  not  she, 
should  have  assumed  the  titles.  In  1738  the  husband  died, 
and  in  1740  the  Duchess  of  Liria  passed  away,  leaving  the 
Majorat  to  her  son,  Jacobo- Francisco  Eduardo. 

Jacobo-Francisco-Eduardo  Stuart  of  Portugal,  the  eldest  son 
of  Catarina,  was  born  October  ii,  1717,  and  died  July  16,  1718. 
On  December  28  of  that  same  year  Catarina  bore  her  husband 
another  son  on  whom  they  conferred  the  name  of  his  deceased 
brother.  He  grew  to  manhood  and  married  Maria-Teresa, 
daughter  of  the  Count  Gelves  and  sister  of  Fernando  de  Silva, 
Duke  of  Huesca,  and  to  them  was  bom  a  son,  Carlos-Fernando. 

Carlos- Fernando  Stuart  y  Silva  was  born  at  Liria,  March  25, 
1752.  He  was  both  Duke  of  Veragua  and  Duke  of  Berwick,  and 
was  a  Court  official  under  Charles  HI.  He  married  Catalina- 
Augusta,  daughter  of  the  Prince  of  Stolberg,  by  whom  he  had 
one  son,  Jacobo-Felipe,  and  one  daughter,  Maria. 

637 


CHAPTER  CXXXXVIIII 

THE  FOURTH  ADMIRAL 

Jacobo-Felipe  Carlos  Stuart  y  Stolberg  was  born  at 
Paris,  February  25,  1773.  He  was  the  last  of  this  house  of 
Portugal  y  Colon  y  Berwick  to  bear  the  title  of  Duke  of  Veragua 
and  to  hold  the  estates  of  the  Columbus  family.  The  suit  which 
had  long  been  pending  against  his  family  and  in  the  interests  of 
the  Larreategui  family  was  decided  against  him  and  in  favour 
of  the  latter  in  1790.  He  married  Maria  Teresa  de  Silva  y 
Palafox,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Hijar,  and  from  them  the 
present  family  of  Berwick-Alba  is  descended. 

Diego  Columbus,  son  of  the  Discoverer,  and  the  second  Ad¬ 
miral  of  the  Indies  had,  besides  his  four  daughters,  three  sons, 
Don  Luis,  the  Third  Admiral,  Don  Christoval  Colon  y  Toledo, 
and  Don  Diego  Colon  y  Toledo.  This  last  married  Isabel  Jus- 
tenian  and  died  without  issue,  or,  as  Harrisse  himself  guardedly 
says,  in  speaking  of  the  Columbus  descendants,  without  legiti¬ 
mate  posterity.  It  was  to  the  descendants  of  the  second  son, 
then,  Don  Christoval,  that  the  Majorat  belonged.  This  fact 
was  recognised  at  first,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  his  son  Don 
Diego  Colon  y  Pravia  inherited  after  his  uncle,  Don  Luis,  died, 
and  became  fourth  Admiral  of  the  Indies.  On  his  death  with¬ 
out  issue,  the  Majorat  went  to  the  descendants  of  the  Second 
Admiral’s  daughter,  Isabel,  and  we  have  been  following  that 
line  through  Jorge  of  Portugal  and  the  Berwick  and  Liria 
families,  until  the  law  in  1790  awarded  the  Majorat,  or  what 
was  left  of  its  rights,  titles,  and  privileges,  to  the  descendants 
of  Don  Diego’s  second  son,  the  grandson  of  the  Discoverer,  Don 
Christoval  Colon  y  Toledo. 


638 


CHAPTER  CL 


THE  LARREATEGUI 

As  we  have  seen,  Christoval  Colon  y  Toledo,  by  his  wife. 
Ana  of  Pravia,  had  two  children:  a  son,  Diego  Colon  y  Pravia, 
the  fourth  Admiral,  dying  without  issue,  and  a  daughter, 
Francisca  Colon  y  Pravia,  born  in  San  Domingo  and  married 
to  Diego  Ortegon,  a  Judge  of  the  Court  at  Quito  in  the  Province 
of  Peru.  She  declared  herself  as  the  heiress  of  the  Majorat  on 
the  death  of  her  brother,  April  28,  1578,  although  it  was  many 
years  after  this  that  she  went  to  Spain.  When  she  did  reach 
Madrid  she  employed  all  the  available  machinery  of  the  Courts. 
She  was  doubtless  not  in  possession  of  wealth,  for  there  was 
accorded  her  a  pension  of  five  hundred  ducats  pending  the  judg¬ 
ment  in  her  case.  From  a  document  dated  April  i,  1605,  we 
learn  that  she  was  at  that  date  a  widow.  She  herself  died  in 
April,  1616,  without  leaving  any  sons,  but  she  was  the  mother  of 
four  daughters:  Guiomar,  Jacoba,  Ana,  and  Josefa  Ortegon  y 
Colon.  In  the  year  1 584  she  had  described  herself  in  a  document 
as  the  mother  of  nine  daughters,  and  as  only  these  four  are 
mentioned  in  later  papers,  it  is  probable  the  other  five  died  in 
infancy.  The  oldest  daughter,  Guiomar,  married  her  cousin, 
Diego,  son  of  Jorge  de  Portugal  and  of  his  wife  Genoveva  Botti. 
She  died  in  1621,  leaving  one  son,  Diego,  who  died  without 
issue,  and  two  daughters,  Francisca  de  Portugal  y  Ortegon,  who 
died  unmarried  in  1630,  and  Ana  Francisca  de  Portugal  y 
Ortegon.  This  last.  Ana  Francisca,  married  Diego  de  Cardenas 
y  Valda,  member  of  the  Council  of  the  Indies,  of  which  union 
there  were  two  daughters :  the  one,  Catarina  de  Cardenas  y  Portu¬ 
gal,  married  to  Francisco  Tutavilla,  Duke  of  Saint  Germain,  of 
Naples,  Captain-General  of  Estramadura,  Viceroy  of  Valencia, 

639 


640 


Christopher  Columbus 

and  of  Catalonia,  who  died  at  Madrid  January  30,  1679,  leaving 
no  posterity;  the  other  daughter,  Francisca  de  Cardenas  y 
Portugal,  married  to  Francisco  Tello,  a  relative,  from  whom  she 
was  divorced  or  for  whom  the  marriage  was  annulled,  she  also 
d}’ing  without  issue.  The  second  daughter  of  Francisca  and 
Diego  Ortegon,  Jacoba  Ortegon  y  Colon,  married  Francisco  Val¬ 
lejo  Wla  and  brought  him  a  marriage  portion  of  ten  thousand 
ducats,  showing  that  the  family  were  in  wealth  at  that  time. 
Two  sons  were  born  of  this  union:  Antonio  Diego,  dying  an 
infant,  and  Manuel  Antonio  Vallejo  y  Ortegon,  born  at  Olmedo, 
January  10,  1617.  Jacoba  died  the  following  year  and  the  boy 
was  brought  up  by  Baltasar  de  Alamos,  his  uncle  by  marriage. 
This  Manuel  Vallejo  bade  fair  to  be  a  great  soldier  and  took 
part  in  the  campaigns  of  Italy.  His  is  an  important  figure  in 
this  history  because  when  Luis  de  Avila  died  in  1636  he  was 
the  heir  to  the  Majorat,  according  to  the  rule  recognised  in 
the  decision  of  1790,  but  he  died  without  issue  in  the  hospital 
of  S.  Andrea  of  Vercelli,  May  20,  1641,  without  issue.  The 
third  daughter  of  Francisca  and  Diego  Ortegon  married  Baltasar 
de  i\lamos  y  Barrientos.  This  last  was  a  man  of  parts.  He 
was  given  to  letters  and  translated  Tacitus  into  Spanish,  enter¬ 
ing  the  Council  of  the  Indies  and  living  a  long  and  useful  life, 
finally  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight.  History  is  at  a  differ¬ 
ence  in  regard  to  his  children,  some  holding  that  he  left  only 
daughters,  of  whom  mention  is  alone  made  of  Ana  Teresa 
married  to  Garcia  Tello  de  Sandoval,  and  others  introducing  a 
son  bv  the  name  of  Diego,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  father 
of  Martin  and  Francisco  de  Larreategui,  the  latter  the  ancestor 
of  the  present  family  of  that  name  and  holders  of  the  title.  The 
learned  and  indefatigable  Harrisse,  however,  who  has  given 
great  study  to  this  genealogical  tree,  is  inclined  to  establish 
this  Diego,  father  of  Francisco  de  Larreategui,  as  the  grandson  of 
Josef  a  Ortegon,  to  whom  we  now  come.  Josef  a  Ortegon  y 
Colon,  fourth  and  youngest  surviving  daughter  of  Francisca 
and  Diego  Ortegon,  had  a  daughter,  Josef  a  de  Paz  de  la  Serna 
y  Ortegon,  who  married  Martin  de  Larreategui,  member  in  1651 
of  the  Council  of  Castile,  and  founder  of  the  family  now  holding 
the  titles  and  honours  of  the  House  of  Columbus.  One  son  and 
heir,  Diego,  born  in  1640,  resulted  from  this  union.  He  was 


641 


The  Larreategui 

Knight  of  the  Order  of  St.  James  and  a  Judge  in  the  Court  of 
V^alladolid.'  Diego,  from  his  marriage  with  Esperanza  de 
Carvajal,  had  two  sons:  Martin,  who  died  without  issue,  and 
Francisco  de  Larreategui  y  Carvajal,  by  whom  the  line  was 
perpetuated.  This  last,  in  1668,  was  enrolled  in  one  of  the  six 
colleges  Pf  nobles  and  became  a  lawyer  of  distinction.  It  is 
believed  that  he  was  the  author  of  a  legal  work  entitled  De 
PrcEstatione  Ciilpce  in  Contractibus ,  printed  in  1678.  He  married 
Isabel  Ventura  de  Angulo  y  Labarra  and  left  one  son,  Pedro- 
Isidoro,  and  three  daughters,  Josefa,  Andrea,  and  Tomasa. 
Pedro- Isidore  de  Larreategui  y  Ventura  de  Angulo,  the  son, 
was  born  at  Madrid  in  1695.  He,  too,  gave  himself  to  law  and 
became  a  professor  in  the  University  of  Salamanca,  Knight  of 
the  Order  of  Alcantara,  Vice-President  of  the  Council  of  Castile, 
and  Count  of  Torre-Arias.  He  married  Maria  Antonia  Jimenez 
de  Embrun  and  had  six  children ;  Mariano,  Tomas,  Jose-Joachim, 
Felix,  Pedro,  and  Francisco,  as  well  as  two  daughters,  Maria- 
Francisca  and  Maria  Josefa. 

Mariano  de  Larreategui  y  Embrun  was  at  the  head  of  the 
House  when  the  Council  of  the  Indies  decided  the  long  legal 
contest  for  the  rights  of  Columbus  in  his  favour  June  16,  1790, 
and  subsequently  on  March  10,  1793,  both  decisions  being  con¬ 
firmed  in  January,  1796. 

Thus  we  have  brought  the  descendants  of  Columbus  to  a 
period  when  the  family  of  Larreategui  is  suffered  in  peace  to 
bear  what  is  left  of  those  great  honours  conferred  on  Christopher 
Columbus  for  his  discovery  of  a  New  World,  and  which  are  but 
shadows  of  names,  while  of  his  thirds  and  eighths  and  tenths 
there  remains  in  /America  not  a  foot  of  earth  nor  from  its  reve¬ 
nues  a  single  maravedi. 

'  The  Dukes  of  Veragua  evidently  preserved  a  genealogical  family  tree  in  which 
the  son  and  heir  of  Josefa  de  Paz  de  la  Serna  is  Francisco  de  Larreategui.  Eminent 
genealogists,  as  well  as  llarrisse,  make  this  son  and  heir  to  be  Diego,  and  his  son  to 
be  the  Francisco  de  Larreategui  by  a  marriage  with  Esperanza  de  Carvajal. 

VOL.  III. — 41. 


f 


APPENDIX 


DOCUMENT  No.  i 

ROYAL  AUTHORITY  FOR  ESTABLISHING  THE  MAJORAT 

Don  Fernando  and  Donna  Isabella  by  the  Grace  of  God  King  and 
Queen  of  Castile,  Leon,  Aragon,  Sicily,  Granada,  Toledo,  Valencia,  Galicia, 
Majorca,  Seville,  Sardinia,  Cordova,  Corsica,  Murcia,  Jaen,  the  Algarves, 
Algeciras,  Gibraltar,  and  the  islands  of  Canary,  Count  and  Countess  of  Bar¬ 
celona,  and  Lords  of  Biscay  and  Molina,  Dukes  of  Athens  and  Neopatria, 
Counts  of  Roussillon  and  of  Cerdagne,  Marquises  of  Oristano  and  of  Goziano. 
Inasmuch  as  you,  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  our  Admiral,  Viceroy,  and 
Governor  of  the  Ocean-Sea,  have  supplicated  and  petitioned  us  as  a  favour 
that  we  give  you  our  power  and  authority,  to  make  and  establish  out  of 
your  possessions,  vassals,  hereditaments,  and  perpetual  offices,  one  or  two 
majorats  to  the  end  that  there  may  be  perpetual  memory  of  you  and  of 
your  house  and  lineage,  and  that  those  who  come  after  you  may  be  hon¬ 
oured,  which  having  seen,  and  having  considered  that  it  is  the  prerogative 
of  Kings  and  Princes  to  honour  and  advance  their  subjects  and  people, 
particularly  those  who  serve  them  well  and  loyally,  and  because  in  the 
making  of  such  majorats  honour  comes  to  the  Royal  Crown  and  to  these 
our  realms  and  for  their  advancement,  and  counting  the  many  good  and 
loyal  and  grand  and  continuous  services  which  you  the  said  Don  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus  our  Admiral  have  done  us  and  each  day  have  done  us,  and 
particularly  in  discovering  and  placing  under  our  power  and  sovereignty 
the  islands  and  continental  land  which  you  have  discovered  in  the  said 
Ocean-Sea,  largely  because  we  hope  with  the  help  of  our  Lord  God  it  will 
Tedound  much  to  His  service  and  our  honour  and  for  the  advantage  of  our 
realms,  and  since  it  is  expected  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  said  Indies  will 
be  converted  to  our  Holy  Catholic  faith,  we  have  found  it  good  and  by  this 
our  Letter,  of  our  own  motion  and  on  certain  knowledge  and  of  our  abso¬ 
lute  Royal  power  which  in  this  interest  we  seek  to  employ  and  which  we  as 
King  and  Queen  and  Lords  supreme  in  temporal  affairs  do  employ,  we  give, 
licence,  and  empower  you  for  each  occasion  and  whenever  you  desire  and 
may  elect  as  well  during  your  lifetime  by  simple  contract  and  order,  as  for 

643 


644 


Christopher  Columbus 

a  donation  among  the  living,  or  by  your  testament  and  last  will  and  codicil, 
or  in  any  other  wa}^  which  you  desire  and  that  you  may  be  enabled  to  make 
and  may  make  a  majorat  or  majorats,  by  one  or  two  or  three  instruments 
or  by  many  such  in  whatever  way  you  may  desire  and  see  good,  and  that 
you  may  be  enabled  to  revoke,  devise,  correct,  enlarge,  lessen,  decrease,  or 
increase,  once,  twice,  thrice,  or  whatever  number  of  times  or  in  whatever 
way  you  desire  or  deem  good,  and  that  you  may  be  enabled  to  establish  in 
the  said  majorat  or  majorats  your  son  Don  Diego  Columbus,  your  principal 
legitimate  heir  and  whomever  of  your  lawful  sons  now  yours  or  hereafter 
yours,  and  in  fault  of  or  failing  sons,  then  one  or  two  of  your  relatives  or 
other  persons  whom  you  ma}^  select  and  deem  it  good  to  select,  and  that 
you  may  be  enabled  to  make  and  do  constitute  it  of  any  vassals,  jurisdic¬ 
tion,  houses,  lands,  hereditaments,  wills,  fields  and  other  such  heredita¬ 
ments  and  possessions,  and  of  such  offices  which  you  may  hold  from  us  by 
law  and  by  inheritance,  and  of  all  that  aforesaid  and  of  everything  and  of 
ever}^  part  which  you  may  now  hold  and  possess  and  which  belongs  to  you 
to  have  and  to  hold,  as  well  by  favours  and  donations  as  by  abandonment, 
acquisitions,  trafficking,  exchanges,  passings,  or  by  whatever  other  hon¬ 
ourable  or  lucrative  titles,  or  in  whatever  other  manner  and  for  whatever 
cause  or  reason  it  may  be,  you  shall  be  enabled  to  make  and  may  make 
the  said  majorat  or  majorats  according  to  your  will  and  choice  and  dis¬ 
position,  as  well  of  the  said  your  possessions  and  things,  in  entirety  and 
completely  without  any  diminution  of  an}"  part  or  parts  thereof,  to  the 
end  that  the  said  possessions  and  whatever  portion  and  part  of  the  said 
majorat  may  descend  inviolably  to  the  said  Don  Diego  Columbus  your  son 
and  to  your  said  heirs  and  descendants  in  whom  you  may  make  and  es¬ 
tablish  the  said  majorat  or  majorats,  together  with  the  conditions,  limita¬ 
tions,  charges,  settlements  and  insurances,  appointments  and  substitutions, 
modes,  rules,  penalties  and  submissions,  which  you  may  desire  or  deem 
good,  and  with  such  ordinances,  orders,  agreements,  covenants,  and  accord¬ 
ing  to  such  form  and  manner  as  you  shall  settle  and  order  and  dispose  and 
licence  bv  one  or  by  many  writings  as  aforesaid.  The  whole  of  which,  and 
of  every  portion  and  part  thereof,  are  to  be  considered  to  be  expressed  and 
declared  as  if  they  were  expressly  specified  word  by  word,  from  now  hence¬ 
forth,  of  our  said  certain  knowledge,  and  of  our  own  motion  and  absolute 
Royal  power,  which  in  this  instance  we  propose  to  use  and  do  use,  we  com¬ 
mend,  approve,  confirm,  and  interpose  in  this  and  in  every  portion  and 
part  thereof,  our  decree  and  Royal  authority  and  commands  that  the  whole 
and  every  part  thereof  be  valid  and  kept  inviolably  both  now  and  for  ever, 
notwithstanding  it  and  every  portion  and  part  thereof  be  contrary  to 
express  law  and  against  all  form  and  order,  and  be  such  and  in  such  a  man¬ 
ner  as  of  necessity  ought  to  be  expressed  and  be  especially  mentioned  in 
this  our  Letter,  and  which  could  not  be  incorporated  in  the  general  expres¬ 
sions  thereof,  and  that  it  be  observed  as  well  and  as  completely  as  if  over 
each  portion,  part,  and  article  thereof  our  approval,  licence,  and  order  were 
affixed  as  and  according  to  such  form  in  your  said  disposition  or  disposi- 


645 


Appendix 

tions  shall  be  contained.  The  whole  of  which  it  is  our  pleasure  may  be  so 
done,  notwithstanding  that  your  other  lawful  sons  and  your  other  relatives, 
kinsfolks,  and  descendants  and  collaterals  may  be  aggrieved  in  their  estates 
and  allowances  which  to  them  belong,  and  which  the  said  Don  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus  your  son  and  him  or  them  on  whom  you  may  establish  the  said  majorat 
or  majorats,  or  commands  or  legacies,  may  receive  and  have  every  great 
and  notable  increase  beyond  what  rights  and  laws  you  are  able  to  leave  to 
them  in  your  testament  and  last  will  and  give  as  donations  among  the 
living,  or  in  any  other  manner;  the  which  said  possessions  which  you  shall 
thus  include  and  place  in  your  said  majorat  or  majorats  it  is  our  favour 
that  they  shall  be  inalienable  and  indivisible  for  ever,  and  that  the  person 
or  persons  in  whom  you  shall  establish  tlie  said  majorat  or  majorats  and 
that  he  whom  according  to  your  dispositions  shall  hold  it  or  they  who  shall 
hold  it  shall  not  be  able  to  sell,  give,  donate,  alienate,  divide,  or  separate 
them  nor  be  able  to  part  with  them  or  lose  them  for  any  debt  that  may  be 
due  or  for  any  other  reason  or  cause  nor  for  any  crime  or  criminal  act  which 
he  may  commit  except  leze-majesty  or  perduliones  or  treason  or  the  crime 
of  heresy  the  which  we  desire  and  it  is  our  Letter  shall  be  observed  not¬ 
withstanding  the  laws  which  contain  those  majorats  are  not  to  have  effect 
even  if  may  be  by  virtue  of  such  Letters  and  warrants  as  may  by  them  be 
granted,  and  moreover  notwithstanding  such  laws  and  statutes,  decrees 
and  ordinances,  usages  and  customs,  styles  and  forms,  both  common  and 
municipal,  of  the  Kings  our  ancestors  which  may  be  contrary  to  what  is 
aforesaid;  or  to  the  laws  and  decrees  which  say  that  anything  done  in 
prejudice  of  a  third  party  who  understands  that  he  is  injured  or  wronged 
is  invalid;  and  the  law  which  declares  that  prohibitive  decrees  are  not  able 
to  be  revoked,  and  that  which  says  that  Letters  granted  contrary  to  law, 
statute,  or  decree  ought  to  be  disobeyed  and  not  fulfilled  even  though  they 
contain  derogative  clauses  and  other  assurances  and  non-obstantes  clauses, 
and  the  law  which  says  that  the  defence  of  the  party  is  promised  by  natural 
decree  and  that  it  is  not  able  to  be  taken  away  and  ought  to  be  revoked, 
and  that  the  laws,  statutes  and  valid  decrees  are  not  able  to  be  revoked 
except  by  the  Cortes  or  by  any  other  thing,  effect,  condition,  strength, 
mystery  which  may  be  contrary  to  what  is  above  said  even  though  it  be 
urgent  or  necessary  or  mixed  or  any  other  manner.  For  of  our  said  certain 
knowledge  and  of  our  own  motion  and  absolute  Royal  power  which  in  tliis 
behalf  we  propose  to  use  and  do  use  as  Kings  and  Sovereign  Lords  supreme 
in  all  that  is  temporal,  considering  it  as  if  expressed  and  declared  as  if  it 
had  been  here  word  by  word  set  down  and  expressed,  we  dispense  there¬ 
with  and  abrogate  and  derogate  and  take  away  and  remove  it  in  so  far  as 
it  touches  or  belongs  or  may  have  any  part  in  this  our  Letter  and  in  what 
there  is  therein  contained,  all  that  is  obtained  by  deceit  or  fraud,  and  every 
other  obstacle  and  impediment.  And  we  supply  such  defence  or  other 
things  of  whatever  kind  or  effect  and  of  decree,  of  substance,  and  of  solem¬ 
nity  which  may  be  necessary  and  desirable  to  supply  for  the  validation  and 
corroboration.  And  we  command  the  illustrious  prince  Don  Juan  our  very 


646 


Christopher  Columbus 

dear  and  very  beloved  son  and  the  Infairtes,  prelates,  dukes,  counts,  mar¬ 
quises,  grandees,  masters  of  orders,  priors,  commanders,  lieutenant  com¬ 
manders,  and  the  alcaldes  of  the  castles  and  the  fortified  places,  members 
of  our  council,  auditors  of  our  chamber,  chancery,  alcaldes  and  officers  of 
our  household,  court,  and  chancery,  and  all  other  governors  and  assistants, 
alcaldes,  bailiffs,  judges,  provosts,  regidors,  knights,  esquires,  officers,  and 
good  men  of  all  the  cities,  villages,  and  places  of  these  our  realms  and  do¬ 
minions  who  now  are  and  from  henceforth  may  be,  to  observe  towards 
you  this  favour  which  we  do  you  in  all  and  through  all  according  to  what 
is  therein  contained  and  not  to  interfere  with  you  contrary  thereto  or  to 
any  part  thereto  at  any  time  or  in  any  manner  or  for  any  cause  or  reason 
that  is  or  may  be,  and  that  there  shall  be  fulfilled  and  executed  and  brought 
into  effectual  execution  and  disposition  and  dispositions  which  you  may 
make  of  the  said  majorat  or  majorats,  powers  and  legacies,  according  to 
and  by  the  form  and  manner  which  may  be  contained  in  each  one  thereof 
without  awaiting  or  hoping  for  another  Letter  or  command  from  us  or  a 
second  or  third  notice;  the  whole  of  which  we  order  our  high  chancellor 
and  notaries  and  other  officials  who  are  at  the  bureau  of  our  seals,  to  de¬ 
liver  to  you  and  to  pass  and  to  seal  our  Letter  of  privilege  in  the  most 
strong  and  binding  form  which  you  may  require,  and  neither  the  one  nor 
the  other  of  you  shall  make  or  do  this  in  any  other  manner  under  penalty 
of  our  displeasure  and  of  10,000  maravedis  for  our  chamber  on  each  one 
through  whom  it  shall  fail  to  be  done  and  fulfilled ;  and  moreover  we  com¬ 
mand  the  man  who  shall  show  you  this  our  Letter  to  summon  you  that  you 
shall  appear  before  us  in  our  court  wherever  we  may  be  within  fifteen  days 
following  that  of  the  said  summons,  under  which  also  we  command  our 
notary  public  who  shall  be  required  for  that  purpose,  to  give  to  the  person 
showing  our  order  and  testimonial  signed  with  his  seal  in  order  that  we 
may  know  how  our  order  is  fulfilled. 

Done  in  the  city  of  Burgos  on  the  23d  day  of  the  month  of  April  in  the 
year  of  the  nativity  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  1497.  I  the  King,  I  the 
Queen.  I  Fernand  Alvares  de  Toledo,  secretary  of  the  King  and  of  the 
Queen  our  Sovereigns,  caused  this  to  be  written  by  their  command  and  in 
the  endorsement  of  the  said  Letter  was  inscribed  the  following  in  due  form: 
Rodricus  doctor.  Registered  and  sealed,  Alonso  Peres. 

DOCUMENT  No.  2 

MAJORAT  OR  ENTAIL  OF  HIS  ESTATES  AND  TITLES  BY 
CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS 

February  22,  1498 

February  22,  THE  MAJORAT 

1498. 

In  the  name  of  the  most  Holy  Trinity,  which  inspired  me  with  the  idea 
and  afterwards  made  perfectly  clear  to  me,  that  I  could  navigate  and  go  to 


Appendix  647 

the  Indies  from  Spain  by  traversing  the  Ocean-sea  westwardly;  and  this 
I  made  known  to  the  King,  Don  Ferdinand,  and  to  the  Queen,  Dona  Isa¬ 
bella,  our  Lords;  and  it  pleased  them  to  give  me  provisions  and  an  equi¬ 
page  of  men  and  ships,  and  to  make  me  their  Admiral  in  the  said  Ocean-sea, 
to  the  westward  of  an  imaginary  line  which  they  ordered  drawn  from  pole 
to  pole  one  hundred  leagues  west  of  the  Cape  Verde  and  Azores  islands; 
and  their  Viceroy  and  Governor  General  in  all  the  mainlands  and  islands 
which  I  might  find  and  discover  to  the  westward  of  this  line ;  and  they  also 
granted  that  my  eldest  son  should  succeed  me  in  the  said  offices,  and  in 
the  same  manner  from  generation  to  generation  for  ever  and  ever ;  and  that 
I  should  have  the  tenth  of  everything  that  might  be  discovered  and  pos¬ 
sessed  and  produced  in  the  said  Almirantazgo ;  and  also  the  eighth  part  of 
the  lands  and  all  the  other  things,  and  the  salary  which  fitly  belongs  to  the 
offices  of  Admiral,  Viceroy,  and  Governor,  and  all  the  other  perquisites  per¬ 
taining  to  the  said  offices,  which  is  all  more  fully  contained  in  my  Privilege 
and  Capitulation,  which  I  have  from  their  Highnesses. 

And  it  pleased  our  All  Powerful  Lord  that  in  the  year  One  thousand 
four  hundred  and  ninety-two  I  should  discover  the  mainland  of  the  Indies 
and  many  islands,  among  which  is  Espanola,  which  the  Indian  inhabitants 
call  Ayte  and  the  Monicongos  call  Cipango.  Afterwards  I  came  back  to 
Castile  to  their  Majesties,  and  they  directed  me  to  return  to  the  undertak¬ 
ing  and  to  found  and  discover  more;  and  thus  our  Lord  gave  me  victory 
so  that  I  conquered  and  made  tributary  the  people  of  the  island  of  Espa¬ 
nola,  which  is  six  hundred  leagues  around;  and  I  discovered  many  canni¬ 
bal  islands,  and  seven  hundred  to  the  westward  of  Espanola  among  which 
is  Jamaica,  which  we  call  Santiago,  and  three  hundred  and  thirty-three 
leagues  of  mainland  of  the  part  from  south  to  west,  also  one  hundred  and 
seven  of  the  part  of  the  north,  which  I  had  discovered  on  my  first  voyage 
with  many  islands;  as  will  be  seen  more  fully  by  my  writings,  memoran¬ 
dums,  and  navigators’  maps.  And  because  we  hope  in  that  higli  God  that 
before  long  we  may  have  a  good  and  great  revenue  in  the  said  islands  and 
mainland,  of  which  for  the  reason  aforesaid  the  tenth  and  the  eighth  belong 
to  me,  with  the  salaries  and  perquisites  aforesaid;  and  because  we  are 
mortal  and  it  is  well  that  each  one  should  order  and  leave  declared  to  his 
heirs  and  successors  what  he  possesses  and  might  possess; — Tlierefore  it 
appeared  well  to  me  to  found  a  Majorat  from  this  eighth  part  of  lands  and 
offices  and  revenue,  as  I  will  state  below: 

In  the  first  place:  My  son,  Don  Diego,  shall  succeed  me,  and  if  the 
Lord  should  dispose  of  him  without  Ids  leaving  sons,  then  my  son,  Don 
Ferdinand,  shall  succeed :  and  if  our  Lord  should  disi)ose  of  him  without 
leaving  a  son,  or  mv  having  another  son,  Don  Bartholomew,  my  brother, 
shall  succeed;  and  then  his  eldest  son:  and  if  our  Lord  should  dispose  of 
him  without  heirs,  my  brother,  Don  Diego,  shall  succeed,  being  married  or 
able  to  marry;  and  then  his  eldest  son  shall  succeed  him;  and  in  this  man¬ 
ner  from  generation  to  generation  perpetually,  for  ever  after;  commencing 
with  my  son  Don  Diego,  and  his  sons  succeeding  from  one  to  another 


648 


Christopher  Columbus 

perpetuall}^,  or  he  not  having  a  son,  Don  Ferdinand,  my  son,  to  succeed, 
as  aforesaid:  and  then  his  son,  he  and  the  aforesaid  Don  Bartholomew 
and  Don  Diego,  my  brothers,  succeeding  from  son  to  son  for  ever  after, 
if  it  should  fall  to  them. 

And  if  it  should  please  our  Lord  that  after  having  passed  for  some  time 
in  the  line  of  one  of  the  said  successors,  this  Majorat  should  lack  legitimate 
heirs,  the  nearest  of  kin  to  the  person  who  inherited  it  and  in  whose  posses¬ 
sion  it  was  proscribed,  shall  succeed  him  and  inherit  it;  he  being  of  legiti¬ 
mate  birth,  and  his  name,  inherited  from  his  father  and  ancestors,  being 
Columbus.  And  no  woman  may  in  any  manner  inherit  this  Majorat,  ex¬ 
cept  that  neither  here  nor  in  the  other  extremity  of  the  world  there  shall 
be  found  a  man  of  my  true  lineage  whose  name  inherited  from  his  ancestors 
shall  be  Columbus.  And  if  this  should  happen  (which  God  forbid),  then  in 
such  a  case  the  woman  nearest  in  relationship  and  legitimate  blood  to  the 
person  who  had  in  this  manner  come  into  possession  of  the  said  Majorat, 
shall  have  it;  and  this  shall  be  with  the  conditions  which  I  will  give  here 
below;  which  are  to  be  understood  as  applying  to  my  son,  Don  Diego,  as 
well  as  to  each  one  of  the  aforesaid  persons,  or  to  whomever  may  succeed, 
each  one  of  them,  which  conditions  they  shall  fulfil,  and  not  fulfilling  them, 
in  such  case  they  shall  be  deprived  of  the  said  Majorat,  and  the  person 
nearest  of  kin  to  such  a  person  in  whose  possession  it  was  proscribed  be¬ 
cause  of  not  having  fulfilled  what  I  say  here  shall  have  it ;  which  person  fail¬ 
ing  to  fulfil  said  conditions  shall  be  deprived  of  it,  and  another  person  the 
nearest  of  my  lineage  shall  have  it,  providing  he  keeps  the  said  conditions, 
which  in  this  manner  shall  endure  perpetually  and  shall  be  in  the  form 
above  written.  This  forfeiture  may  not  be  understood  for  trifling  matters 
originating  from  lawsuits,  but  for  important  matters  appertaining  to  the 
honour  of  God,  and  to  my  honour  and  to  that  of  my  lineage,  which  means 
to  fulfil  freely  what  I  have  ordained,  entirely  as  I  say;  all  of  which  I  recom¬ 
mend  to  the  Courts  of  Justice.  And  I  entreat  the  Holy  Father,  who  now 
is,  and  those  who  may  succeed  in  the  Holy  Church,  if  it  should  happen  that 
this  my  will  and  testament  may  require  his  Holy  edict  and  mandates  in 
order  to  be  fulfilled,  that  in  virtue  of  obedience  and  under  penalty  of  Papal 
excommunication  he  shall  order  it ;  and  that  in  no  manner  may  it  ever  be 
disfigured;  and  likewise  I  entreat  the  King  and  Queen,  our  Sovereigns, 
and  the  prince  Don  Juan  our  Lord,  their  first-born,  and  those  who  may 
succeed  him,  by  the  services  I  have  rendered  them  and  because  it  is  just, 
that  it  may  please  them,  and  that  they  may  not  consent,  that  this  my  con¬ 
stitution  of  Majorat  and  testament,  shall  be  disfigured,  but  that  it  may 
remain  and  be  in  the  manner  and  form  which  I  have  ordained  for  ever; 
that  it  may  be  the  service  of  the  All  Powerful  God  and  the  root  and  base 
of  my  lineage,  and  a  memory  of  the  services  I  have  rendered  their  High¬ 
nesses;  for  I  being  born  in  Genoa  came  to  serve  them  here  in  Castile,  and 
discovered  the  Indies  and  the  aforesaid  islands  for  them,  to  the  west  of  the 
mainland.  Therefore  I  entreat  their  Highnesses  that  without  lawsuit  or 
demand  or  delay  they  may  order  summarily  that  this,  my  Privilege  and 


Appendix  649 

testament  may  be  valid  and  may  be  fulfilled  as  may  be,  and  is,  contained 
therein;  and  I  also  entreat  the  Great  Lords  of  the  realms  of  his  Highness, 
and  the  members  of  his  Council  and  all  the  others  who  have  or  might  have 
charge  of  justice  or  of  a  body  (regimiento)  that  it  may  please  them  not  to 
consent  that  this  my  will  and  testament  shall  be  without  strength  and 
virtue,  but  that  it  may  be  fulfilled  as  ordered  by  me;  as  it  is  very  just 
that  a  person  of  title  who  has  served  his  King  and  Queen  and  the  kingdom, 
should  be  respected  in  all  that  he  may  order  and  leave  by  testament 
or  compromise,  and  Majorat  and  inheritance,  and  that  it  may  not  be 
transgressed  in  anything,  neither  in  any  part  nor  in  all. 

In  the  first  place  Don  Diego,  my  son,  and  all  those  who  succeed  me  and 
descend  from  me,  and  likewise  my  brothers  Don  Bartholomew  and  Don 
Diego,  shall  bear  my  arms,  which  1  shall  leave  after  my  days,  without  in¬ 
serting  anything  more  in  them,  and  shall  seal  with  the  seal  of  the  arms. 
Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  any  one  else  who  inherits  this  Majorat,  after  having 
inherited  and  been  in  possession  of  it,  shall  sign  with  my  signature  which 
I  now  use,  which  is  an  X  with  an  S  over  it  and  an  M  with  a  Roman  A  over 
it,  and  over  that  an  S  and  after  it  a  Greek  Y  with  an  S  over  it,  with  its 
lines  and  points  as  is  now  my  custom,  and  as  will  appear  by  my  signatures 
of  which  many  will  be  found,  and  as  will  appear  by  this. 

And  he  shall  only  write  The  Admiral  although  he  may  be  given  and 
may  acquire  other  titles  from  the  King;  this  is  to  be  understood  in  the 
signature  and  not  in  his  enumeration  of  titles,  where  he  will  be  able  to 
write  all  his  titles  as  shall  please  him;  solely  in  the  signature  he  will  write 
The  Admiral. 

The  said  Don  Diego  or  any  one  else  who  inherits  this  Majorat  shall  have 
my  office  of  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea,  which  is  of  the  part  to  the  west  of 
an  imaginary  line  which  his  Highness  ordered  drawn  from  pole  to  pole 
loo  leagues  beyond  the  Azores  and  Cape  Verde  islands,  beyond  which  they 
ordered  and  made  me  the  Admiral  of  the  Sea,  with  all  the  pre-eminencies 
which  the  Admiral  Don  Henrique  has  in  the  Almirantazgo  of  Castile;  and 
they  made  me  their  Viceroy  and  perpetual  Governor  for  ever  after,  in  all 
the  islands  and  main  land  discovered  and  to  be  discovered,  for  myself  and 
my  heirs,  as  appears  more  fully  from  my  privileges  which  I  have,  and  by 
my  capitulation  as  above  mentioned. 

Item.  That  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  any  one  else  who  inherits  the  said 
Majorat,  shall  distribute  the  revenue  that  it  shall  please  our  Lord  to  give 
him,  in  this  manner,  under  the  said  penalty. 

In  the  first  place:  He  will  give  of  all  that  this  Majorat  may  yield  now 
and  for  ever,  and  of  whatever  shall  be  had  and  obtained  from  it  and  by  it, 
the  fourth  part  each  year  to  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  my  brother, 
Adelantado  of  the  Indies,  and  shall  do  this  until  he  has  for  his  revenues  a 
million  maravedis  for  his  maintenance,  and  for  the  service  which  he  has 
rendered  and  continues  to  render  in  the  service  of  this  Majorat;  which 
said  million  he  will  receive  as  aforesaid  each  year,  if  the  said  fourth  part 
amounts  to  so  much,  and  he  has  nothing  else;  but  having  some  or  all  of 


650  Christopher  Columbus 

that  amount  in  revenue,  henceforth  he  shall  not  have  the  said  million  or  a 
part  of  it;  except  that  from  now  he  shall  have  in  the  said  fourth  part  as 
much  as  the  said  amount  of  a  million,  if  it  amounts  to  that;  and  as  much 
as  he  has  of  revenue  besides  this  fourth  part,  whatever  sum  of  maravedis 
of  known  revenue  from  property  which  he  might  be  able  to  rent,  or  per¬ 
petual  offices,  the  said  quantity  of  revenue  which  he  may  have  in  this  man¬ 
ner  or  he  will  be  able  to  have  from  the  said  his  property  or  perpetual  offices, 
shall  be  abated ;  and  from  the  said  million  whatever  marriage  dower  he  re¬ 
ceives  with  the  woman  he  marries  shall  be  reserved;  so  that  all  that  he 
has  with  the  said  woman,  it  will  not  be  understood  that  on  account  of  it  he 
will  have  to  discount  anything  from  the  said  million  save  what  he  acquires 
or  possesses  beyond  the  said  marriage  portion  of  his  wife;  and  after  it 
shall  please  God  that  he  or  his  heirs,  or  whoever  descends  from  him,  may 
have  a  million  of  revenue  from  property  and  offices,  if  he  should  wish  to 
rent  them  as  aforesaid,  he  nor  his  heirs  shall  have  nothing  more  from  the 
fourth  part  of  the  said  Majorat,  and  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  whoever  in¬ 
herits,  shall  have  it. 

Don  Ferdinand,  my  son,  shall  have  of  the  said  revenue  of  the  said 
Majorat  or  of  another  fourth  part  of  it,  a  million  each  year,  if  the  said 
fourth  part  amounts  to  so  much,  until  he  has  two  millions  of  revenue  in 
the  same  form  and  manner  which  is  said  of  Don  Bartholomew,  my  brother, 
he  and  his  heirs,  in  the  same  manner  as  Don  Bartholomew,  my  brother,  and 
his  heirs,  have  the  said  million  or  the  part  which  is  deficient  from  it. 

Item.  The  said  Don  Diego  and  Don  Bartholomew,  shall  order  that 
Don  Diego,  my  brother,  shall  have  from  the  revenue  of  the  said  Majorat 
as  much  as  will  suffice  to  maintain  him  honestly,  as  my  brother  which  he 
is,  to  whom  I  leave  no  stipulated  sum,  because  he  wishes  to  be  of  the  church, 
and  they  will  give  him  what  is  right;  and  this  shall  be  in  one  sum,  before 
anything  is  given  to  Don  Ferdinand,  my  son,  or  to  Don  Bartholomew,  my 
brother,  or  to  their  heirs,  and  also  according  to  the  income  derived  from 
the  said  Majorat;  and  if  there  should  be  disagreement  in  this,  then  in  said 
case  it  may  be  referred  to  two  of  our  kinsmen,  or  to  other  honourable  per¬ 
sons,  that  they  may  choose  one  and  he  may  choose  the  other;  and  if  they 
should  not  be  able  to  agree,  the  two  said  arbitrators  may  select  another 
person  of  honour,  who  shall  not  be  suspected  by  any  of  the  parties. 

Item.  That  all  the  revenue  which  I  order  given  to  Don  Bartholomew 
and  to  Don  Ferdinand,  and  to  Don  Diego,  my  brother,  they  may  have  and 
may  be  given  to  them  as  aforesaid,  as  long  as  they  and  their  heirs  are 
loyal  and  faithful  to  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  whoever  inherits;  and  if  it 
should  be  found  that  they  were  in  opposition  to  him  in  anything  pertain¬ 
ing  to  his  honour  and  in  opposition  to  the  increase  of  my  lineage  and  of 
the  said  Majorat,  in  word  or  in  deed,  by  which  there  should  appear  and 
should  be  offence  and  abasement  of  my  lineage  and  loss  to  the  same  estate, 
or  any  one  of  them,  they  shall  not  have  anything  from  that  time  forward; 
so  that  they  may  always  be  faithful  to  Don  Diego  or  whoever  inherits. 

Item.  As  in  the  beginning  when  I  created  this  Majorat,  I  intended 


Appendix  651 

to  distribute,  or  that  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  any  other  person  who  inher¬ 
ited  it,  should  distribute  to  needy  persons,  the  tenth  part  of  the  revenue 
as  a  tithe  and  in  commemoration  of  the  Eternal  All  Powerful  God;  for 
this  reason  I  now  say  that,  to  further  and  carry  out  my  intention,  and  in 
order  that  His  High  Majesty  may  aid  me  and  those  who  may  inherit  this, 
here  or  in  the  other  world,  the  said  tithe  shall  yet  be  paid  in  this  manner; 

In  the  first  place.  Of  the  fourth  part  of  the  revenue  from  this  Ma¬ 
jorat,  which  I  ordained  and  directed  should  be  given  to  Don  Bartholomew, 
until  he  should  have  a  million  of  revenue,  it  shall  be  understood  that  the 
said  tenth  of  all  the  rent  of  the  said  Majorat  is  included  in  this  million; 
and  that  as  the  revenue  of  the  said  Don  Bartholomew,  my  brother,  in¬ 
creases,  as  something  or  all  may  have  to  be  discounted  from  the  revenue 
of  the  fourth  part  of  the  Majorat,  that  all  the  aforesaid  rent  shall  be  seen 
and  counted  in  order  to  know  how  much  the  tenth  of  it  amounts  to;  and 
the  part  which  does  not  fall  to,  or  exceeds,  what  the  said  Don  Bartholomew 
requires  for  the  million, — that  the  persons  of  my  lineage  who  shall  most 
need  it  shall  have  it  in  discount  from  the  said  tenth,  looking  out  to  give  it 
to  a  person  who  has  not  Fifty  thousand  maravedis  of  income;  and  if  the 
one  who  has  least  should  come  to  possess  an  income  of  Fifty  thousand 
maravedis,  he  shall  have  the  part  which  two  persons  who  shall  be  chosen 
for  this  purpose  shall  determine,  together  with  Don  Diego  or  with  whoever 
inherits;  so  that  it  is  to  be  understood  that  the  million  which  I  order  given 
to  Don  Bartholomew  comprehends  the  said  tenth  aforesaid  of  the  said 
Majorat;  and  that  all  this  revenue  from  the  Majorat  I  wish  and  have 
ordered  distributed  to  my  nearest  and  most  needy  kinsmen ;  and  after  the 
said  Don  Bartholomew  has  his  million  and  there  is  nothing  owing  him  from 
the  said  fourth  part,  then  the  said  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  the  person  who 
may  have  the  said  Majorat,  with  the  other  two  persons  whom  I  shall  here 
designate,  shall  see  and  may  see,  that  the  tenth  part  of  all  this  rent  is  given 
to,  and  possessed  by,  the  most  needy  persons  of  my  lineage  who  shall  be 
here  or  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  where  they  shall  be  diligently  sought; 
and  it  may  be  of  the  said  fourth  part  from  which  the  said  Don  Bartholomew 
is  to  have  the  million;  which  I  calculate  and  give  in  discount  from  the  said 
tenth,  by  reason  of  computation,  that  if  the  aforesaid  tenth  amounts  to 
more,  this  excess  also  shall  come  from  the  fourth  part  and  the  most  needy 
shall  have  it,  as  I  have  already  said;  and  if  it  is  not  enough,  that  the  said 
Don  Bartholomew  shall  have  it  until  his  own  increases,  leaving  the  said 
million  in  y^art  or  in  whole. 

Item.  That  the  said  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  the  person  who  inherits, 
shall  take  two  persons  of  my  lineage,  the  nearest  of  kin,  and  persons  of 
spirit  and  authority,  who  will  diligently  examine  the  said  revenue  and  the 
account  thereof,  and  cause  the  said  tenth  to  be  paid  from  the  said  fourth 
part,  from  which  the  said  million  is  given  to  Don  Bartholomew, — to  the 
most  needy  of  mv  lineage  who  shall  be  here  or  anywhere  else,  and  they 
shall  inquire  for  them  with  much  diligence  and  upon  charge  of  their  souls; 
and  as  it  might  be  that  the  said  Don  Diego  or  the  person  who  inherits 


652 


Christopher  Columbus 

might  not  wish  for  some  reason  which  may  relate  to  their  own  good  and 
honour,  and  the  sustainment  of  the  said  Majorat,  that  the  entire  revenue 
from  it  should  be  known,  I  direct  him  that  he  shall  yet  make  known  the 
said  revenue  upon  charge  of  his  soul,  and  I  direct  the  aforesaid  two  per¬ 
sons  upon  charge  of  their  consciences  and  souls,  not  to  denounce  or  pub¬ 
lish  it,  save  when  it  shall  be  the  will  of  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  the  person 
who  inherits,  only  making  sure  that  the  said  tenth  is  paid  in  the  manner 
aforesaid. 

Item.  That  there  may  be  no  differences  in  the  choice  of  these  two 
nearest  kinsmen  who  shall  act  with  Don  Diego,  or  with  the  person  who 
inherits,  I  say  that  therefore  I  choose  Don  Bartholomew,  my  brother,  for 
one,  and  Don  Ferdinand,  my  son,  for  the  other,  and  as  soon  as  they  enter 
into  the  matter  they  shall  be  obliged  to  name  two  other  persons  who  shall 
be  the  nearest  of  my  lineage  and  of  great  confidence :  and  these  shall  choose 
two  others  at  the  same  time  that  they  commence  to  employ  themselves  in 
this  action:  and  thus  it  will  be  continued  from  one  to  another  with  much 
diligence,  the  same  in  this  as  in  the  other  matter  of  government,  for  the 
benefit  and  honour  and  service  of  God,  and  of  the  said  Majorat,  for  ever. 

Item.  I  direct  the  said  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  the  person  who  inherits 
the  said  Majorat,  to  keep  and  always  maintain  in  the  city  of  Genoa,  a  per¬ 
son  of  our  lineage  who  has  a  house  and  wife  there,  and  I  direct  that  he 
shall  have  an  income  so  that  he  may  be  able  to  live  honestly,  as  a  person 
so  near  to  our  lineage:  and  that  he  may  be  the  root  and  base  of  it  in  the 
said  city,  as  a  citizen  thereof,  so  that  he  may  have  aid  and  protection  from 
the  said  city  in  matters  of  his  own  necessity,  since  from  it  I  came,  and  in 
it  I  was  born. 

Item.  That  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  whoever  inherits  the  said  Majorat, 
shall  send  in  the  form  of  exchange  or  in  whatever  manner  he  is  able,  all 
the  moneys  which  he  saves  from  the  revenues  of  the  said  Majorat,  and 
shall  cause  to  be  purchased  from  them  in  his  name  and  that  of  his  heir, 
some  purchases  called  logros,  which  the  office  of  St.  George  has,  and  which 
now  yield  6  per  cent  and  are  very  sure  moneys,  and  this  shall  be  for  the 
purpose  which  I  shall  state  here. 

Item.  Because  it  becomes  every  man  of  rank  and  income  to  serve 
God,  and  for  the  benefit  of  his  honour  that  it  may  be  perceived  that  it  is  by 
himself  and  by  means  of  his  fortune,  and  as  any  money  whatever  yonder 
in  St.  George  is  very  .secure  and  Genoa  is  a  noble  and  powerful  city  by  the 
sea;  and  because  at  the  time  I  started  to  go  and  discover  the  Indies  it  was 
with  the  intention  of  supplicating  the  King  and  Queen,  our  Lords,  that 
the  revenue  which  their  Highnesses  might  have  from  the  Indies,  they 
should  determine  to  spend  in  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem;  and  in  this  man¬ 
ner  I  supplicated  it,  and  if  they  do  it,  it  will  be  a  good  design;  and  if  not, 
that  it  may  yet  be  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  the  person  who  inherits  in  this 
purpose  to  collect  the  said  money  in  order  to  go  with  the  King,  our  Lord, 
if  it  should  be  to  Jerusalem  to  reconquer  it;  or  to  go  alone  with  the  great¬ 
est  force  that  he  has,  that  it  will  please  our  Lord  if  he  has  and  shall  have 


653 


Appendix 

this  intention,  to  give  him  such  aid  that  he  will  be  able  to  do  it,  and  may- 
do  it;  and  if  he  shall  not  have  money  to  conquer  all,  that  he  will  give  him 
at  least  enough  for  a  part  of  it ;  therefore  let  him  collect  and  make  his  fund 
from  his  treasure  in  the  places  of  St.  George  in  Genoa,  and  let  it  there  mul¬ 
tiply  until  he  has  a  sufficient  quantity  so  that  it  may  appear  to  him  and 
he  may  know,  that  he  will  be  able  to  do  some  good  work  in  this  matter  of 
Jerusalem;  because  I  believe  that  after  the  King  and  Queen,  our  Lords, 
and  their  successors,  shall  see  that  he  is  determined  in  this,  their  High¬ 
nesses  will  be  moved  to  do  it  themselves,  and  will  give  him  aid  and  comfort, 
as  to  a  servant  and  vassal,  who  will  do  it  in  their  name. 

Item.  I  direct  Don  Diego,  and  all  those  who  descend  from  me,  espe¬ 
cially  to  the  person  who  inherits  this  Majorat,  which  consists  as  I  have 
said  of  the  tenth  of  all  that  shall  be  found  and  possessed  in  the  Indies, 
and  the  eighth  part  of  the  other  extreme  of  lands  and  revenue,  all  which 
with  the  perquisites  from  my  offices  of  Admiral  and  Viceroy  and  Governor, 
is  more  than  25  per  cent;  that  all  the  revenue  from  this  and  their  persons 
and  the  power  they  have,  shall  be  obliged  and  employed  in  sustaining  and 
serving  their  Highnesses  or  their  heirs,  well  and  faithfully,  as  far  as  to  lose 
and  spend  their  lives  and  fortunes  for  their  Highnesses;  because  their 
Highnesses,  after  God  our  Lord,  gave  me  the  beginning  to  have  and  to  be 
able  to  acquire  and  obtain  this  Majorat;  although  I  came  to  them  in  their 
realms,  to  persuade  them  to  this  undertaking  and  there  was  a  long  time 
that  they  did  not  give  me  support  to  put  it  in  operation;  although  this  is 
not  to  be  marvelled  at,  because  this  undertaking  was  unknown  to  all  the 
world  and  there  was  no  one  who  would  believe  it,  by  which  I  am  under 
very  great  obligation  to  them,  and  because  since  then  they  have  always 
granted  me  many  favours  and  much  increase. 

Item.  I  direct  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  whoever  possesses  the  said  Ma¬ 
jorat,  that  if  through  our  sins  any  schism  should  arise  in  the  Church  of 
God,  or  if  through  tyranny  any  person  of  whatever  rank  or  condition  he 
may  be  should  wish  to  dispossess  it  of  its  honour  and  property,  under 
the  aforesaid  penalty  he  shall  place  his  person  at  the  feet  of  the  Holy 
Father,  except  he  should  be  a  heretic  (which  God  forbid)  to  be  determined 
for  and  used  for  the  work  of  serving  him,  with  all  his  power  and  rev¬ 
enue  and  estate,  and  in  delivering  the  church  from  the  said  schism  and 
preventing  the  church  from  being  dispossessed  of  its  honour  and  property. 

Item.  I  direct  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  whoever  possesses  the  said 
Majorat,  that  he  shall  always  strive  and  labour  for  the  honour  and  good 
and  increase  of  the  city  of  Genoa,  and  shall  use  all  his  strength  and  prop¬ 
erty  in  defending  and  augmenting  the  benefit  and  honour  of  the  republic, 
not  going  in  opposition  to  the  service  of  the  church  of  God,  and  the  high 
estate  of  the  King  and  of  the  Queen,  our  Lords,  and  of  their  successors. 

Item.  That  the  said  Don  Diego,  or  the  person  who  inherits,  or  shall 
be  in  possession  of  the  said  Majorat,  from  the  fourth  part  of  which,  as  I 
have  said  above,  shall  be  distributed  the  tenth  of  all  the  rent,  when  Don 
Bartholomew  and  his  heirs  shall  have  saved  the  two  millions  or  part  of  it, 


654 


Christopher  Columbus 

and  when  some  of  the  tenth  is  to  be  distributed  to  our  kinsmen, — that  he 
and  the  said  two  persons  with  him,  who  shall  be  our  kinsmen,  must  dis¬ 
tribute  and  spend  this  tenth  in  the  marriage  of  girls  of  our  lineage  who 
may  require  it,  and  in  doing  as  much  good  as  they  are  able. 

Item.  That  at  the  time  which  is  found  suitable,  he  shall  order  a  church 
built  in  the  most  proper  place  in  the  island  of  Espahola,  which  shall  be 
entitled  Santa  Maria  de  la  Concepcion,  and  it  shall  have  a  hospital  upon 
the  best  possible  plan,  the  same  as  those  in  Castile  and  Italy;  and  he  shall 
order  a  chapel  to  be  erected  in  which  masses  for  my  soul  and  the  souls 
of  our  ancestors  and  successors  shall  be  said  with  much  devotion;  as  it 
pleases  our  Lord  to  give  us  a  sufficient  revenue  so  that  the  aforesaid  may  be 
fulfilled. 

Item.  I  direct  the  said  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  whoever  inherits  the 
said  Majorat,  to  labour  to  maintain  and  sustain  in  the  island  of  Espanola 
four  good  professors  of  the  Holy  Theology,  with  intention  and  idea  of 
their  labouring,  and  ordering  that  they  shall  labour,  to  convert  to  our 
Holy  Faith  all  those  people  of  the  Indies,  and  when  it  pleases  our  Lord 
that  the  revenue  of  the  said  Majorat  shall  increase,  that  the  professors  and 
devout  persons  shall  be  increased  in  the  same  manner,  and  shall  labour  to 
make  these  people  Christians:  and  for  this,  he  shall  have  no  regret  in 
spending  all  that  is  necessary;  and  in  commemoration  of  what  I  say,  and  of 
all  the  aforesaid,  he  shall  have  erected  in  the  most  public  place  in  the  said 
church  of  the  Conception,  a  monument — bulto — ,  in  order  to  continually 
remind  the  said  Don  Diego  of  what  I  say,  and  all  the  other  persons  who 
shall  see  it,  on  which  monument  shall  be  an  inscription  which  shall  say 
this. 

Item.  I  direct  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  whoever  inherits  the  said  Ma¬ 
jorat,  that  each  time  and  as  many  times  as  he  is  obliged  to  confess  he 
shall  first  show  this  compromise,  or  the  copy  of  it,  to  his  confessor,  and 
shall  entreat  him  to  read  everything,  that  he  may  have  reason  to  examine 
into  the  fulfilment  of  it;  and  it  may  be  the  cause  of  much  good  and  the 
repose  of  his  soul. 

Thursday,  February  22,  1498. 

.s. 

.S.  A  .S. 

X  M  Y 

el  Almirante. 

DOCUMENT  No.  3 

ROYAL  CONFIRMATION  OF  THE  MAJORAT  ESTABLISHED  BY 

COLUMBUS 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  three  Persons  in 
one  Godhead,  who  live  and  reign  for  ever  without  end,  and  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  Our  Glorious  Lady  Saint  Mary,  His  mother,  whom  we  have  for 
patroness  and  advocate  in  all  our  doings,  and  in  her  honour  and  service; 


Appendix  655 

and  in  the  name  of  the  blessed  Apostle  Saint  James,  light  and  hope  of  the 
Spains,  patron  and  guide  of  the  Kings  of  Castile  and  Leon  and  of  all  the 
other  Saints  of  the  Celestial  Court:  we  will  that  all  present  and  to  come 
may  know,  by  the  present  Letter  of  privilege  issued  by  us,  and  sealed  by  a 
public  notary,  that  we,  Don  Ferdinand  and  Donna  Isabella,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  King  and  Queen  of  Castile,  Leon,  Aragon,  Sicily,  Granada,  Toledo,  Va¬ 
lencia,  Gallicia,  Mallorca,  Seville,  Sardinia,  Cordova,  Corsica,  Murcia,  Jaen, 
the  Algarbes,  Algecira,  Gibraltar,  the  Canary  Islands,  Count  and  Countess 
of  Barcelona,  Lords  of  Biscay  and  of  Molina,  Dukes  of  Athens  and  of  Neo- 
patria.  Counts  of  Rousillon  and  of  Cerdania,  Marquises  of  Oristan  and  of 
Go^iano,  we  have  seen  a  writing  of  a  majorat  which  you  Christopher  Co¬ 
lumbus,  our  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea  and  our  Viceroy  and  Governor  of 
the  islands  and  continental  land  discovered  and  to  be  discovered  in  the 
Ocean-sea,  have  made  by  virtue  of  our  Letter  of  privilege  signed  by  our 
names  inserted  therein,  written  on  parchment,  and  signed  by  your  name: 
and  signed  by  the  public  notary,  running  in  this  wise:  In  the  noble  City 
of  Seville,  Thursday,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  the  month  of  February 
in  the  year  of  the  birth  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  one  thousand  four  hun¬ 
dred  and  ninety-eight,  being  in  the  houses  where  lodges  the  very  magnifi¬ 
cent  Lord,  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  High  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-sea, 
Viceroy  and  Governor  of  the  Indies  and  the  continental  land,  for  the  King 
and  the  Queen  our  Lords  and  his  Captain-General  of  the  ocean,  which 
[houses]  are  in  this  city  and  parish  of  Saint  Mary,  there  being  present  also 
the  said  Lord  Admiral,  and  in  the  presence  of  me,  Martin  Rodriguez,  public 
notary  of  the  said  city,  and  of  all  the  notaries  of  Seville,  who  all  were  pres¬ 
ent,  and  to  whom  the  said  Lord  Admiral  presented  before  us  the  said 
writings,  a  Letter  of  privilege  from  the  King  and  Queen  our  Lords  by  which 
he  might  establish  a  majorat,  written  on  parchment  and  signed  by  the 
Royal  names  and  sealed  on  the  back  with  their  seal  &c. 

[Here  follows  the  Majorat  as  we  have  already  given  it.] 

Wherefore  we  command  all,  and  such  is  our  will  and  pleasure,  that  the 
said  Don  Diego  Columbus  your  son,  may  enjoy  and  shall  enjoy  the  said 
majorat,  and  the  others  there  designated,  who  may  succeed  him,  with  all 
the  said  clauses,  and  all  the  dispositions,  ordinances,  and  all  the  other 
things  in  it  contained  and  specified :  and  we  rigidly  forbid  that  any  one  or 
any  persons  shall  dare  to  do  aught  contrary  to  the  said  Letter  of  privilege 
and  confirmation  we  have  made  thereof  in  the  manner  aforesaid,  or  against 
that  which  is  contained  therein,  or  against  any  part  thereof  at  any  time 
or  in  any  manner,  to  break  or  diminish  it;  for  if  any  one  or  any  persons 
do  this  or  act  contrary  to  it  or  to  any  part  thereof,  they  shall  incur  our 
anger,  and  they  shall  receive  the  said  penalty  contained  in  the  majorat, 
and  they  shall  pay  to  the  said  Don  Diego  Columbus  your  son  and  to  his 
successors,  the  whole  of  the  costs,  damages,  and  penalties  as  tlie  said  may 
happen:  Wherefore  we  command  the  Prince  Don  Juan  our  very  dear 
and  well-beloved  son,  the  Infantes,  Dukes,  Counts,  Marquises,  Grandees, 


656 


Christopher  Columbus 

Master  of  Orders,  Priors,  Commanders  and  Lieutenant  Commanders,  Alcal¬ 
des  of  castles  fortified  and  unfortified,  and  those  of  our  Council,  Judges  of 
our  Audiencia,  Alcaldes,  constables  and  other  judicial  officials,  whosoever 
may  be  of  our  house,  court,  and  chancery,  and  all  the  town  authorities, 
IMaj'ors,  Alcaldes,  Constables,  Royal  Directors  of  sheep-yards.  Aldermen, 
Knights,  Squires,  Officials  and  Gentlemen,  in  all  the  cities  and  towns  and 
villages  of  these  our  realms  and  dominions,  as  well  those  now  as  those  to 
come,  and  each  one  and  every  person  and  persons  thereof,  that  they  shall 
not  suffer  it  to  be  diminished,  but  defend  and  protect  this  said  grant  which 
we  have  made  aforesaid;  and  that  they  shall  take  from  the  property  of 
whatever  person  or  persons  shall  act  contrary  to  this  order,  as  a  penalty 
and  to  hold  the  same  until  our  pleasure  is  known,  that  they  may  indemnify 
and  make  good  to  the  said  Don  Diego  Columbus,  your  son,  and  to  those 
who  by  the  said  majorat  shall  succeed  him,  or  to  those  you  delegate,  all  of 
the  said  costs,  damages,  and  losses  incurred  and  to  be  incurred  as  aforesaid; 
and,  moreover,  if  any  person  or  persons  fail  in  this  we  order  the  man  to 
present  this  our  Letter  of  privilege  and  on  confirmation  thereof,  or  the 
transcript  thereof,  signed  by  a  public  notary,  that  he  summon  them  &cd 
Done  in  the  city  of  Granada  on  the  28th  day  of  the  month  of  Septem¬ 
ber  in  the  year  of  the  birth  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  one  thousand  five 
hundred  and  one.  I  the  King  =  I  the  Queen  =  I  Fernand  Alvarez  de 
Toledo,  secretary,  and  I  Gonzalo  de  Baeza,  accountant  to  the  King  and 
Queen  our  Lords,  registering  in  the  office  of  the  principal  notary  of  his 
privileges  and  their  confirmation,  we  have  caused  it  to  be  inscribed  by  his 
order = Fernand  Alvazes.  =  Gonzalo  de  Baeza.  =  Rodericus,  doctor.  =  An¬ 
tonins,  doctor.  =  Fernand  Alvarez.  =  For  the  Licentiate  Gutierrez.  =  Alonso 
Gutierrez,  Concertado. 


DOCUMENT  No.  4 

TESTAMENT  AND  CODICIL  OF  THE  ADMIRAL  DON  CHRISTO¬ 
PHER  COLUMBUS,  EXECUTED  IN  VALLADOLID, 

MAY  19,  1506 

legalised  document  in  the  archives  of  the  duke  op  veragua 

In  the  noble  city  of  Valladolid,  on  the  19th  day  of  the  month  of  May* 
in  the  year  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  1506, — before  me, 
Pedro  de  Hinojedo,  Clerk  of  the  Court  of  their  Highnesses  and  Notary 
Public  of  Province  in  their  Court  and  Chancery,  and  their  Clerk  and  Notary 
Public  in  all  their  Kingdoms  and  Seigniories;  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
witnesses  below  written:  The  Senor  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  Admiral 
and  Viceroy  and  Governor-General  of  the  islands  and  mainland  of  the 
Indies,  discovered  and  to  be  discovered,  which  he  said  that  he  was:  being 
infirm  in  body,  said,  that  whereas,  he  had  made  his  testament  before  a 

I  Navarrete  here  remarks  in  parentheses  citation  in  due  form.  However,  the 
Spanish  scholar  does  not  give  the  form  of  citation  or  summons. 


657 


Appendix 

Notary  Public,  that  now  he  rectified,  and  rectifies,  the  said  testament,  and 
approved  it  and  did  approve  it  as  good,  and  if  it  was  necessary  he  executed 
it  and  did  execute  it  anew;  and  now  in  addition  to  the  said  his  testament, 
he  had  written  a  document  with  his  hand'and  letter,  which  he  showed  and 
presented  before  me,  the  said  Notary  Public,  which  he  said  was  written 
with  his  hand  and  letter  and  signed  with  his  name:  that  he  executed  and 
did  execute  all  that  was  contained  in  the  said  document,  before  me,  the 
said  Notary  Public,  according  to,  and  in  the  manner  and  form  which  was 
contained  in  the  said  document,  and  all  the  bequests  contained  therein, 
that  they  may  be  fulfilled  and  be  valid  as  his  last  and  final  will.  And  to 
fulfil  the  said  his  testament,  which  he  had,  and  has  made  and  executed, 
and  all  contained  therein,  every  one  thing  and  part  of  it,  he  named  and 
did  name  for  the  Agents  and  Executors  of  his  will,  Senor  Don  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus,  his  son,  and  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  his  brother,  and  Juan  de 
Porras,  Treasurer  of  Vizcaya,  that  all  three  of  them  may  fulfil  his  testa¬ 
ment  and  all  contained  therein,  and  in  the  said  document,  and  all  the 
legacies  and  bequests  and  obsequies  in  it  contained.  For  which  purpose 
he  said  that  he  gave  and  did  give  to  all,  sufficient  authority,  and  that  he 
executed  and  did  execute  before  me,  the  said  Notary  Public,  everything 
contained  in  the  said  writing,  and  to  those  present  he  said  that  he  requested 
and  did  request  that  they  would  be  witnesses.  The  witnesses  who  were 
present,  named,  and  requested  for  everything  aforesaid, — the  Bachelor 
Andres  Miruena  and  Caspar  de  la  Misericordia,  citizens  of  this  said  city  of 
Valladolid,  and  Bartolome  de  Fresco  and  Alvaro  Perez,  and  Juan  Despinosa 
and  Andrea  and  F'ernando  de  Vargas,  and  Francisco  Manuel  and  Fernan 
Martinez,  servants  of  the  said  Senor  Admiral.  The  contents  of  which  said 
document,  which  was  written  with  the  letter  and  hand  of  the  said  Admiral, 
and  signed  with  his  name,  de  verbo  ad  verhum,  are  as  follows: 

When  I  went  from  Spain  in  the  year  1502,  I  made  an  order  and  Majorat 
of  my  property  and  of  what  then  appeared  to  me  to  fulfil  my  will  and 
the  service  of  Eternal  God,  and  my  honour,  and  the  honour  of  my  succes¬ 
sors:  which  document  I  left  in  the  monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  in  Seville, 
with  Father  Don  Caspar,  with  my  other  writings  and  privileges,  and  the 
letters  which  I  have  received  from  the  King  and  Queen,  our  Lords.  Which 
order  I  approve  and  confirm  by  this,  which  T  write  for  the  greater  fulfil¬ 
ment  and  declaration  of  my  intention.  Which  I  order  fulfilled  in  the  man¬ 
ner  here  declared  and  contained,  that  what  shall  be  discharged  by  this  may 
not  make  the  other  void,  because  it  may  not  be  twice  [written]. 

And  I  constituted  my  dear  son,  Don  Diego,  for  my  heir  of  all  my  prop¬ 
erty  and  the  offices  which  I  have  by  right  and  inheritance,  from  what 
I  created  in  the  Majorat,  and  he  not  having  a  male  heir,  my  son  Don 
Ferdinand  shall  inherit  in  the  same  manner,  and  he  not  having  a  male 
heir,  that  Don  Bartholomew,  my  brother,  shall  inherit  in  the  same  man¬ 
ner,  and  in  the  same  manner  if  he  shall  not  have  a  male  heir,  that  my  other 
brother  shall  inherit ;  which  is  to  be  understood  thus,  the  nearest  kinsman 
of  my  lineage  from  one  to  the  other  for  ever.  And  no  woman  shall  inherit, 

VOL.  111.— 42. 


658  Christopher  Columbus 

excepting  no  man  can  be  found,  and  if  this  should  happen,  it  shall  be  the 
woman  who  is  nearest  of  my  lineage. 

And  I  direct  the  said  Don  Diego,  my  son,  not  to  think  or  presume  to 
change  the  said  Majorat,  except  to  increase  and  add  to  it;  that  is  to 
say,  that  the  income  which  he  receives,  with  his  person  and  estate,  shall 
serve  the  King  and  Queen,  our  Lords,  and  the  increase  of  the  Christian 
religion. 

The  King  and  Queen,  our  Lords,  when  I  served  them  in  the  Indies:  I 
say  served,  because  it  appears  that  I,  by  the  will  of  God,  our  Lord,  gave 
the  Indies  to  them,  as  something  which  was  mine:  I  can  say  it,  because  I 
importuned  their  Highnesses  for  them,  the  way  thereto  being  hidden  and 
unknown  to  all  who  spoke  of  them,  and  in  order  to  go  and  discover  them, 
besides  contributing  the  information  and  my  person,  their  Highnesses  did 
not  spend  or  wish  to  spend  for  it,  more  than  a  million  maravedis,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  me  to  spend  the  rest:  thus  it  pleased  their  Highnesses  that 
I  should  have  for  my  part  of  the  said  Indies,  Islands  and  mainland,  which 
are  situated  west  of  a  line  which  they  ordered  drawn  from  pole  to  pole  One 
Hundred  leagues  upon  the  Azores  and  Cape  Verde  islands — that  I  should 
have  for  my  part  the  third  and  the  eighth  of  all,  and  also  the  tenth  of  what 
is  in  them,  as  will  be  shown  more  fully  by  the  said  my  privileges  and  letters 
of  grace. 

Because  until  the  present  time  no  revenue  has  been  received  from  the 
said  Indies,  and  as,  of  it,  I  can  divide  what  I  shall  designate  below,  and  it 
is  hoped  in  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  that  a  very  great  revenue  may  be  re¬ 
ceived,  my  intention  would  be  and  is,  that  Don  Ferdinand,  my  son,  shall 
have  a  million  and  a  half  from  it  each  year,  and  Don  Bartholomew,  my 
brother.  One  Hundred  and  Fifty  thousand  maravedis,  and  Don  Diego,  my 
brother,  One  Hundred  thousand  maravedis,  because  he  is  in  the  Church. 
More  than  this  I  cannot  say  definitely,  because  until  the  present  time,  I 
have  not  received,  neither  is  there  a  known  revenue,  as  aforesaid. 

I  say  to  more  fully  explain  the  aforesaid,  that  my  will  is  that  the  said 
Don  Diego,  my  son,  may  have  the  said  Majorat,  with  all  my  property 
and  offices,  in  the  manner  which  has  been  expressed  and  as  I  have  them. 
And  I  say  that  from  the  whole  of  the  revenue  which  he  shall  have  by  reason 
of  the  said  inheritance,  he  shall  make  ten  parts  each  year,  and  one  of  these 
parts  he  shall  divide  among  those  of  our  kin  who  appear  to  be  the  most 
needy,  and  among  poor  people  and  in  other  pious  works.  And  afterwards, 
he  shall  take  two  of  these  nine  parts  and  divide  them  into  thirty-five  parts, 
and  of  the  thirty-five  parts  Don  Ferdinand,  my  son,  shall  have  twenty- 
seven,  and  Don  Bartholomew  five,  and  Don  Diego,  my  brother  three. 
And  because  as  aforesaid,  my  desire  would  be  that  Don  Ferdinand  my  son 
should  have  a  million  and  a  half,  and  Don  Bartholomew  One  Hundred  and 
Fifty  thousand  maravedis,  and  Don  Diego  One  Hundred  thousand;  and  I 
do  not  know  how  this  will  come  about,  because  until  the  present  time  the 
said  revenue  of  the  said  Majorat  is  not  known  nor  can  it  be  computed; 
I  say  that  this  order  above  expressed  shall  be  followed,  until  it  shall  please 


Appendix  659 

our  Lord  that  the  said  two  parts  of  the  said  nine  shall  be  enough  and 
shall  increase  to  such  an  amount  as  to  provide  the  said  million  and  a  half 
for  Don  Ferdinand,  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty  thousand  for  Don  Bar¬ 
tholomew,  and  the  One  Hundred  thousand  for  Don  Diego. 

And  when  it  shall  please  God  that  this  shall  be,  or  if  the  said  two  parts 
to  be  understood  from  the  nine  aforesaid,  shall  amount  to  the  sum  of  One 
million  Seven  Hundred  and  Fifty  Thousand  maravedis,  then  Don  Diego, 
or  whoever  inherits,  shall  have  all  the  surplus.  And  I  say  to,  and  request 
the  said  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  whoever  inherits,  that  if  the  revenue  from 
this  said  Majorat  increases  so  much,  that  he  will  please  me  by  giving  the 
part  here  designated  to  Don  Ferdinand  and  my  brothers. 

I  say  that  I  create  a  Majorat  for  Don  Ferdinand  of  this  part  which 
I  direct  to  be  given  to  him,  and  that  his  oldest  son  shall  succeed  therein, 
and  thus  from  one  to  another  perpetually,  without  having  power  to  sell, 
or  exchange,  or  give  or  transfer  it  in  any  manner,  and  it  shall  be  in  the 
manner  and  form  expressed  in  the  other  Majorat,  which  I  have  created  for 
Don  Diego,  my  son. 

I  say  to  Don  Diego,  my  son,  and  direct,  that  when  he  receives  sufficient 
revenue  from  the  said  Majorat  and  inheritance,  that  he  shall  maintain 
three  Chaplains  in  a  chapel  which  he  shall  have  builded,  who  shall  say 
three  masses  each  day,  one  to  the  honour  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  another  to 
the  Conception  of  our  Lady,  and  the  other  for  the  souls  of  all  the  faithful 
dead,  and  for  my  soul  and  the  souls  of  my  father  and  mother  and  wife. 
And  if  his  fortune  is  sufficient  he  may  make  the  said  chapel  honourable, 
and  increase  the  orisons  and  prayers  for  the  Honour  of  the  Holy  Trinity, 
and  if  this  can  be  in  the  island  of  Espanola,  which  God  gave  me  miracu¬ 
lously,  I  would  be  glad  that  it  might  be  yonder,  where  I  invoked  it,  which 
is  in  the  Vega  that  is  called  La  Concepcion. 

And  I  say  to,  and  direct  Don  Diego,  my  son,  or  whomever  inherits,  to 
pay  all  the  debts  which  I  leave  here  in  a  memorandum  in  the  manner  ex¬ 
pressed  therein,  and  furthermore  the  other  debts  which  it  shall  justly 
appear  that  I  owe.  And  I  direct  him  to  make  provision  for  Beatriz  En¬ 
riquez,  mother  of  Don  Fernando,  my  son,  so  that  she  may  be  able  to  live 
honestly,  being  a  person  to  whom  I  am  under  very  great  obligation.  And 
this  shall  be  done  for  the  satisfaction  of  my  conscience,  because  this  matter 
weighs  heavily  upon  my  soul.  The  reason  for  which,  it  is  not  fitting  to 
write  here. 

Done  the  25th  of  August,  1505. 

[Signed:]  Christo  Ferens. 

The  witnesses  who  were  present  and  saw  the  Senor  Admiral  make  and 
execute  all  the  aforesaid,  as  written  above:  the  said  Bachelor  de  Miruena, 
Gaspar  de  la  Misericordia,  citizens  of  the  said  city  of  Valladolid,  and  Bar- 
tholom{5  de  Fresco  and  Alvaro  Perez,  and  Juan  Despinosa  and  Andrea  and 
Fernando  de  Vargas  and  Francisco  Manuel  and  Fernan  Martinez,  servants 
of  the  said  Senor  Admiral.  And  I,  the  said  Pedro  de  Hinojedo,  the  afore- 


66o 


Christopher  Columbus 

said  clerk  and  Notary  Public,  together  with  the  said  witnesses,  witnessed 
the  aforesaid.  And  1,  therefore,  affix  this,  my  signature,  here,  to  that  effect. 
In  testimony  of  the  truth.  Pedro  de  Hinojedo,  Clerk. 

In  continuation  of  the  codicil  in  the  hand  of  the  Admiral,  there  was  a 
memorandum  or  annotation,  also  in  his  hand,  to  the  following  effect : 

Citation  of  certain  persons,  to  whom  I  wish  given  from  my  property 
what  is  contained  in  this  memorandum,  without  anything  being  required 
from  them.  Have  it  given  in  such  manner  that  they  may  not  know  who 
orders  it  to  be  given  to  them. 

In  the  first  place,  to  the  heirs  of  Geronimo  del  Puerto,  father  of  Benito 
del  Puerto,  Chancellor  in  Genoa,  twenty  ducats,  or  its  value. 

To  Antonio  Vazo,  Genoese  shopkeeper,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  living 
in  Lisbon,  Two  thousand  Five  Hundred  reals  of  Portugal,  which  are  a  little 
more  than  seven  ducats,  there  being  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  reals 
to  the  ducat. 

To  a  Jew,  who  dwelt  at  the  gate  of  the  Jewry  in  Lisbon,  or  whom  a 
Priest  shall  designate,  the  value  of  half  a  silver  mark. 

To  the  heirs  of  Luis  Centurion  Escoto,  Genoese  shopkeeper,  thirty 
thousand  reals  of  Portugal,  of  those  which  are  worth  385  reals  to  the  ducat, 
which  equals  seventy-five  ducats,  a  little  more  or  less. 

To  these  same  heirs  and  to  the  heirs  of  Paulo  de  Negro,  Genoese,  one 
hundred  ducats  or  their  value;  half  to  go  to  the  heirs  of  one,  and  half  to 
the  heirs  of  the  other. 

To  Baptista  Espmdola,  or  to  his  heirs,  if  he  is  dead,  twenty  ducats. 
This  Baptista  Espmdola  is  the  son-in-law  of  the  said  Luis  Centurion  and 
was  the  son  of  Mr.  Nicolao  Espmdola  of  Locoli  de  Ronco,  and  apparently 
was  living  in  Lisbon  in  the  year  1482. 

Which  said  memorandum  and  charge  aforesaid,  I,  the  Clerk,  testify  was 
written  in  the  said  Admiral’s  own  handwriting,  in  testimony  to  which,  I 
subscribed  my  name  thereto.  Pedro  de  Azcoytia. 

DOCUMENT  No.  5 

EXPLANATORY  MATTER  RELATING  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  PRO¬ 
PHECIES  COMPOSED  BY  COLUMBUS 

Most  Christian  and  very  exalted  Princes,  the  reason  which  I  have  for 
the  restitution  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  to  the  Holy  Church  militant,  is  the 
following : 

Most  exalted  Sovereigns;  At  a  very  early  age  I  entered  upon  the  sea 
navigating,  and  I  have  continued  doing  so  until  to-day.  The  calling  in 
itself  inclines  whoever  follows  it  to  desire  to  know  the  secrets  of  this  world. 
Forty  years  are  already  passing  which  I  have  employed  in  this  manner:  I 
have  traversed  every  region  which  up  to  the  present  time  is  navigated.  I 
have  held  intercourse  and  conversation  with  learned  men,  ecclesiastical 
and  secular,  Latins  and  Greeks,  Jews  and  Moors,  and  with  many  others  of 


Appendix  661 

other  sects.  The  Lord  was  very  propitious  to  this,  my  desire,  and  for  it 
I  was  endowed  by  Him  with  an  intelligent  spirit ;  He  made  me  very  skilful 
in  seamanship.  He  gave  me  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  astrology  and  also  of 
geometry  and  arithmetic,  and  He  gave  me  an  ingenious  mind  and  hands 
skilful  in  designing  the  sphere,  and  upon  it  the  cities,  rivers  and  moun¬ 
tains,  islands  and  harbours,  all  in  their  proper  situation. 

During  this  time  1  have  seen,  and  in  seeing,  have  studied  all  writings, 
cosmography,  histories,  chronicles,  and  philosophy  and  those  relating  to 
other  arts,  by  means  of  which  our  Lord  made  me  understand  with  a  pal¬ 
pable  hand,  that  it  was  practicable  to  navigate  from  here  to  the  Indies  and 
inspired  me  with  the  will  for  the  execution  of  this  navigation.  And  with 
this  fire,  I  came  to  your  Highnesses.  All  those  who  learned  of  my  enter¬ 
prise  denied  it  laughing  and  ridiculing  it.  Of  all  the  sciences  of  which  I 
have  spoken  above,  none  approved  me,  nor  their  authorities.  In  your  High¬ 
nesses  alone,  faith  and  constancy  remained.  Who  doubts  that  this  light 
was  from  the  Holy  Spirit — as  well  as  from  myself — which  with  rays  of 
marvellous  clearness  cheered  you,  most  exalted  and  enlightened,  with  its 
Holy  and  Sacred  Writing,  with  forty-four  books  of  the  Old  Testament  and 
four  Evangels,  with  twenty-three  Epistles  of  those  blessed  Apostles,  en¬ 
couraging  me  to  persevere,  and  continually  without  ceasing  a  moment, 
that  they  did  encourage  me  to  press  forward? 

Our  Lord  very  evidently  wished  to  work  a  miracle  in  this  voyage  to  the 
Indies,  to  console  me  and  others  in  this  other  matter  of  the  Holy  Sepul¬ 
chre.  I  spent  seven  years  here  in  your  Royal  Court,  disputing  the  matter 
with  many  persons  of  much  authority  and  learned  in  all  the  arts:  and  fin¬ 
ally  they  concluded  that  it  was  all  a  vain  error,  and  with  this  conclusion 
they  dismissed  it.  Then,  it  came  about  as  told  by  Jesus  Christ,  our  Re¬ 
deemer,  and  as  had  been  previously  foretold  by  the  mouths  of  His  Holy 
Prophets,  and  so  it  must  be  believed  that  this  other  matter  will  come  to 
pass.  And  in  testimony  of  it,  if  the  aforesaid  is  not  enough,  I  bring  the 
Sacred  Evangel,  in  which  He  said  that  all  would  pass  away,  but  not  His 
marvellous  Word,  and  in  this  Evangel  He  said  that  all  necessary  things 
which  must  be  fulfilled,  were  written  by  Him  and  by  the  Prophets. 

I  said  that  I  would  give  the  reason  which  I  have  for  the  restitution  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  to  the  Holy  Church.  I  say  that  I  forsook  all  my 
navigation  from  an  early  age,  and  the  discussions  which  I  have  had  with 
so  many  people  of  so  many  sects  in  so  many  lands,  and  I  forsook  the  many 
arts  and  writings  of  which  I  have  spoken  above.  I  hold  only  to  the  Holy 
and  Sacred  Writing,  and  to  some  prophetic  authorities  of  some  holy  per¬ 
sons,  who,  through  divine  revelation,  have  told  something  of  this.  It 
might  be  that  your  Highnesses  and  all  the  others  who  may  know  me,  and 
to  whom  this  writing  might  be  shown,  either  in  secret  or  publicly  would 
reprove  me  in  divers  manners,  saying  that  I  am  not  learned  in  letters  and 
calling  me  a  crazy  sailor,  a  worldly  man,  etc.  I  answer  in  the  words  of 
St.  Matthew,  “O  Lord,  who  wouldst  keep  secret  so  many  things  from  the 
wise,  and  revealest  them  to  the  innocents.”  And  St.  Matthew  says  that 


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Christopher  Columbus 

when  onr  Lord  entered  Jerusalem,  the  children  sang, — Hosannah,  Son  of 
David.  The  scribes  in  order  to  try  Him,  asked  Him  if  He  heard  what  they 
said:  and  He  replied  to  them, — "Yes,”  saying: — "Dost  thou  not  know 
that  from  the  mouths  of  babes  and  innocents  the  truth  is  pronounced?” 
Or  more  at  length,  by  the  Apostles,  who  said  such  well-founded  things, 
especially  St.  John:  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word  and  the  Word  was 
God,  &c. — words  so  exalted  from  persons  who  never  were  learned  in  letters. 

I  say  that  the  Holy  Spirit  works  in  Christians,  Jews,  Moors,  and  in  all 
others  of  all  sects,  and  not  only  in  the  wise  but  in  the  ignorant :  for  in  my 
time  I  have  seen  a  villager  who  gave  a  better  account  of  the  heaven  and 
the  stars  and  their  courses  than  others  who  expended  money  in  learning 
of  them.  And  I  say  that  not  only  does  the  Holy  Spirit  reveal  the  things 
of  the  future  to  rational  creatures,  but  shows  them  to  them  by  the  signs  of 
the  heavens,  by  the  air,  by  the  beasts,  when  it  pleases  Him,  as  it  was  with 
the  ox  which  spoke  in  Rome  in  the  time  of  Julius  Csesar,  and  in  many  other 
manners,  but  very  well-known  to  all  the  world,  which  it  would  be  prolix 
to  relate. 

The  Sacred  Writing  testifies  in  the  Old  Testament  by  the  mouth  of  the 
Prophets  and  in  the  New  Testament  by  our  Redeemer,  Jesus  Christ,  that 
this  world  is  to  come  to  an  end.  The  signs  of  the  time  when  this  is  to  take 
place,  St.  Matthew  tells  and  St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke:  the  Prophets  also  have 
abundantly  predicted  it. 

St.  Augustine  says  that  the  end  of  this  world  is  to  come  in  the  seventh 
millenary  of  years  from  its  creation.  The  sacred  Theologians  follow  him, 
especially  the  Cardinal  Pietro  d’Aliaco  in  Word  XI  and  in  other  places,  as  I 
will  tell  below.  From  the  creation  of  the  world,  or  from  Adam  until  the 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  there  are  5343  years  and  318  days,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  account  of  the  King  Don  Alonso  which  is  considered  the  most 
certain.  Pietro  d’Aliaco,  Elucidario  Astronomice  Concordie  cum  Theologica 
&  Hystorica  Veritate  in  Word  X,  adding  to  this  1501  incomplete  years, 
makes  in  all  6845,  incomplete  years.  According  to  this  account,  there  are 
only  lacking  155  years  to  complete  the  7000,  in  which  year  I  said  above, 
according  to  the  said  authorities,  the  world  must  end. 

Our  Redeemer  said  that  before  the  consummation  of  the  world,  all 
that  was  written  by  the  Prophets  will  be  fulfilled. 

The  Prophets,  writing,  spoke  in  divers  manners.  One  of  the  future  by 
the  past,  and  the  past  by  the  future,  and  likewise  of  the  present,  and  they 
said  many  things  by  comparison,  others  near  to  the  truth,  and  others  quite 
literally:  and  one,  more  than  another,  and  one  in  a  better  manner,  and 
another  not  as  much.  Isaiah  is  the  one  whom  St.  Jerome  and  St.  Augus¬ 
tine  praise  most  highly,  and  all  the  other  learned  men  approve  him  and 
hold  him  in  great  reverence.  Of  Isaiah  they  say  that  he  was  not  only  a 
Prophet  but  an  Evangelist.  He  concentrated  all  his  efforts  in  writing  of 
the  future  and  calling  all  people  to  our  holy  Catholic  faith.  Many  holy  and 
learned  men  and  sacred  theologians  wrote  in  regard  to  the  prophecies  and 
the  other  books  of  the  Sacred  Writing.  They  enlightened  us  greatly  in 


663 


Appendix 

regard  to  that  of  which  we  were  ignorant,  although  they  disagree  in  regard 
to  many  things.  There  were  some  whose  intelligence  was  not  great. 

I  repeat  again  my  protestation  as  to  being  called  presumptuous  and 
without  science,  and  I  continually  allege  the  saying  of  St.  Matthew,  who 
said,  “O  Lord,  who  wouldst  keep  secret  so  many  things  from  the  wise,  and 
revealest  them  to  the  innocents.”  And  by  this  1  answer,  and  by  the  proof 
of  it  which  has  been  seen. 

The  greatest  part  of  the  prophecies  and  Sacred  Writing  is  already 
finished.  They  say  so  and  the  Holy  Church  with  a  loud  voice  is  saying  it 
unceasingly  and  other  testimony  is  not  necessary.  I  will  speak  of  one, 
because  it  relates  to  my  case  and  it  gives  me  rest  and  makes  me  content 
whenever  I  think  of  it. 

I  am  a  very  grave  sinner.  The  pity  and  mercy  of  our  Lord  have  com¬ 
pletely  covered  me  always  when  I  have  called  for  themi.  I  have  found  a 
very  sweet  consolation  in  concentrating  all  my  faculties  upon  the  contem¬ 
plation  of  His  marvellous  aspect. 

I  have  already  said  that  neither  reason  nor  mathematics  nor  maps  of 
the  world  approved  me  in  the  execution  of  the  affair  of  the  Indies.  Com¬ 
pletely  fulfilled  were  the  sayings  of  Isaiah  and  this  is  what  I  desire  to  write 
here  to  fix  it  in  the  memories  of  your  Highnesses,  and  that  you  may  be 
rejoiced  in  regard  to  the  other  undertaking,  as  I  shall  say  it  about  Jeru¬ 
salem  by  the  same  authorities:  in  regard  to  which  undertaking,  if  you 
have  faith,  you  are  very  sure  of  victory. 

Your  Highnesses  must  remember  the  Evangels  and  the  many  promises 
which  our  Redeemer  ma'de  us,  and  how  much  everything  is  expressed.  St. 
Peter,  when  he  sprang  into  the  sea,  walked  upon  it,  so  firm  was  his  faith. 
Whoever  has  so  much  faith  as  a  grain  of  seed,  the  mountains  will  obey  him. 
Let  whoever  has  faith  ask  and  all  will  be  given  to  him.  Knock  and  they 
must  open  to  us.  No  one  should  fear  to  undertake  any  enterprise  in  the 
name  of  our  Saviour,  it  being  just  and  done  with  a  good  intention  for  His 
sacred  service.  He  succoured  St.  Catharine  after  He  saw  her  proved. 
Let  your  Highnesses  remember  that  with  little  money  you  undertook  the 
enterprise  of  this  Kingdom  of  Granada. 

Our  Lord  has  left  the  determination  of  everything  to  each  one  in  his 
own  free-will,  although  He  admonishes  many.  He  needs  nothing  which 
may  be  in  the  power  of  the  people  to  give  to  Him.  Oh,  what  a  Lord,  so  full 
of  goodness,  who  desires  that  people  shall  act,  then  takes  it  upon  Himself! 
By  day  and  by  night  and  at  all  moments  the  people  should  give  Him  the 
most  devout  thanks. 

I  said  above  that  much  remained  to  fulfil  the  prophecies  and  I  say  that 
there  are  great  things  in  the  world.  And  I  say  that  the  sign  is  that  our 
Lord  hastens  the  fulfilment.  The  preaching  of  the  Evangel  in  so  many 
lands  within  so  short  a  time  now  tells  this  to  me. 

The  Abbe  Joachim,  the  Calabrian,  said  that  he  who  should  rebuild  the 
Sepulchre  of  Mt.  Zion  should  come  from  Spain. 

The  Cardinal  Pietro  d’Aliaco  wrote  at  length  of  the  end  of  the  sect  of 


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Christopher  Columbus 

IMahomet  and  of  the  coming  of  the  Anti-Christ,  in  a  treatise  which  he 
called  De  Co)icordia  Asiroiiomie,  Veritatis  &  Narrationis  Historice,  in  which 
he  recites  the  sayings  of  many  astronomers  in  regard  to  the  ten  revolutions 
of  Saturn,  and  especially  at  the  end  of  the  said  book  in  the  nine  last  chapters. 

DOCUMENT  No.  6 

WILL  OF  DIEGO  COLUMBUS,  SON  OF  CHRISTOPHER 
Las  Cuevas,  March  16,  1509 

In  the  name  of  God  Amen. — Know  all  persons  who  shall  see  this  testa¬ 
ment,  that  I,  Don  Diego  Columbus,  High  Admiral  and  perpetual  Viceroy 
and  Governor  of  the  islands  of  the  Indies  and  of  the  mainland  of  Asia,  dis¬ 
covered  and  to  be  discovered,  and  Captain-general  of  the  Ocean-sea,  son  of 
Don  Christopher  Cohtmbus,  first  High  Admiral  and  Viceroy,  and  of  Dona 
Philippa  Mohiz,  his  wife,  deceased, — may  God  keep  them;  being  in  the 
Monastery  of  Santa  Maria  de  las  Crievas  of  the  Carthusian  Order,  which  is 
outside  and  near  the  most  noble  and  loyal  city  of  Seville;  and  being  of  sound 
mind  and  body  .  .  .  declare  and  make  known  that  I  designate  and 

appoint  this  to  be  my  last  will  and  testament,  and  the  legacies  and  other 
matters  which  in  it  shall  be  contained,  and  that  I  do  this  absolutely  and 
entirely  for  the  salvation  of  my  soul  and  to  maintain  peace  among  my 
heirs;  and  these  are  the  legacies  which  I  bequeath. 

Clause  I:  First  I  commend  my  soul  to  God,  my  Lord. 

Clause  II:  Item.  I  direct  when  death  shall  befall  me,  that  my  body  be 
honourably  deposited  or  interred  wherever  the  body  of  the  Admiral  my 
lord  and  father — may  he  rest  in  glory — is  deposited  or  interred,  with  its 
twelve  tapers;  and  if  God  shall  dispose  of  me  in  the  Indies  that  it  be  de¬ 
posited  in  San  Francisco  of  the  city  of  San  Domingo;  and  while  my  body 
may  be  deposited  there  or  elsewhere  that  there  be  given  by  my  executors 
or  heirs  to  the  fathers  of  such  Church  or  Monastery,  fifteen  thousand  mara- 
vedis  each  year  that  they  may  pray  for  my  soul  and  for  the  soul  of  my 
father,  and  to  whom  we  are  under  obligations. 

Clause  III:  Item.  I  direct  that  a  thousand  requiem  masses  shall  im¬ 
mediately  be  said  for  my  soul,  and  for  the  souls  of  my  father  and  mother 
and  ancestors,  distributed  in  this  manner;  that  one  hundred  be  said  in  Las 
Cuevas  of  Seville,  and  one  hundred  in  El  Antigua  and  another  one  hundred 
in  Guadaloupe,  and  one  hundred  in  San  Francisco  of  Seville  and  the  other 
six  hundred  distributed  to  La  Senora  de  los  Remedios  and  among  the  Mon¬ 
asteries  of  the  said  city.  And  if  God  shall  dispose  of  me  in  the  Indies,  I 
direct  that  of  the  total  number  of  masses  here  stated  and  the  thirty  tri- 
cenarios  which  I  shall  name  after  this  clause,  three  hundred  masses  and  ten 
tricenarios  shall  be  said  in  the  aforesaid  city  of  San  Domingo,  all  distributed 
among  San  Francisco  and  other  churches  of  the  said  city. 

Clause  IV:  Item.  I  direct  that  thirty  tricenarios,  equally  divided,  be 


Appendix  665 

said  in  the  above  named  monasteries  and  chapel  of  La  Antigua,  or  twenty, 
if,  as  stated,  my  death  shall  occur  in  the  Indies. 

Clause  V :  Item.  I  direct  that  in  order  to  obtain  indulgences  and  par¬ 
dons,  there  be  immediately  given  to  the  hospital  of  the  same  [La  Antigua] 
one  ducat,  and  another  ducat  to  the  hospital  of  Las  Cuevas,  another  ducat 
to  Cruzada  de  la  Merced,  and  that  the  amount  of  forty  ducats  be  divided 
by  my  executors  among  other  hospitals  and  buildings,  and  in  pious  works, 
where  they  shall  have  pardons  and  indulgences,  such  as  San  Lazaro,  etc., 
as  shall  appear  best  to  them. 

Clause  VI:  Item.  I  direct  that  from  my  estate,  eight  orphans  (girls) 
shall  be  married  with  a  dowry  of  twenty-five  thousand  maravedis  each, 
and  these  orphans  shall  be  such  as  my  executors  appoint  and  choose,  who 
shall  be  poor  and  possess  no  dowry  with  which  to  marry. 

Clause  VII :  Item.  I  direct  that  mourning  shall  not  be  worn  for  my 
death,  neither  shall  honours  be  paid  me,  or  other  foolish  expenses  without 
benefit  or  necessity  be  incurred;  because  it  is  my  will  and  command  that 
all  which  would  be  expended  in  such  human  honours,  be  distributed  in 
works  of  mercy,  such  as  clothing  the  poor,  feeding  the  hungry,  and  liber¬ 
ating  the  imprisoned,  for  which  purpose  I  assign  and  direct  and  order 
that  fifty  thousand  maravedis  be  immediately  distributed. 

Clause  VIII:  Item.  I  order  that  Luis  Fernandez  de  Soria,  Canon  of 
the  High  Church  of  Seville,  and  father  Don  Friar  Caspar  Gorricio,  and  Don 
Bartholomew  Columbus,  Adelantado  of  the  Indies,  my  uncle,  and  Don  Diego 
Columbus,  my  uncle,  shall  fulfil  all  which  shall  not  have  been  fulfilled  of 
the  will  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  father — may  he  rest  in  glory — ;  all 
together  if  they  shall  be  able  and  willing  to  act  together:  but  if  any  one 
shall  withdraw  because  of  not  wishing  or  not  being  able  to  act  conveniently, 
I  order  that  all  that  the  others  shall  do,  shall  be  valid  and  shall  be  equiva¬ 
lent  to  the  same  as  though  all  were  together:  and  it  is  my  will  and  I  au¬ 
thorise  any  one  of  these,  my  executors,  whom  I  appoint  for  that  purpose, 
to  substitute  another  person  such  as  he  shall  desire  in  case  he  is  not  able 
to  attend  to  the  matter  himself. 

Clause  IX'  Item.  Inasmuch  as  the  last  will  of  the  first  Admiral,  my 
lord  and  father,  and  mine,  was  and  is  that  of  all  the  revenue  from  the 
Admiralship  of  the  Indies  the  tenth  may  be  given  to  God,  as  contained  in 
His  testament  and  as  I  here  declare,  I  order  that  the  aforesaid  father  Don 
Friar  Gaspar  Gorricio,  or  whoever  he  shall  order  and  appoint  to  act  for  the 
purpose,  shall  have  power  and  commissions  to  collect  and  dispense  the  said 
tenth,  as  would  appear  by  a  letter  and  document  signed  with  my  name 
and  as  signed  here,  for  all  of  which,  by  virtue  of  this  I  give  him  my  full 
authority  as  I  hold  and  possess  ik,  provided  the  said  letter  and  document 
should  not  appear;  and  I  set  it  all  aside  for  any  purpose  to  which  he  or 
another  person  for  him  shall  devote  it,  as  if  I  myself  collected  and  dis¬ 
pensed  it. 

Clause  X:  Item.  And  I  direct  that  from  the  said  alms  of  the  said  tenth, 
there  be  given  by  the  said  father  Don  Friar  Gaspar,  or  by  whoever  has 


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Christopher  Columbus 

such  matter  in  charge,  for  the  needs  of  the  Countess  of  Benanico,  my  aunt, 
besides  one  hundred  ducats  which  she  has  received,  all  that  shall  be  re¬ 
quired  for  the  fulfilment  of  what  I  ordered  given  her  by  my  cedula;  and 
this  remainder  shall  be  paid  in  parts  or  together,  at  the  will  and  conven¬ 
ience  of  the  said  father  Don  Friar  Gaspar. 

Clause  XI:  Item.  I  direct  that  until  such  time  as  I  or  my  executors 
or  heirs  have  the  disposition  and  power  to  do  what  relates  to  the  perpetual 
sepulchre  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  father — may  God  keep  him — that 
from  the  said  alms  of  the  tenth  there  be  given  to  the  fathers  of  the  Monas¬ 
tery  of  Las  Cuevas  of  Seville,  ivhcre  1  ordered  the  said  body  deposited  in  the 
year  1509,  ten  thousand  maravedis  each  year,  while  it  is  deposited  there, 
that  they  may  pray  for  his  soul,  and  to  whom  he  is  under  obligations. 

Clause  XII:  Item.  I  direct  my  executors  and  heirs  to  at  once  order  a 
silver  lamp  made,  chargeable  to  my  estate,  to  weigh  four  marks,  for  our  Lady 
of  Monsenate,  and  that  it  shall  be  offered  to  her  as  alms,  because  of  the  great 
devotion  and  invocation  which  I  have  always  had  and  have  for  this  Lady. 

Clause  XIII:  Item.  I  direct  the  aforesaid  Don  Gaspar  Gorricio  to 
immediately  take  two  hundred  ducats  from  my  estate  to  pay  certain  debts, 
of  which  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  left  an  account;  and  to  pay  each  one  as 
contained  therein,  so  that  his  soul  and  mine  may  be  without  burden  and 
the  creditors  satisfied;  but  if  the  creditors  shall  not  be  found,  he  may  dis¬ 
pose  of  the  money  as  required  by  right  and  in  good  conscience. 

Clause  XIV :  Item.  I  direct  that  all  the  servants  of  the  Admiral,  my 
father,  and  mine,  who  shall  be  found  not  to  have  been  paid  their  full  wages, 
and  salaries  and  pensions,  or  part  of  them,  shall  be  immediately  satisfied 
and  paid  what  shall  be  owing  to  them. 

Claiise  XV :  Item.  And  inasmuch  as  Diego  Mendez  must  give  account  of 
a  chain  of  gold  which  weighs  and  is  worth  twenty-three  thousand  maravedis, 
a  little  more  or  less;  and  further  of  a  large  pearl  and  of  a  ruby  and  of  a 
diamond  and  of  an  emerald,  set  in  gold,  which  cost  seventy-five  ducats, 
and  besides,  of  eight  ducats  which  I  gave  him :  and  of  another  ten  ducats 
which  Agustin  de  Vivaldo  left  him  in  my  name  in  Toledo.  I  direct  that  in 
giving  account  of  all  this,  there  shall  be  paid  to  him  all  the  maravedis 
which  I  owe  him  according  to  my  note  of  hand. 

Clause  XVI :  Item.  Inasmuch  as  Pedro  de  Arana  says  that  the  Admiral 
my  lord  and  father — may  God  keep  him — owed  him  one  hundred  Castellanos 
which  he  lent  him  in  the  Indies,  I  direct,  if  such  shall  be  found  true,  that 
he  shall  be  satisfied;  but  I  order  that  first,  the  account  shall  be  taken  of 
all  the  items  of  his  Majordomoship  which  Diego  Mendez  took  from  him 
in  Burgos  in  the  year  1506  and  1507:  and  likewise  an  account  of  all  that 
he  has  since  received  and  made  good — what  he  shall  owe  and  what  he  says 
is  owed  to  him, — and  that  the  accounts  shall  be  satisfied  and  paid. 

Clause  XVII :  Item.  I  direct  that  six  thousand  maravedis  be  paid  to 
Francisco  Moscoso,  son  of  the  Commander  Moscoso,  Commander  of  Porte- 
zuela,  citizen  of  Jerez  of  Badajoz,  or  to  his  heirs,  which  six  thousand  mara¬ 
vedis  I  owe  him. 


667 


Appendix 

Clause  XVIII :  Item.  I  direct  that  all  the  debts  shall  be  paid  which 
it  shall  appear  evident  that  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  father,  and  I  owe: 
especially  those  which  I  left  with  the  reverend  father  aforesaid,  Don  Friar 
Caspar,  in  a  memorandum  signed  with  my  name. 

Clause  XIX:  Item.  I  direct  my  heir,  as  soon  as  arrangements  are  made 
for  it,  to  have  a  church  built  with  its  chapel  in  which  masses  may  be  said  for 
my  soul  and  the  soul  of  my  father  and  of  my  ancestors  and  successors,  which 
church  or  Monastery,  whichever  it  shall  be,  is  to  be  entitled  Santa  Mbria 
de  la  Concepcion,  and  is  to  be  in  the  most  convenient  place  that  can  and 
shall  be  found :  and  if  it  shall  appear  better  that  it  be  constructed  within 
the  boundaries  of  the  city  of  San  Domingo,  it  is  very  well :  regarding  which, 
see  the  clause  in  the  last  will  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  father,  which 
speaks  of  building  the  said  chapel ;  for  this  bequest  and  that  of  my  father 
I  wish  to  be  understood  as  all  one. 

Clause  XX:  Item.  I  direct  that  there  be  given  to  Dona  Maria,  my  wife, 
the  total  sum  of  maravedis  which  she  brought  as  her  dowry,  and  further  I 
order  that  she  be  given  two  thousand  ducats  which  I  promised  her  and 
pledged  as  a  marriage  settlement  when  I  married  her;  and  if  there  shall  be 
sons  or  daughters  of  hers  and  mine,  and  she  shall  not  marry,  I  order  that 
during  all  the  time  she  lives,  my  heir  shall  give  her  three  hundred  thousand 
maravedis  each  year.  Item  I  bequeath  and  grant  and  give  to  the  said  Doha 
Maria,  my  wife,  all  the  jewels  of  gold  and  personal  vestments  which  she 
has,  except  the  cross  of  Don  Enrique  of  Toledo,  my  uncle,  which  is  of 
precious  stones,  with  another  jewel  which  I  have.  Likewise  I  give  her  the 
silver  trappings  of  her  saddle  for  her  mule,  with  her  tablas  all  of  silver. 

Clause  XXI :  Item,  inasmuch  as  Don  Enrique,  brother  of  the  Duke  of 
Alba,  owes  me  five  hundred  and  fifty  ducats  which  I  paid  for  him  to  certain 
merchants  who  had  two  of  his  jewels  in  pawn.  I  order  that  whenever  the 
said  Don  Enrique  pays  my  heir  the  said  five  hundred  and  fifty  ducats,  that 
he  shall  be  given  the  said  two  jewels:  of  which,  the  one  which  Dona  Maria, 
my  wife,  has  is  a  cross  of  gold  with  five  diamonds,  the  one  in  the  centre 
raised  and  four  pearls;  the  other  which  I  have,  is  a  M  ...  of  gold  with 
its  crown  which  has  eleven  rubies  and  a  diamond  and  seven  pearls. 

Clause  XXII :  Item,  on  account  of  the  many  good  works  and  services 
which  I  have  received  from  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  my  uncle,  Adelan- 
tado  of  the  Indies,  I  order  that  besides  what  is  due  him  by  the  last  will  and 
testament  of  the  Admiral,  my  father,  there  shall  be  given  him  from  my 
revenues  fifty  thousand  maravedis  each  year. 

Clause  XXIII :  Item.  I  direct  that  there  shall  be  given  to  Don  Diego, 
my  uncle,  thirty  thousand  maravedis  each  year,  besides  what  is  due  him 
by  the  clause  of  the  testament  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  father. 

Clause  XXIV :  Item.  I  direct  that  20,000  maravedis  shall  be  given  as 
charity  to  Constanza  Rosa,  a  resident  of  Burgos  in  the  street  of  Tenebre- 
gosa :  and  if  she  is  dead,  that  this  amount  shall  be  used  for  the  marriage  of 
a  poor  orphan,  or  shall  be  given  for  the  redemption  of  captives.  And  inas¬ 
much  as  it  has  been  said  that  this  said  Constanza  gave  birth  to  a  son  or  a 


66S 


Christopher  Columbus 

daughter  belonging  to  me,  I  direct,  if  this  shall  be  found  to  be  the  truth, 
that  my  heir  shall  receive  such  infant  and  shall  order  that  it  be  brought 
up  and  provided  for,  in  ever3’thing  and  with  everything,  in  a  manner  suit¬ 
able  to  ni}'  honour  and  rank.  And  in  order  to  learn  the  truth  of  this  mat¬ 
ter,  I  advise  m3'  executors  and  my  heir,  that  in  consideration  of  the  time 
at  which  I  had  relations  with  this  woman  and  the  time  at  which  I  left  her, 
such  infant  should  have  been  born  in  the  month  of  June  or  July,  1508,  as 
thef  will  be  able  to  learn  from  Garcia  de  Lama,  a  citizen  of  Burgos,  in 
Santa  Maria  la  Mayor. 

Clause  XXV :  Item.  I  direct  that  200  ducats  shall  be  given  by  my 
executors  or  by  my  heir,  to  Dona  Isabel  Samba,  who  was  the  wife  of  Peti- 
salazan,  a  resident  of  Bilboa  or  of  Garnica,  during  the  space  of  two  years, 
for  her  necessities:  and  if  she  is  dead  they  shall  be  used  for  the  satisfac¬ 
tion  of  the  legacies  of  this  testament.  And  inasmuch  as  she  gave  birth 
to  a  son,  I  direct  that  when  the  suit  which  was  brought  against  me  un¬ 
justly  and  in  defiance  of  the  truth,  is  finished,  such  son  shall  be  received 
by  my  heir  and  brought  up  and  treated  in  a  manner  suitable  to  my  honour 
and  rank.  Which  son,  as  it  appears,  was  born  in  the  month  of  October, 
1508.  And  as  to  the  matter  of  the  said  200  ducats,  if  the  said  suit  is  lost, 
they  shall  not  be  given,  nor  any  part  of  them. 

Clause  XXVI:  Also,  I  direct  that  there  shall  be  given  to  my  aunt 
Brigulaga  Moniz,  through  her  agents,  20,000  maravedis  each  year  while  she 
lives,  for  her  necessities,  having  deducted  the  10,000  maravedis  which  I 
have  been  accustomed  to  give  her. 

Clause  XXVII :  Item.  I  direct  that  ten  thousand  maravedis  shall  be 
given  to  Beatriz  Enriquez  each  year,  besides  the  ten  thousand  which  the  Ad¬ 
miral  my  father,  ordered  given  to  her:  so  that  there  shall  be  paid  her  in  all, 
twenty  thousand  maravedis  each  year  that  she  shall  live:  and  if  from  the 
year  1507  up  to  the  present,  they  have  not  been  given  to  her,  I  direct  that 
this  shall  be  fulfilled  and  all  that  is  due  shall  be  given  her. 

Clause  XXVIII:  Item.  I  direct  that  on  account  of  the  good  works 
which  I  have  received  from  Doha  Ana,  my  niece,  wife  of  the  Jurist  Bara- 
hona,  thirty  thousand  maravedis  shall  be  given  to  her  or  to  her  legitimate 
heirs,  but  if  she  shall  die  without  a  son  or  daughter  to  succeed  her  law¬ 
fully,  I  direct  that  this  amount  be  distributed  in  pious  works  at  the  dis¬ 
cretion  of  my  executors  or  heir. 

Clause  XXIX:  Item.  I  direct  that  forty  thousand  maravedis  each  be 
given  to  Gerdnimo  de  Agiiero  and  to  Fernando  del  Valdes,  my  chamberlain: 
but  if  both  or  either  of  them  be  dead,  this  sum  shall  be  used  for  the  fulfil¬ 
ment  of  this,  my  testament. 

Clause  XXX:  Item.  I  direct  that  fifty  thousand  maravedis  shall  be  given 
to  Juan  Ortiz,  in  the  Indies,  because  I  sent  him  to  Seville  to  marry  his  wife. 

Clause  XXXI:  Item.  I  direct  that  twenty  thousand  maravedis  each 
be  given  to  Francisco  Manuel  and  to  Peralta  my  pages:  and  I  order  that 
ten  thousand  maravedis  each  be  given  to  all  my  other  pages. 

Clause  XXXII:  Item.  I  direct  that  ten  thousand  maravedis  be  given 


Appendix  669 

to  Garcia,  who  was  the  running  footman  of  the  Admiral,  my  father;  and 
that  eight  thousand  maravedis  be  given  to  Jiian  de  los  Angeles ,  my  running 
footman. 

Clause  XXXIII:  Item.  I  direct  that  twenty  thousand  maravedis 
shall  be  given  to  each  one  of  my  executors,  whom  I  appoint  here  in  this, 
my  testament,  for  their  work;  and  1  direct  that  all  the  costs  which  shall 
be  incurred  in  thus  fulfilling  this,  my  testament,  as  well  as  the  testament 
of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  father — may  God  keep  him — shall  be  paid 
from  my  estate ;  and  if  it  shall  be  necessary  to  retain  any  lawyer  for  coun¬ 
sel  and  aid,  that  he  shall  be  retained  and  shall  be  given  twenty  thousand 
maravedis  for  his  work. 

Clause  XXXIV :  Item.  If  God  shall  dispose  of  me  at  a  time  when  I 
might  have  a  son,  my  legitimate  successor  and  heir,  or  a  daughter,  my  heiress, 
who  might  not  be  of  age  for  the  direction  and  management  of  my  estate  and 
household  and  property,  it  would  be  and  is  my  will  that  in  such  case,  Don 
Bartholomew  Columbus,  my  uncle,  and  failing  him,  Don  Diego  Columbus, 
my  uncle,  should  be  and  shall  be  the  guardian  and  governor  and  representa¬ 
tive  of  the  said  my  son  or  daughter,  until  he  or  she  shall  be  of  age  when 
such  guardifmship  shall  not  be  necessary :  and  now,  at  the  present  time, 
in  anticipation  of  such  time,  should  it  occur,  I  supplicate  their  Highnesses, 
the  King  and  Queen,  our  lords,  to  approve  it  and  to  grant  me  this  favour. 

Clause  XXXV :  Item.  I  direct  my  successor  and  legitimate  heir  or 
whoever  shall  succeed  to  the  Majorat  and  my  inheritance,  and  to  whom  it 
shall  belong,  to  frequently  read  the  last  will  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and 
father, — may  he  rest  in  glory — and  to  be  ever  careful  to  render  obedience 
to  its  mandates,  and  to  fulfil  all  that  is  contained  therein,  in  the  same 
manner  as  I  am  obligated  to  do,  and  especially  not  to  cause  the  diminish- 
ment  of  the  said  Majorat  and  to  particularly  observe  everything  relating 
to  the  service  of  its  execution,  of  the  King  and  of  the  Queen,  our  Lords, 
and  the  spreading  of  the  Christian  religion. 

Clause  XXXVI:  And  having  fulfilled  and  discharged  this,  my  testa¬ 
ment,  and  the  legacies  and  bequests  contained  therein,  without  deducting 
any  fourth  part  whatever  of  which,  I  can  more  justly  do,  without  depriv¬ 
ing  whoever  I  might  finally  name  for  my  heir,  I  appoint. and  leave  as  my 
general  heir,  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus  my  uncle  in  the  remainder  of 
all  my  estates;  and  if  the  said  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  my  uncle 
shall  have  died,  I  appoint  for  my  heir  Don  Diego  Columbus,  my  uncle: 
and  if  the  said  Don  Diego,  my  uncle  shall  be  deceased,  I  leave  as  my 
heir,  the  nearest  relative  of  my  lineage  of  the  Columbus  family:  in  case 
none  shall  be  found,  I  leave  as  my  heir  the  Church  or  Monastery,  where 
shall  be  founded  the  perpetual  sepulture  of  the  body  of  the  Admiral,  my 
lord  and  father— may  he  rest  in  glory — and  mine. 

Constitution  of  Executors:  And  for  the  discharging  and  fulfilment  of 
this,  my  said  testament,  and  the  legacies  and  other  things  contained  therein, 
according  to  what  is  here  written  and  directed,  I  leave  and  name  as  my 
executors  in  order  that  they  may  make  the  payments  and  fulfil  the 


670 


Christopher  Columbus 

bequests  from  my  estate  the  aforesaid  Canon,  Luis  Fernandez  de  Soria,  and 
the  father  Don  Friar  Caspar  Gorricio,  and  the  Adelantado  of  the  Indies, 
Don  Bartholomew  Columbus  and  Don  Diego  Columbus,  my  uncles,  to 
whom,  the  said  my  executors,  I,  by  this  letter  and  testamentary  docu¬ 
ment,  give  and  grant  free  and  full  and  privilege  in  order  that  they  may 
act  all  together  or  the  greater  number  of  them,  if  any  one  shall  be  lacking 
or  shall  not  wish  to  serve,  by  themselves  and  by  their  own  authority,  with¬ 
out  permission  and  mandate  or  authority  from  alcaldes  or  from  justice 
nor  from  any  other  person  whatever,  and  without  restriction  and  without 
judgment,  and  without  any  penalty  or  calumny  whatever:  and  if  there 
shall  be  penalty  or  calumny,  that  all  may  be  and  shall  be  against  my  estate, 
and  not  against  the  said  my  executors  nor  against  their  estates.  They 
can  take  possession  and  seize  and  sell  and  close  out  enough  of  my  property 
to  fulfil  my  will  and  to  pay  and  fulfil  my  bequests:  and  they  may  pay 
and  fulfil  according  to  and  in  the  manner  which  has  been  stated,  and 
which  the  said  my  executors  shall  do  for  my  soul,  which  God  grant  may 
be  done  for  the  good  of  theirs,  when  they  shall  need  it  and  when  they  shall 
depart  from  this  life :  and  I  give  power  and  privilege  to  each  one  of  them 
that  they  may  place  another  person  in  their  place  to  fulfil  this,  my  last 
will  and  testament :  and  in  concluding  I  declare  that  this  is  my  last  and 
unalterable  will  and  I  again  say  and  direct  that  this,  my  will,  be  valid  and 
be  fulfilled  and  regarded  in  everything  for  everything,  and  in  every  thing 
and  every  part  of  it  as  stated.  And  I  revoke  any  letter  or  document  what¬ 
ever  which  would  be  contrary  or  shall  appear  to  have  been  made  before 
this  one,  which  I  declare  and  set  forth  as  good  and  valid:  in  testimony  of 
which  I  sign  here  with  the  impression  of  my  seal,  in  the  presence  of  the 
said  father  Don  Friar  Gaspar  Gorricio  and  of  the  other  Reverend  fathers 
who  here  sign  their  names.  Done  in  the  said  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas,  the 
i6th  of  March,  in  the  year  ipog. 

In  Clause  XX  which  speaks  of  the  dowry  of  Dona  Maria,  my  wife,  I 
say  as  a  further  declaration,  inasmuch  as  the  said  amount  of  dowry  is  not 
received  up  to  the  present  time,  that  it  is  not  to  be  paid  to  her  without  prov¬ 
ing  that  it  has  been  received  and  paid,  as  is  contained  in  the  contract  of  Don 
Fernando,  my  father-in-law ,  which  I  have  received, — which  contract  I  leave 
to  the  said  father  Don  Gaspar. 

And  inasmuch  as  I  have  not  designated  a  certain  place  for  the  perpetual 
sepulture  of  the  body  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  father — may  he  rest  in  glory 
— nor  for  my  own;  I  declare  that  my  will  would  he  and  is  that  a  most  honour¬ 
able  sepulchre  should  be  made  in  the  chapel  of  the  \sic^  Antigua  of  the  High 
Church  of  Seville  at  the  top  of  the  postern  which  is  in  front  of  the  sepulchre 
of  Cardinal  Mendoza:  and  in  case  it  cannot  be  made  there,  I  direct  my 
executors  to  choose  the  church  and  place  which  shall  be  most  suitable  for 
an  honour  and  estate  and  welfare,  that  the  said  sepulchre  may  be  built  and 
made  there,  bestowing  upon  such  church  a  perpetual  income  and  endow¬ 
ment  for  that  purpose. 


(Archives  of  the  Duke  of  Veragua  at  Madrid.) 


671 


Appendix 

SECOND  WILL  OF  DIEGO  COLUMBUS 

San  Domingo,  May  2,  1523 
{Certificate  of  Deposit) 

In  the  noble  city  of  San  Domingo,  by  the  port  of  the  island  of  Espahola 
of  the  Indies  in  the  Ocean-sea,  Wednesday,  at  three  o’clock  in  the  after¬ 
noon,  on  the  second  day  of  the  month  of  May  in  the  year  of  the  birth  of  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  1526,  being  in  the  houses  which  constituted  the  dwell¬ 
ing-place  of  the  Illustrious  and  most  magnificent  Lord,  Don  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus,  who  was  Admiral,  Viceroy  and  perpetual  Governor  in  these  regions 
for  their  Majesties — may  he  rest  in  glory — and  there  being  jiresent  the 
most  virtuous  Senor,  Alonso  de  Valencia,  Alcalde  in  this  said  city  for  their 
Majesties,  and  in  presence  of  me,  Esteban  de  la  Rosa,  notary  of  their  their 
Majesties,  and  Public  Notary  of  this  said  city  and  in  presence  of  the  wit¬ 
nesses  subscribed  below,  there  appeared  the  Illustrious  and  most  Magni¬ 
ficent  Lady  Dona  Mariadc  Toledo,  who  was  the  wife  of  the  said  Lord 
Admiral,  and  said  that  inasmuch  as  the  said  Lord  Admiral,  her  husband, 
before  and  at  the  time  when  he  intended  to  leave  this  said  city  and  island 
for  the  realms  of  Castile,  made  and  drew  up  his  last  and  final  will  and  tes¬ 
tament  publicly  closed  and  sealed,  according  to  what  is  legally  required  in 
such  a  case;  and  inasmuch  as  it  has  now  come  to  her  knowledge,  by  letters 
which  have  been  written  her  in  regard  to  it  and  sent  by  this  fleet  which 
has  just  arrived  from  the  said  realms  of  Castile,  as  well  as  by  being  a  public 
and  well  known  fact  that  the  said  Lord  Admiral  has  departed  this  present 
life,  on  account  of  whose  end  and  decease,  there  rightfully  belongs  to  her 
the  guardianship,  control,  and  administration  of  the  persons  and  properties 
of  Don  Ltiis  Columbus  and  Don  Christopher  Columbus  and  Don  Diego  Co¬ 
lumbus  and  Dona  Philippa  Columbus  and  Dona  Maria  Columbus  and  Dona 
Joanna  Columbus  and  Dona  Isabel  Columbus ,  legitimate  children  of  the  said 
Lord  Admiral  and  herself ;  therefore  she  and  the  said  named,  as  such  guar¬ 
dian  and  administrator,  or  in  such  way,  form,  and  manner  as  may  best  be 
permitted  by  law,  made  and  caused  presentation  to  be  made  of  the  said 
testament  of  the  said  Lord  Admiral,  her  husband,  and  begged  and  peti¬ 
tioned  the  said  Senor  Alcalde  to  see  and  examine  it :  and  that  having  seen 
and  examined  it  he  would  direct  that  it  be  opened  and  published  with  the 
solemnity  which  is  required  in  such  case,  and  being  thus  opened  and  pub¬ 
lished,  that  he  would  order  that  it  be  sworn  to,  publicly  and  in  such  manner 
as  to  establish  its  legality  to  which  he  would  interpose  his  authority  and 
judicial  decree,  in  order  that  it  should  be  established  as  legal,  in  court  or 
out  of  court,  wherever  it  might  be  exhibited  and  presented,  for  which  pur¬ 
pose  and  enlo  mal  breve  e  seguro,  she  said  that  she  implored  and  entreated 
the  service  of  the  said  Senor  Alcalde. 

Then  the  said  Senor  Alcalde  having  seen  the  said  petition  made  to  him 
by  the  said  Lady  Vicereine,  took  in  his  hands  the  said  testament  of  the 
said  Lord  Admiral  and  looked  at  it  and  examined  it  and  found  it  closed 
and  sealed,  not  torn  or  cancelled  or  suspicious  in  any  place  and  the  act  for 


6/2  Christopher  Columbus 

the  same  written  outside  and  at  the  top,  and  signed  with  a  signature  which 
says  the  Admiral  ajid  \'iccroy  and  with  seven  other  signatures  of  witnesses, 
and  signed  with  the  notarial  signet  and  sign  of  Fernando  de  Berrio,  who 
was  notary  public  of  this  said  cit}^;  and  having  thus  seen  and  examined  it, 
for  greater  security  he  told  the  said  Lady  Vicereine  to  give  him  informa¬ 
tion  in  regard  to  the  witnesses  who  were  found  present  at  the  execution  of 
the  said  testament  and  that,  having  obtained  the  said  information  he  was 
prepared  to  do  what  was  required  in  the  matter.  Then  the  said  Lady 
Vicereine  presented  as  a  witness,  Juan  de  Villoria,  citizen  and  Alderman  of 
the  cit)^  of  La  Concepcion,  who  was  present,  whose  oath  the  said  Senor 
Alcalde  took  and  received  in  legal  form,  and  showed  him  the  said  will 
which  he  had  in  his  hands  and  asked  him  if  he  had  been  present  at  the 
execution  of  the  said  will  before  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio,  and  if  the 
signature  which  was  on  the  said  closed  testament  which  read  Juan  de  Vil¬ 
loria,  was  his;  the  said  Juan  de  Villoria  said  that  he  was  present  at  the 
time  that  the  said  Lord  Admiral  executed  the  said  testament  before  the 
said  Fernando  de  Berrio  and  that  he  likewise  signed  the  said  closed  testa¬ 
ment  with  his  name  as  'witness,  which  signature  he  said  he  recognised  and 
acknowledged,  and  this  is  the  truth  under  charge  of  the  oath  which  he 
took,  and  he  signed  it  with  his  name,  Juan  de  Villoria. 

Then  she  presented  as  witness  in  the  said  cause,  the  licentiate,  Pedro 
Vazques  de  Niella,  whose  oath  the  said  Senor  Alcalde  took  and  received, 
before  God  and  before  Saint  Mary  in  legal  form,  and  showed  him  the  said 
testament;  he,  having  seen  the  closed  testament,  said  that  he  saw  it  exe¬ 
cuted  by  the  said  Lord  Admiral  before  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio,  notary, 
and  that  he  likewise  signed  it  as  witness,  which  signature  he  recognised, 
and  he  said  that  he  had  heard  it  reported  that  the  said  Lord  Admiral  had 
departed  this  present  life  and  that  he  died  in  the  realms  of  Castile  near  the 
city  of  Toledo  and  this  is  the  truth  by  the  oath  that  he  took,  and  he  signed 
with  his  name,  the  licentiate  Pero  Vazques. 

Then  the  said  Lady  Vicereine  likewise  presented  as  a  witness  Fernando 
de  Carbajal,  Alcalde  mayor  and  citizen  of  this  city,  whose  oath  the  said 
Senor  Alcalde  took  and  received,  before  God  and  Saint  Mary  and  by  the 
sign  of  the  cross  in  legal  form;  and  he  showed  him  the  said  closed  testa¬ 
ment,  and  having  sworn  and  seen  the  said  testament  he  said  that  he  like¬ 
wise  was  present  and  saw  and  heard  the  said  closed  testament  executed  by 
the  said  Lord  Admiral  and  Viceroy  before  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio, 
who  was  notary  public  of  this  said  city,  which  said  Lord  Admiral  he  saw 
sign  with  his  name  in  the  execution  of  the  closed  testament  and  that  this 
witness  likewise  signed  as  witness,  in  the  execution  of  the  said  testament, 
which  signature  he  recognised ;  and  that  he  had  heard  it  reported  most 
publicly  and  commonly  that  the  said  Lord  Admiral  departed  this  present 
life  in  the  realms  of  Castile,  near  the  city  of  Toledo  and  that  on  account  of 
his  end  and  decease  he  has  seen  and  saw  the  shedding  of  tears  and  wearing 
of  mourning  and  this  is  the  truth  by  the  oath  which  he  took  and  he  signed 
it  with  his  name,  Fernando  de  Carbajal. 


Appendix  673 

Then  the  said  Lady  Vicereine  likewise  presented  as  a  witness  Lope  de 
Bardea,  citizen  of  this  said  city,  whose  oath  the  said  Senor  Alcalde  took 
and  received  in  legal  form,  and  showed  him  the  said  closed  testament 
which  he  had  in  his  hands;  and  having  seen  the  said  testament  he  said 
that  he  was  present  at  the  execution  of  the  said  testament  at  the  time  the 
said  Lord  Admiral  executed  it  before  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio  notary, 
and  he  saw  the  said  Lord  Admiral  sign  it  in  executing  it,  and  that  this 
witness  likewise  signed  it  as  witness,  which  signature  he  said  that  he  recog¬ 
nised  and  acknowledged  and  that  likewise  he  saw  the  writing  of  the  execu¬ 
tion  of  the  said  testament  by  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio  and  that  he  saw 
him  sign  with  his  signature  the  extract  from  it,  and  that  he  had  heard  it 
reported  most  publicly  and  commonly  since  the  day  that  the  first  vessel 
of  the  fleet  which  had  just  arrived  from  the  realms  of  Castile  entered  this 
port,  that  the  said  Senor  Admiral  departed  this  present  life  in  the  realms 
of  Castile,  and  that  for  his  end  and  decease  he  had  seen  and  heard  the 
lamentations  of  the  Lady  Vicereine  and  her  servants,  and  had  seen  and 
saw  the  wearing  of  mourning  and  this  is  the  truth  by  the  oath  that  he 
swore  and  he  signed  it  with  his  name,  Lope  de  Bardea. 

Then  likewise  the  Lady  Vicereine  presented  as  a  witness,  Garcia  de 
Aguilar,  who  at  the  time  was  a  citizen  of  this  city,  whose  oath  the  said 
Senor  Alcalde  took  and  received  in  legal  form,  causing  him  to  be  shown 
the  said  testament  of  the  said  Lord  Admiral  closed  .and  sealed,  and  he 
having  seen  it  in  the  aforesaid  manner  said  that  he  found  himself  present 
at  the  time  when  the  said  Lord  Admiral  and  Viceroy  executed  it,  the  said 
testament  before  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio,  who  was  notary  public  of 
this  said  city  and  he  saw  the  said  Lord  Admiral  sign  the  extract  and  exe¬ 
cution  of  the  said  testament,  which  said  extract  and  execution  he  saw  the 
said  Fernando  de  Berrio,  aforesaid  notary  public,  write,  and  this  witness 
signed  the  said  testament  as  witness,  which  said  signature  he  said  that  he 
recognised  and  acknowledged  and  that  after  the  writing  of  the  execution 
of  the  said  testament  by  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio,  and  after  the  wit¬ 
nesses  whose  signatures  appeared  had  signed  it,  he  saw  the  said  Fernando 
de  Berrio  sign  the  execution  of  the  said  testament  with  his  signature ;  and 
that  he  had  heard  it  reported  in  this  city,  but  a  short  time  ago,  that  the 
said  Lord  Admiral  had  departed  this  present  life  and  that  he  died  in  Cas¬ 
tile  near  the  city  of  Toledo,  and  he  said  that  for  his  death  he  had  seen  and 
did  see  many  persons  wear  mourning  and  this  witness  likewise  wore  it  for 
the  death  of  the  said  Lord  Admiral,  and  this  is  the  truth  of  what  he  knows, 
by  the  oath  which  he  took,  and  he  signed  it  with  his  name,  Garcia  de  Aguilar. 

Then  the  said  Senor  Alcalde  having  heard  the  said  information  given 
to  him  by  the  said  Lady  Vicereine,  from  which  it  appeared  and  is  proved 
that  the  said  Lord  Admiral  had  made  and  executed  the  said  testament 
before  the  said  Fernando  de  Berrio  and  having  seen  how  it  appeared 
and  was,  and  is,  public  and  well  known  that  the  said  Lord  Admiral  died 
and  departed  this  present  life  in  the  said  realms  of  Castile,  declared  that 
he  directed  and  ordered  me,  the  said  notary,  to  open  the  said  testament  in 

VOL.  III.— 43. 


6/4 


Christopher  Columbus 

order  that  it  should  be  known  what  the  said  Lord  Admiral  in  it  had  directed 
and  ordered,  which  said  testament  he  declared  that  he  ordered  and  directed 
should  be  recognised  as  valid,  as  the  last  and  final  will  and  testament  of 
the  said  Lord  Admiral,  which  testament,  I,  the  said  notary,  opened  by 
order  of  the  said  Senor  Alcalde  and  caused  to  be  read :  and  the  testament 
being  opened  and  read  and  seen  by  the  said  Senor  Alcalde  and  it  being 
seen  that  it  appeared  to  be  free  from  any  defect  and  suspicion,  the  said 
Senor  Alcalde  said  that  he  directed  and  ordered  me,  the  said  notary,  to 
give  to  the  said  Lady  Vicereine,  who  should  have  it  and  to  whom  it  legally 
belonged,  one  copy,  or  two  or  more  of  the  said  testament  authorised  and 
signed  by  me,  the  said  notary,  in  such  manner  as  to  make  it  legal  to  which 
said  copy  or  copies,  clause  or  clauses  which  should  be  given  of  the  said 
testament,  he  said  that  he  interposed  and  did  interpose  his  authority  and 
judicial  decree  that  it  might  be  valid  and  be  recognised  as  legal  wherever 
and  in  whatever  place  it  might  appear  and  be  presented,  the  tenor  of  which 
said  testament  de  verbo  ad  verhnni,  is  as  follows: 

(testament) 

In  the  name  of  God  amen. 

Know  all  persons  who  shall  see  this  testament,  that  I,  Don  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus,  Viceroy,  Admiral  and  perpetual  governor  of  these  Indies  and  main¬ 
land,  discovered  and  to  be  discovered,  in  the  Ocean-sea,  legitimate  son  of 
Don  Christopher  Columbus,  first  Viceroy  and  Admiral  and  perpetual  governor 
of  these  said  Indies  and  mainland,  and  of  Doha  Philippa  Mohiz,  his  legiti¬ 
mate  wife,  deceased, — may  God  keep  them — being  in  this  city  of  San  Do¬ 
mingo  of  this  island  of  Espanola,  in  the  houses  of  my  dwelling-place  which 
I  possess  therein,  and  being  about  to  depart  for  Castile,  sane  and  in  my 
right  mind  and  of  my  own  free  will,  firmly  and  truly  believing  in  the  most 
Holy  Trinity,  the  Father  and  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  three  persons  and  only 
one  true  God,  as  every  faithful  Christian  must  hold  and  believe,  fearing 
death,  which  is  a  natural  thing  to  every  creature,  ardently  desiring  to 
place  my  soul  in  the  freest  and  straightest  course  for  salvation, — therefore 
declare  and  make  known  that  I  make  and  draw  up  this  testamentary  letter 
and  last  will,  and  the  legacies  and  things  which  shall  be  contained  therein 
as  much  for  the  salvation  of  my  soul  as  for  the  repose  of  my  body  and 
the  peace  of  my  heirs,  are  the  following: 

/.  First,  I  commend  my  soul  to  my  Lord  God,  who  created  it  in  His 
image  and  likeness  and  redeemed  it  by  His  precious  blood,  and  I  implore 
and  beg  in  mercy  the  most  happy  and  stainless  Virgin,  Saint  Mary,  our 
lady.  His  blessed  mother,  and  of  all  the  saints  of  the  court  of  Heaven  to 
be  supplicants  to  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ  that  He  will  pardon  my  soul  and 
carry  it  with  Him  to  His  sacred  glory  and  celestial  kingdom.  Amen. 

II.  Item.  I  direct  that  when  it  shall  serve  our  Lord  to  take  me  from 
this  present  life,  if  I  die  in  this  island  of  Espanola  that  my  body  be  honour¬ 
ably  deposited  in  this  said  city  of  San  Domingo  in  the  Monastery  of  Lord  San 
Francisco,  and  if  I  die  in  any  other  place  without  the  city,  that  the  said 


675 


Appendix 

deposit  of  my  body  be  made  in  a  House  of  the  said  Order,  if  there  shall  be 
one  in  the  place  where  my  death  takes  place,  but  if  there  is  not  any,  it 
may  be  in  the  most  devout  Church  of  the  said  place,  and  if  my  death  shall 
happen  in  Seville,  I  direct  that  my  body  be  deposited  in  the  monastery  of  Las 
Cuevas,  with  the  body  of  the  Admiral,  my  Lord,  which  is  there,  and  I  pray  and 
entreat  my  heirs,  for  the  love  of  God  and  that  they  may  find  some  one  to 
fulfil  their  last  wills,  to  have  in  charge  and  take  especial  care  when  arrange¬ 
ments  are  made  and  the  Monastery  which  I  directed  to  be  erected  (of  which 
mention  will  be  made  below)  in  order  that  I  could  be  interred  therein,  is 
built, — to  have  carried  and  placed  in  it  my  body  in  the  High  Chapel  of  the 
Church  and  to  carry  there  likewise  the  body  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord, — may  he 
rest  in  glory — which  is  deposited  in  the  said  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  in 
Seville,  and  to  likewise  carry  there  the  body  of  Doha  Philippa  Mohiz,  his 
legitimate  wife,  my  mother,  which  is  in  the  Monastery  of  El  Carmen  in  Lis¬ 
bon  in  a  Chapel  which  is  called  De  la  Piedad  which  belongs  to  the  House  of 
the  Mohizes  and  likewise  to  take  to  the  said  Monastery  the  body  of  the  Adelan- 
tado,  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  yny  uncle,  which  is  deposited  in  the  Monas¬ 
tery  of  the  Lord  San  Francisco  of  this  city  of  San  Domingo:  and  I  charge  and 
direct  the  heirs  of  the  Admiral,  my  Lord,  and  mine,  to  take  especial  care 
of  our  perpetual  sepulture  since  our  Lord  was  pleased  to  show  favour  to 
the  Admiral,  my  Lord,  that  he  by  his  labours  should  be  the  first  builder 
of  these  properties  and  the  estate  which  we  possess,  although  unworthy 
before  our  Lord,  and  all  which  in  this  case  shall  be  done  for  the  soul  of  the 
Admiral,  my  Lord  and  father,  and  mine,  besides  being  for  the  service  of 
our  Lord,  will  be  for  the  honour  and  glory  of  the  heir  who  shall  thus  fulfil 
it,  and  if  in  anything  I  have  not  fulfilled  what  the  Admiral,  my  Lord,  ordered 
regarding  his  sepulchre,  it  has  been  on  account  of  not  having  finished  the 
settlement  of  the  affairs  in  these  regions  in  order  to  establish  his  sepulchre, 
in  which  our  lord  would  be  better  served  and  his  soul  relieved  on  account  of 
the  benefits  which  would  be  derived  thereby  in  this  world ;  and  as  since  the 
year  1512  some  arrangements  were  commenced  so  as  to  be  able  to  fulfil  what 
was  directed  by  the  Admiral,  my  Lord  in  his  testament  regarding  this 
matter  and  I  have  always  done  continuously  each  day  what  I  have  been 
able  to  do  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  aforesaid,  in  the  way  of  continual  sac¬ 
rifices  and  prayers  both  in  the  said  monastery  where  his  body  is  buried  and 
in  other  places  in  order  to  fulfil  in  some  degree  his  will  or  command,  which 
was, — that  wherever  he  should  be  interred  for  ever  there  should  be  three 
Chaplaincies;  and  I  charge  and  direct  my  successor  in  the  Majorat  to 
always  have  three  continuous  masses  said  until  arrangements  shall  be 
made  to  build  and  finish  the  monastery  where  he  is  to  be  carried,  where 
I  desire  to  be  buried:  and  I  declare  that  the  alms  or  revenue  for  these 
masses  is  not  to  be  taken  from  the  tenth  part  of  the  revenue  from  the 
Majorat,  which  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  directed  should  be  distributed  in 
pious  works,  but  from  the  other  property  of  the  Majorat  outside  the  tenth 
part :  and  therefore  what  I  have  done  and  directed  to  be  done  for  his  soul, 
I  have  not  taken  from  the  said  tenth  part,  and  thus  it  is  declared  in  the 


676  Christopher  Columbus 

testament  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  and  the  masses  are  to  be, — one  for  the 
most  Holy  Trinity  and  the  other  for  the  Conception  of  our  Lady,  and  the 
other  for  the  souls  of  his  father  and  mother  and  wife  and  for  mine,  and 
for  the  souls  of  all  the  deceased,  for  such  was  his  will. 

III .  Item.  I  direct  that  the  ceremonies  and  honours  of  my  burial 
shall  be  conducted  with  great  humility  so  that  what  is  done  may  be  more 
for  the  honour  and  service  of  God  than  for  that  of  the  world,  and  I  desire 
that  there  shall  not  be  more  than  thirteen  tapers  and  that  mourning  shall 
not  be  worn  for  my  death,  and  that  splendid  and  unprofitable  expenses 
shall  not  be  incurred:  and  I  desire  that  on  the  day  of  my  death  and  burial, 
an  office  for  the  dead  shall  be  said  for  me  over  my  body  and  sepulchre  and 
a  requiem  mass  sung  in  departing,  with  its  responses  over  my  body  and 
sepulchre  and  that  bread  and  wine  and  meat  be  offered  as  shall  appear 
best  to  my  executors;  and  that  in  this  same  manner  a  requiem  mass  shall 
be  sung  for  me  and  the  said  offering  be  made  from  the  day  of  my  death 
and  burial  for  the  nine  days  following  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  day 
shall  be  observed  in  my  honour,  and  one  year  from  the  time  of  m}^  death 
the  anniversary  shall  be  observed  the  same  as  the  day  of  my  burial  and  the 
expense  of  these  things  shall  be  what  shall  appear  necessary  to  my  executors. 

IV .  Item.  I  direct  that  as  soon  as  I  shall  pass  from  this  present  life 
a  thousand  masses  shall  be  said  for  my  soul  in  this  manner, — thirteen  Pas¬ 
sion  masses  and  another  thirteen  of  the  Light  and  thirty  Requiem  masses 
which  may  all  be  divided  and  said  on  the  day  of  my  burial  if  it  shall  be 
possible,  as  many  as  possible  to  be  said  in  the  house  where  I  shall  be  buried 
and  the  others  in  the  monasteries  and  churches  of  the  city  where  I  die; 
and  one  hundred  of  the  said  thousand  masses  may  be  said  for  the  souls  in 
purgatory  and  all  that  remain  to  make  up  the  thousand  may  be  said  for 
my  soul  and  the  soul  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord  and  of  my  Lady,  Dona  Phil¬ 
ippa  Moniz,  and  for  the  souls  of  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus  and  Don 
Diego  Columbus,  my  uncles,  which  shall  be  distributed  among  these  places, 
— in  San  Francisco,  in  San  Domingo,  in  La  Merced,  monasteries  of  this 
city  and  island,  in  Santa  Maria  de  las  Cuevas,  in  San  Francisco,  in  San 
Pablo,  monasteries  of  the  city  of  Seville,  giving  to  each  one  of  them  the 
part  and  number  of  the  masses  which  shall  appear  proper  to  my  executors, 
in  order  that  they  may  be  said  and  fulfilled  within  three  months  from  the 
time  of  my  death:  and  I  direct  that  for  the  said  masses  the  customary 
alms  shall  be  given  in  the  places  where  they  shall  be  said,  doubling  the  alms 
for  the  Passion  masses,  and  if  my  body  shall  be  deposited  in  any  church 
which  shall  not  be  one  of  those  stated,  I  do  not  desire  that  any  part  of  the 
said  masses  shall  be  given  to  such  church  in  the  aforesaid  manner. 

V .  Item.  I  direct  that  fifty  pesos  of  gold  shall  be  given  for  the  media¬ 
tion  of  the  Houses  and  Monasteries  of  Lord  San  Francisco,  San  Domingo, 
and  La  Merced  of  this  city, — for  the  mediation  of  the  said  Monastery  of 
San  Francisco  fifty,  for  the  mediation  of  San  Domingo  twenty-five  and  for 
the  mediation  of  La  Merced;  and  I  direct  that  forty  ducats  be  given  to  the 
hospital  of  this  city,  for  the  sick  and  for  their  needs. 


Appendix  677 

VI.  Item.  I  direct  the  fraternity  of  the  said  hospital  of  this  city,  that 
besides  the  suffrage  to  which  they  are  obligated  on  account  of  my  being  a 
member,  they  shall  have  four  masses  sung  for  me  with  their  offices  and  re¬ 
sponses  for  my  soul,  and  for  the  soul  of  the  Admiral,  my  Lord  and  the  soul 
of  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  my  uncle,  and  the  souls  of  my  other  an¬ 
cestors  and  I  direct  that  ten  pesos  of  gold  shall  be  given  to  them  as  alms 
for  the  said  suffrage. 

VII.  Item.  I  direct  that  twenty  ducats  be  given  to  the  Hospital  of 
the  Buboes  of  the  city  of  Seville  and  ten  ducats  to  the  hospital  of  Mercy 
of  the  said  city,  which  I  direct  shall  be  paid  to  them  at  once. 

VIII.  Item.  I  direct  that  within  a  year  from  my  death  six  poor 
orphan  girls  shall  be  married  who  may  not  have  anything  with  which  to 
marry,  and  if  it  shall  be  possible  to  find  daughters  of  noble  families  they 
shall  be  selected  in  preference  to  others :  and  if  they  shall  be  the  daughters 
of  servants  or  common  people  they  shall  be  married  from  this,  our  house¬ 
hold,  in  preference  to  others;  for  we  are  under  greater  obligations  to  com¬ 
mon  people ;  and  I  desire  that  there  shall  be  given  to  each  one  of  them  for 
the  said  marriage,  twenty-five  thousand  maravedis,  and  I  direct  my  execu¬ 
tors  to  pay  especial  attention  to  this  matter  and  to  fulfil  it  within  the  said 
time  of  one  year,  whether  in  Castile  or  in  this  country,  by  selecting  such 
girls  as  shall  seem  best  to  them. 

IX.  I  bequeath  fifty  thousand  maravedis  for  the  redemption  of  cap¬ 
tives  with  which  as  many  persons  as  can  be  redeemed  with  the  said  sum 
may  be  ransomed ;  and  it  is  my  will  that  they  be  women  rather  than  men 
and  if  they  cannot  all  be  women,  the  men  who  might  be  ransomed  shall 
be  married  rather  than  unmarried,  which  is  to  be  fulfilled  in  a  year  from 
the  time  of  my  death;  and  I  declare  that  it  is  my  will,  in  this  matter  of 
this  legacy  for  captives  as  well  as  in  the  one  immediately  before,  regarding 
the  orphan  girls  who  are  to  be  married,  that  the  friars  of  Nuestra  Senora 
de  la  Merced  or  La  Cruzada  or  any  other  person  shall  not  interfere  to  direct 
or  manage  any  part  of  them,  or  in  any  other  legacy  which  I  shall  make  in 
this  will,  because  of  its  being  uncertain  to  which  one  the  collection  of  the 
money  would  belong  by  any  title  or  privilege;  therefore  I  desire  and  it  is 
my  will  that  my  executors  shall  carry  out  the  things  themselves  which  I 
direct,  as  if  I  named  the  persons  and  things  by  means  of  whom  and  which 
they  are  to  be  fulfilled;  and  for  greater  clearness  I  name  and  appoint  the 
persons  of  the  orphan  girls  who  shall  be  married  and  the  persons  who  are 
to  be  ransomed  to  be  those  whom  my  executors  shall  select  and  name  and 
appoint,  whom  I  appoint  from  this  present  time,  especially  for  that  time 
and  from  that  time  for  the  present  time. 

X.  Item.  I  direct  that  all  the  Indians  who  shall  be  alive  at  the  time 
of  my  death  in  any  place  where  I  may  have  them  shall  be  clothed  in  such 
a  way  that  none  of  them  may  remain  without  clothing  of  shirts  and  coarse 
trousers  and  the  women  of  skirts  and  shirts  of  presilla  and  of  angeo  as 
shall  seem  best  to  my  executors;  and  for  all  those  who  shall  be  dead  I 
direct  that  an  anniversary  shall  be  observed,  saying  their  office  for  the 


678  Christopher  Columbus 

dead  and  singing  tlieir  Requiem  mass,  and  that  on  such  anniversary  bread 
and  vine  and  wax  shall  be  offered,  which  offering  may  be  in  such  quantity 
as  shall  appear  best  to  my  executors  and  according  to  what  is  customary 
in  similar  ceremonies. 

XI.  Item.  I  direct  my  executors  to  immediately  take  three  hundred 
ducats  from  my  estate  and  to  pay  with  them  certain  debts  of  which  the 
Admiral,  my  lord,  left  an  account  in  a  memorandum  of  his,  as  follows; 

List  of  certain  persons  to  whom  I  desire  that  there  be  given  from  my 
estate  what  is  contained  in  this  memorandum,  without  anything  being 
deducted  from  it  and  it  must  be  given  in  such  a  manner  that  they  may  not 
know  who  directed  that  it  be  given  them. 

First,  io  the  heirs  of  Gueronimo  del  Puerto,  father  of  Benito  del  Puerto, 
chancellor  in  Genoa,  twenty  ducats  or  its  value. 

To  Antonio,  tobacco  [?]  merchant,  a  Genoese,  who  customarily  lived  in 
Lisbon,  two  thousand  five  hundred  Portuguese  reales,  which  are  a  little  more 
than  seven  ducats,  at  the  rate  of  385  reales  to  the  ducat. 

To  an  Indian  who  dwelt  at  the  gate  of  the  Jewry  in  Lisbon,  or  to  who¬ 
ever  shall  send  a  priest,  the  value  of  half  a  silver  mark. 

To  the  heirs  of  Luis  Centurion  Isconto  [«c  pro  Scoto],  Genoese  mer¬ 
chant,  thirty  thousand  Portuguese  Reays,  of  which  a  ducat  is  worth  385 
Reays,  which  are  75  ducats,  a  little  more  or  less. 

To  those  same  heirs  of  Paulo  de  Negron  [sic  pro  Negro],  Genoese,  five 
ducats  or  their  value, — half  must  be  given  to  the  heirs  of  one  and  half  to 
the  heirs  of  the  other. 

To  Batista  Espi'ndola  [sic  pro  Spinola]  or  to  his  heirs  if  he  is  dead,  twenty 
ducats;  this  Batista  Espindola  is  son-in-law  of  the  aforesaid  Luis  Centurion, 
who  was  the  son  of  micer  Nicolas  Espindola  of  the  poll  de  romo  [sic  pro  de 
Lucoli  de  Ronco]  and  by  indications  he  was  staying  in  Lisbon  in  the  year 
1482. 

Which  said  memorandum  I  desire  shall  be  fulfilled  and  paid  according 
to  what  is  contained  therein,  so  that  his  soul  and  mine  shall  be  without 
burden,  and  if  such  creditors  cannot  be  given  or  sent  to  their  heirs  and  if 
there  shall  be  delay  or  the  said  persons  cannot  easily  be  found  in  any  way, 
as  soon  as  I  die  the  said  three  hundred  ducats  shall  be  set  aside  and  de¬ 
posited  with  an  honest  and  creditable  person,  who  shall  present  a  favour¬ 
able  appearance  to  my  executors,  in  order  that  by  means  of  this  person 
this  may  be  fulfilled  as  quickly  as  possible. 

XII.  Item.  I  bequeath  to  the  customary  pious  works,  to  each  one  of 
them,  whatever  is  customary  in  other  testaments,  and  by  this  clause  I  set 
it  aside  from  all  my  estates. 

XIII.  Item.  I  declare  that  inasmuch  as  the  Admiral,  Don  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus,  my  lord, — may  he  be  in  glory — in  his  will  made  and  drew 
up  two  clauses,  and  in  one  of  them  in  question  he  directed  that  from  the 
revenues  of  the  said  Majorat  there  should  be  taken  the  tenth  part  for  rela¬ 
tives  and  poor,  needy  persons  and  pious  works,  and,  in  the  other  clause  he 
directed  that  when  there  should  be  in  this  estate  and  Majorat  a  sufficient 


Appendix  679 

revenue  for  the  purpose,  there  should  be  built  and  erected  a  Chapel  where 
three  masses  should  be  said  each  day,  in  the  honour  and  reverence  of  the 
Holy  Trinity:  and  he  indicated  that  his  will  was  that  if  possible  it  should 
be  on  this  island  of  Espanola  and  even  making  it  appear  that  he  desired 
it  to  be  in  the  city  of  La  Concepcion,  where  he  had  commenced  it:  and  I, 
desiring  to  fulfil  as  much  as  possible  what  is  contained  in  the  said  testa¬ 
ment,  since  he,  through  such  labours,  risk,  and  danger  to  his  person,  and 
debts  and  expenditure  acquired  this  estate  and  God  willed  to  show  and 
reveal  to  him  these  regions — and  up  to  the  present  time  I  have  fulfilled 
what  I  have  been  able  in  doing  good  for  his  soul  according  to  the  revenue 
I  have  had,  but  as  I  have  not  entirely  fulfilled  ii  nor  built  the  said  Chapel 
and  established  the  chaplaincies  and  perpetual  sepulchre,  because  of  the 
many  needs  and  expenses  which  I  have  met  with  and  the  journeys  from 
Spain  and  law-suits  and  because  of  the  small  opportunity  which  I  have 
had,  I  have  not  been  able  to  fulfil  it :  I  direct  if  the  time  shall  come  to  ful¬ 
fil  it  and  if  I  shall  die  on  this  voyage,  and  God  shall  will  to  dispose  of  me 
now  or  at  whatever  time  it  may  be,  considering  that  the  said  Admiral,  my 
lord,  was  always  devoted  to  the  order  of  the  beneficent  Saint,  Lord  San  Fran¬ 
cisco,  and  died  wearing  his  habit,  and  likewise,  especially  charged  that  his 
body  shoidd  be  buried  07i  this  island,  since  he  could  not  select  a  more  accept¬ 
able  sepulchre,  than  in  these  regions  which  God  willed  to  miraculously 
make  known  to  him  to  discover  and  acquire :  and  as  in  the  said  city  of  La 
Concepcion  there  has  been  a  diminution  of  the  Indians,  by  reason  of  which 
and  of  many  other  causes  it  results  and  takes  place  each  day  that  it  is  de¬ 
populated  and  diminished  and  even  there  is  no  certainty  that  it  can  endure 
for  a  long  time,  and  the  one  which  it  can  be  believed  will  endure,  and  be 
more  enduring  and  noble  and  better  populated  and  the  principal  place  in 
these  regions  is  this  city  of  San  Domingo:  in  order  to  fulfil  the  said  clauses 
for  the  honour  and  service  of  God  I  have  determined  and  it  is  my  intention 
to  bnild  and  erect  a  monastery  for  nuns  in  this  city,  which  I  wish  to  be  of  the 
said  Order  of  the  Lord  San  Francisco,  and  of  his  religious  and  devout  Santa 
Clara,  in  which  monastery  in  the  High  Chapel  of  the  High  Church  belonging 
to  it,  may  be  the  burial  plaee  and  sepulehre  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  and  my 
own,  and  to  the  said  Chapel  may  be  carried  his  body,  which  is  deposited  in  the 
Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  of  Seville  and  there  may  be  carried  to  the  same 
sepulehre  the  body  of  Doha  Philippa  Mohiz,  my  lady,  his  wife, — may  she  rest 
in  glory — which  is  in  Lisbon  in  the  Monastery  of  El  Carmen,  in  a  chapel 
belonging  to  her  family  which  is  called  De  la  Piedad,  and  there  may  be  likewise 
carried  there  the  body  of  the  Adelantado,  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  my 
uncle,  which  is  deposited  in  the  Monastery  of  San  Francisco  in  this  city  and 
my  body  may  be  carried  and  placed  in  the  said  sepulchre  from  wherever  it 
shall  be  buried  and  deposited,  which  monastery,  and  the  Church  and 
Chapel  belonging  to  it,  I  designate  for  the  interment  of  the  said  my  parents 
and  mine  and  of  my  successors  and  descendants,  for  the  building  and  sus¬ 
taining  of  which  monastery  the  tenth  part  of  the  Majorat  may  be  expended 
because  in  spending  it  there  the  things  may  be  fulfilled,  for  the  Admiral, 


68o 


Christopher  Columbus 

my  lord,  in  his  will  stated  that  it  was  for  relations  and  needy  persons  and 
pious  works.  I  direct  that  this  monastery  be  erected  and  located  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill  which  was  for  Santa  Barhola  above  the  river  on  the  side  of  San  Fran¬ 
cisco  in  eight  plots  which  I  have  there  designated  for  the  said  house,  in  which 
said  site  I  desire  and  it  is  my  will  that  a  habitation  and  house  shall  be 
erected  for  fifty  nuns,  twenty-five  of  whom  shall  be  received  and  perpetually 
protected  and  maintained  in  it  for  ever  after  by  the  nomination  and  selec¬ 
tion  of  the  successor  of  this  house  and  estate  and  Majorat.  These  nuns  are 
to  be  maintained  from  the  said  tenth  part  which  the  Admiral  my  lord, 
designated,  and  which  all  the  successors  of  this  house  are  obligated  to  dis¬ 
tribute  in  the  aforesaid  manner,  and  the  rest  which  I  shall  leave  for  the 
said  Monastery.  I  desire  and  it  is  my  will,  conforming  in  some  degree  with 
that  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  that  these  nuns  should  be  needy  persons,  if 
possible  my  relatives  if  they  can  be  found  or  relatives  of  my  descendants 
whom  I  would  prefer  to  any  others  whatever,  and  in  default  of  these,  that 
they  be  daughters  of  servants  of  the  house,  and  not  finding  either  that  they 
be  daughters  of  noble  families  if  they  can  be  found  who  are  in  need  as  has 
been  stated;  and  not  finding  them  that  they  be  of  another  station,  accord¬ 
ing  as  they  shall  be  selected  and  appointed  by  the  successor  in  this,  my 
house  and  Majorat;  provided  that  none  of  the  persons  who  may  be  selected 
to  enter  the  said  religion  and  house  shall  be  a  Jewish  proselyte;  and  that 
none  may  be  selected  or  credited  that  he  may  be  diligently  examined  as  to 
whether  he  and  they  are  or  not ;  and  for  the  aid  of  the  edifice  and  mainte¬ 
nance  of  the  said  house  and  its  nuns,  I  direct  that  as  soon  as  God  shall  take 
me  from  this  present  life,  my  executors  shall  set  aside  two  hundred  head 
of  cows  from  those  which  I  have  in  yguano  which  I  desire  and  direct  shall 
be  given  from  my  estate  to  the  said  house  and  monastery,  in  order  that 
they  may  be  continually  maintained  if  it  shall  be  possible  and  their  increase 
may  profit  the  house  and  be  the  property  and  possession  of  the  said  Monas¬ 
tery  ;  and  in  the  same  manner  I  direct  that  a  thousand  head  of  ewes  shall 
be  set  aside  and  given  and  their  increase,  all  of  which  while  the  nuns  shall 
not  receive  it,  may  be  spent  in  the  building  of  the  said  Monastery,  which 
said  cows  and  ewes  I  declare  that  I  give  as  alms  to  the  said  house  and  for 
the  satisfaction  and  discharge  of  what  I  have  not  entirely  paid  of  the  tenth 
of  the  said  Majorat  which  the  said  Admiral,  my  lord,  left  established  for 
pious  works ;  and  the  other  nuns  who  shall  be  received  in  the  said  monas¬ 
tery  may  be  at  the  discretion  of  the  said  successor  in  the  Majorat  and  may 
enter  with  their  dowries  for  maintenance  as  shall  appear  best  to  the  said 
my  successor  in  the  Majorat  and  to  whoever  shall  be  the  Abbess  of  the  said 
Monastery,  and  I  direct  that  in  the  High  Chapel  of  the  said  Monastery, 
where  the  said  burial  place  is  designated,  the  said  three  masses  which  the 
Admiral,  my  lord,  ordered  may  be  said,  and  with  the  said  Chapel  there 
may  be  fulfilled  the  said  clause  of  his  testament;  and  I  direct  that  if  a 
Bull  or  dispensation  shall  be  necessary  for  the  aforesaid  or  for  any  thing 
or  part  of  it,  that  the  said  Bull  and  licence  be  brought  from  the  supreme 
Pontiff  and  paid  for  from  my  property,  in  order  to  erect  and  build  the  said 


Appendix  681 

Monastery,  as  has  been  stated.  Moreover,  I  direct  that  a  continual  mass 
for  my  soul  shall  be  said  in  the  said  Monastery,  for  which  purpose  I  direct 
that  one  hundred  pesos  of  income  shall  be  purchased  for  the  chaplain  or 
priest  who  shall  say  them,  and  for  their  purchase  I  direct  my  executors  to 
take  from  my  estate  the  amount  of  golden  pesos  which  shall  suffice  for  the 
purpose,  with  which  the  said  income  may  be  purchased,  and  I  desire  and 
it  is  my  will  that  during  the  time  when  the  said  Monastery  is  being  finished, 
the  said  continual  mass  may  be  said  for  me  from  the  day  of  my  decease,  in 
the  church  where  my  body  shall  be  until  it  shall  be  taken  to  the  said  Monas¬ 
tery  and  chapel  and  there  may  be  place  and  disposition  for  the  said  mass 
being  said  therein.  This  said  Chaplaincy  with  the  other  three  may  be 
provided  and  presented  by  the  successor  in  the  Majorat  of  this  house,  and 
may  be  served  by  the  persons  whom  he  shall  select  and  appoint:  and  I 
charge  it  upon  his  conscience  to  try  to  select  them  and  to  select  those  who 
shall  be  of  good  life  and  character,  fearful  of  God  and  with  a  good  con¬ 
science  and  the  most  learned  that  he  can  find;  and  I  declare  three  things 
in  regard  to  the  Chaplaincy  which  I  institute,  the  first,  that  by  it  I  intend 
to  fulfil  the  clause  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  in  which  he  directed  that  when 
the  wealth  of  the  Majorat  shall  be  sufficient  the  chapel  which  he  directed 
to  be  built  may  be  increased  in  devotions  and  parts;  second,  that  I  estab¬ 
lish  it  for  my  soul  and  the  soul  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  and  of  the  Adelan- 
tado,  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  my  uncle,  and  after  them,  for  all  the 
faithful  departed:  third,  I  say  that  inasmuch  as  I  am  devoted  to  the  Pas¬ 
sion  mass,  I  desire  and  it  is  my  will  that  the  mass  shall  be  said  every  Friday 
in  the  said  chapel  of  the  Passion  when  there  shall  be  no  special  feast  to  pre¬ 
vent  it,  and  the  other  days  it  may  be  said  in  La  Cruz,  except  Easter  days 
and  Feast  days  to  be  kept  and  special  days,  on  which  days  the  said  mass 
shall  be  the  one  belonging  to  the  offices  which  are  being  observed. 

XIV .  Item.  I  direct  my  executors  and  my  successor  in  my  Majorat, 
that  while  arrangements  are  being  made  to  finish  the  said  Monastery  and 
to  take  up  and  carry  to  it  the  body  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  from  the  said 
Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  of  Seville,  where  it  is,  that  of  the  said  tenth  part 
of  the  revenue  from  the  said  Majorat  which  is  to  be  expended  in  pious 
works  and  for  the  poor,  there  shall  be  given  to  the  Convent  and  monks  of 
the  said  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas,  ten  thousand  maravedis  each  year  while 
the  said  body  shall  remain  there  until  arrangements  are  made  to  take  it 
away,  as  has  been  said,  that  said  monks  may  take  care  to  pray  to  God  for 
his  soul  and  the  souls  of  the  others  for  I  charge  them  to  do  so:  which  said 
ten  thousand  maravedis  I  have  continuously  given  and  paid  to  them  each 
year  since  the  said  body  has  been  there. 

XV .  Item.  Inasmuch  as  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  left  me  a  charge  re¬ 
garding  Beatriz  Enriquez,  who  was  near  to  him  on  account  of  certain  obli¬ 
gations  which  he  was  under  toward  her  and  directed  that  I  should  give  her 
ten  thousand  maravedis  each  year,  which  I  have  fulfilled,  and  as  I  believe 
that- this  was  not  paid  her  during  some  years  of  her  life,  I  direct  that  the 
amount  which  shall  appear  not  to  have  been  paid  her  during  her  life  shall 


682  Christopher  Columbus 

be  found  out  and  that  it  shall  be  paid  to  her  heirs,  for  I  believe  that  pay¬ 
ment  of  the  said  ten  thousand  maravedis  was  not  made  for  three  or  four 
years  before  she  died,  and  I  do  not  exactly  remember. 

XVI.  Item.  1  direct  that  if  at  the  time  of  my  death,  the  dowry  which 
was  to  be  given  me  with  the  Vicereine,  Dona  Maria  de  Toledo,  my  wife, 
which  up  to  the  day  of  the  date  of  this,  my  testament,  has  not  been  paid 
to  me  nor  have  I  received  it, — -shall  have  been  received,  it  shall  be  returned 
to  her  intact  and  besides  the  dowry  there  shall  be  given  her  two  thousand 
ducats  in  gold  which  I  settled  upon  her  at  her  marriage,  all  of  which  shall 
immediately  be  paid  from  mj^  estate,  and  further  I  bequeath  her  and  it  is 
m}’  will  and  desire  that  she  shall  have,  besides  the  aforesaid,  all  the  jewels 
of  gold,  of  silver,  percious  stones  and  pearls  and  articles  of  personal  attire 
which  I  have  given  her,  both  for  state  occasions  and  for  ordinary  wear 
which  I  donate  to  her  from  the  present  time  and  direct  that  they  be  de¬ 
livered  and  left  to  her  freely  without  any  hindrance  or  restraint  to  her 
whatever. 

XVII.  Item.  I  direct  and  require  Don  Luis  Columbus,  my  son,  and 
the  successor  of  this  house  to  read  frequently  the  testament  of  the  Admiral, 
my  lord,  and  my  own,  and  to  take  care  to  fulfil  what  is  contained  in  them, 
particularly  in  regard  to  the  special  obligations,  which  are,  not  to  diminish 
the  said  Majorat  in  anything  and  to  continually  and  conscientiously  pay 
the  said  tenth  part  which  the  said  Admiral,  my  lord,  directed  should  be 
distributed  in  pious  works,  and  render  service  in  everything  they  can  and 
labour  for  the  spreading  of  the  Christian  Religion,  in  everything  relating 
to  the  service  of  his  Majesty  and  of  his  successors,  devoting  to  this  purpose 
his  person  and  estate  as  a  good  and  loyal  vassal. 

XVIII.  Item.  I  direct  that  he  shall  protect,  aid,  and  keep  together 
my  children  and  relatives  and  honour  and  assist  them  with  whatever  God 
shall  give  him,  since  there  is  greater  reason  to  do  it  for  them  than  for  any 
other  stranger,  especially  as  they  are  few  in  number  and  it  is  right  that 
both  should  be  aided  and  protected. 

XIX.  Item.  I  say  and  declare  that  all  the  original  privileges  of  the 
Majorat,  and  many  other  documents  and  grants  relating  to  it,  and  the  will 
of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  and  the  contract  of  dowry  whica  the  Commander, 
my  lord,  bestowed  upon  me  and  the  contract  of  the  marriage  settlement 
which  I  allowed  the  Vicereine  are  all  in  the  Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas  of 
Seville  in  possession  of  the  prior  and  convent  of  the  said  house. 

XX.  Item.  I  bequeath  to  Don  Luis  Columbus,  my  eldest  son  and  his 
successor  in  the  Majorat  the  share  which  I  possess  in  the  buildings  of  my 
dwelling  place  with  all  the  plots  of  land  belonging  to  it  which  are  in  this 
city,  in  which  I  live,  and  I  cede  and  transfer  to  him  the  right  which  I 
possess  to  this  share  of  everything,  which,  as  they  are  necessary  to  the  suc¬ 
cessor  in  the  said  Majorat,  I  direct  shall  always  be  vested  and  remain  in 
the  person  of  whoever  succeeds  therein,  and  that  the  said  Don  Luis  or  any 
other  successor  or  heir  of  this  estate  cannot  alienate,  barter,  exchange, 
donate,  or  transfer  them  in  any  manner  whatever,  but  that  whoever  shall 


Appendix  683 

succeed  in  the  estate  shall  always  succeed  to  these  rights.  If  it  is  necessary 
I  adjudge  them  to  the  said  Don  Luis,  my  heir  in  the  said  Majorat,  and 
direct  that  he  shall  have  them  and  hold  them  for  himself  and  for  his  suc¬ 
cessors  in  the  said  Majorat,  and  I  entreat  and  beg,  as  a  favour,  of  the  Vice¬ 
reine,  Dona  Maria  de  Toledo,  that  she  may  think  it  best  to  leave  the  interest 
which  she  has  in  them  or  shall  appear  to  have  or  which  belongs  to  her, 
after  her  days,  to  the  said  Don  Luis,  or  to  the  heir  to  this  house  with  the 
same  charge  and  restriction  under  which  I  leave  mine  to  him;  and  I  de¬ 
clare  that  the  interest  which  I  give  him  in  the  said  buildings  must  not  be 
counted  nor  may  it  be  counted  in  his  portion.  Their  value,  which  I  desire 
to  be  estimated  and  I  estimate  at  three  thousand  ducats,  shall  be  deducted 
from  the  melioration  of  it  which  I  make  below,  which  interest  in  the  said 
buildings  I  intend  to  give  as  an  extra  portion  to  the  said  Don  Luis  Colum¬ 
bus,  my  son  for  himself  and  for  all  the  descendants  in  the  said  Majorat,  to 
which  Majorat  I  entail  and  join  them,  as  has  been  said. 

XXL  Item.  I  say  that  inasmuch  as  according  to  the  agreement  and 
prohibitions  and  the  privileges  of  the  Majorat  of  this  house,  there  belongs 
and  is  due  to  the  successor  therein,  the  eighth  part  of  all  the  revenues  and 
profits  which  may  be  and  shall  be  received  in  these  regions,  and  as  for  a 
long  time  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  or  I  have  never  received  it,  nor  has  the 
said  eighth  part  been  given  or  paid  to  us,  which  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  like¬ 
wise  declares  in  his  testament,  I  entreat  and  charge  my  executors  and  I 
direct  my  heirs  to  most  effectually  solicit  and  supplicate  with  great  dili¬ 
gence,  the  Emperor,  our  Lord,  in  regard  to  it,  begging  justice  from  him  and 
charging  it  upon  his  conscience  in  such  ways  and  manners  as  shall  be  pos¬ 
sible,  in  order  that  he  may  direct  that  there  shall  be  paid  to  me  the  said 
eighth  part  of  everything  which  may  be  received  and  obtained  in  these 
Indies,  for  it  is  very  justly  owing  to  me,  and  I  direct  that  everything  which 
shall  be  derived  and  received  from  this  shall  be  divided  among  my  heirs 
in  equal  parts  in  the  manner  and  form  which  I  have  instituted  for  them  as 
just,  by  means  of  which  each  one  may  have  his  legitimate  part  and  extra 
portion  in  the  same  manner,  and  as  I  shall  designate  and  appoint  in  the 
other  property. 

Moreover,  I  say  that  likewise,  according  to  the  said,  my  privileges  and 
the  declarations  of  them,  there  is  due  me  the  tenth  part  of  all  the  gold, 
pearls,  precious  stones,  and  any  other  things  whatever  which  shall  be  ac¬ 
quired  and  received  both  in  the  islands  and  on  the  mainland,  as  shown  by 
the  said  privileges,  and  of  everything  which  may  be  received  on  the  main¬ 
land  and  Yucatan  and  the  Almoxarifazgos,  and  nothing  whatever  has  ever 
been  paid  to  me,  by  reason  of  which  all  is  owing  to  me.  Therefore  I  en¬ 
treat  and  charge  my  executors  and  successors  to  procure  and  solicit  the 
recovery  of  it  from  the  Emperor,  our  Lord;  and  I  direct  that  what  shall  be 
received  from  it  shall  be  divided  among  my  heirs  in  the  order  and  manner 
which  I  have  declared  in  the  paragraph  before  this  one. 

XXII.  Item.  I  declare  that  between  Don  Ferdinand  Columbus,  my 
brother,  and  me,  there  were  certain  differences  on  account  of  a  certain 


684 


Christopher  Columbus 

legacy  which  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  had  left  him  and  on  account  of  the 
houses  which  he  said  belonged  to  him  by  his  will  in  regard  to  which  we 
agreed  so  that  I  should  give  him  each  year  two  hundred  thousand  mara- 
vedis,  of  which  there  is  a  document  and  agreement  which  will  be  found 
among  my  papers,  and  it  is  therefore  my  intention  to  fulfil  and  observe  it 
during  my  life;  but  1  declare  that  after  my  death  I  do  not  desire  to  leave 
this  charge  to  my  successor,  for  I  rendered  him  [Ferdinand]  due  considera¬ 
tion  because  he  was  my  brother  and  on  account  of  the  great  love  which  I 
alwa5-s  felt  for  him;  but  as  the  revenues  from  the  Majorat  are  not  as  large 
as  they  were  at  the  time  of  the  said  contract  and  as  they  were  expected  to 
be  and  it  would  be  difficult  for  my  successor  to  pay  them,  I  desire  that  the 
said  document  may  be  examined  and  I  say  and  declare  that  I  consider  it 
well  that  it  be  cancelled  and  withdrawn  and  that  my  successor  may  not 
be  obliged  to  fulfil  it  as  I  fulfilled  it,  which  I  say  and  declare  as  well  as  I 
am  able. 

XXIII.  Item.  I  direct  that  from  the  part  of  my  property  which  can 
be  realised  quickest  there  shall  be  paid  all  the  debts,  for  services  as  well  as 
for  any  other  purpose,  which  I  leave  declared  in  this,  my  testament,  and 
as  I,  at  the  present  time  do  not  remember  any  more  than  those  which  will 
be  declared  below  and  are  contained  in  this  testament,  I  direct  that  all 
the  others  which  it  shall  be  shown  by  my  books  or  by  any  signatures  or  by 
legal  proof  that  I  owe  and  am  under  obligation  for,  to  servants  of  the 
Admiral,  my  lord,  and  my  own  as  well  as  to  any  other  persons  whatsoever 
of  whatever  station  they  may  be,  shall  be  paid;  and  regarding  those  which 
shall  not  be  shown  by  documents  or  legal  proof,  I  direct  that  if  any  persons 
shall  come  to  beg  payment  of  debts  which  I  owe  them  they  shall  be  be¬ 
lieved  upon  their  oath  if  the  amount  is  not  more  than  three  pesos  of 
gold. 

XXIV.  Item.  I  declare  and  say  that  Don  Diego  Columbus,  my 
uncle,  died  in  Seville  in  the  year  1513  pro  quince]  I  do  not  remember 
in  what  month,  and  at  the  time  of  his  end  and  decease  he  made  his  last  and 
final  will,  in  which  he  established  as  his  general  heir.  Dona  Maria  Columbus, 
my  daughter,  and  named  me  as  tutor  and  guardian  of  the  said,  my  daughter, 
and  I  arrived  in  Seville  from  these  regions  in  the  month  of  April  of  the  afore¬ 
said  year  1513,  in  which  said  month  in  the  said  city  there  was  given  and 
delivered  to  me  from  his  estate,  as  such  tutor  and  guardian,  two  thousand 
ducats,  and  a  mule  which  at  the  time  had  cost  him  twenty-five  thousand 
maravedis,  all  of  which  I  received  in  the  aforesaid  capacity,  in  the  name  of 
the  said  Dona  Maria  Columbus  my  daughter,  besides  which  the  Vicereine 
Dona  Maria  de  Toledo  my  wife,  received  on  account  of  the  said  inheritance 
in  the  name  of  the  said  my  daughter,  in  this  island  three  hundred  pesos  of 
pure  gold,  one  hundred  of  which  he  directed  should  be  given  to  a  son  of 
Barbola,  my  servant,  so  that  I  have  received  and  collected  as  such  tutor 
and  guardian  of  the  said,  my  daughter,  from  the  said  inheritance,  the  said 
two  thousand  ducats  and  twenty-five  thousand  maravedis  in  Castile  and 
two  hundred  Castellanos  on  this  island,  all  of  which  I  ov/e  and  am  under 


685 


Appendix 

obligation  for  to  the  said  my  daughter,  and  I  direct  that  it  shall  at  once  be 
paid  from  my  estate;  and  as  I,  in  the  administration  and  increase  of  the 
said  property  was  not  as  diligent  as  I  should  have  been  in  capacity  of  tutor 
for  the  satisfaction  of  my  conscience,  I  direct  and  it  is  my  will  for  the 
amount  of  revenue  which  could  be  purchased  in  Castile  with  the  two  thou¬ 
sand  ducats  and  twenty-five  thousand  maravedis,  at  the  time  when  I  re¬ 
ceived  them,  there  shall  be  given  her  the  interest  which  should  be  received, 
according  to  what  shall  be  decided  by  my  executors,  taking  into  account 
the  amount  of  revenue  which  could  be  purchased  in  Seville,  where  I  re¬ 
ceived  the  sums  in  the  aforesaid  year,  which  said  interest  shall  be  paid, 
reckoning  from  the  day  when  I  received  the  said  money  up  to  two  months 
after  this,  my  testament,  may  be  opened  and  published :  and  regarding  the 
two  hundred  pesos  which  I  received  in  this  island  and  collected  there  shall 
be  given  and  paid  to  her  what  the  said,  my  executors  shall  think  right, 
taking  into  account  what  could  be  brought  with  them  here  at  the  time, 
which  would  be  useful  to  the  said,  my  daughter.  I  direct  that  this  be 
given  and  paid  to  the  said,  my  daughter,  in  the  aforesaid  manner  without 
law-suit,  reversion,  or  any  opposition  whatever,  for  I  admit  that  I  owe 
the  sum  to  her  and  that  they  belong  to  the  said  Dona  Maria  Columbus,  my 
daughter;  and  if,  by  chance,  at  the  time  when  this,  my  testament,  shall 
be  opened,  the  said  Dona  Maria  Columbus,  my  daughter,  or  whoever  shall 
have  her  property  in  charge,  shall  not  be  in  the  place  where  it  is  opened, 
I  direct  that  the  said  interests  may  run  and  be  paid  in  the  aforesaid  man¬ 
ner,  for  two  months  after  she  or  the  person  who  shall  have  charge  of  her 
property  shall  learn  of  it  and  of  this  legacy  and  clause  and  declarations 
which  I  make  here,  unless  it  shall  be  paid  to  her  sooner. 

XXV.  Item.  In  the  same  manner,  I  direct  that  the  said  one  hundred 
pesos  of  gold  of  principal  with  the  interest,  shall  be  paid  to  the  said  son  of 
Barbola,  inasmuch  as  the  Vicereine  collected  them  and  spent  them  for 
necessary  things. 

XXVI.  Item.  Inasmuch  as  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  left  me  a  command, 
as  an  obligation,  that  I,  in  person  should  each  month  take  account  of  the 
expense  of  my  household  and  sign  it  with  my  name,  because  by  doing  the 
contrary  many  times  the  servants  would  lose  and  the  estate,  and  enmities 
would  be  created,  and  as  this  command  is  so  just  I  have  always  thus  ful¬ 
filled  and  observed  it,  and  I  likewise  direct  that  my  successor  in  the  Ma¬ 
jorat  shall  observe  it  and  obey  it  in  order  that  by  doing  it  and  observing 
it  great  good  and  profit  may  be  obtained,  and  the  command  of  the 
Admiral,  my  lord, — may  he  rest  in  glory — shall  be  fulfilled. 

The  maravedis  and  debts  which  at  the  present  time  I  remember  that 
I  owe  in  Castile  are  the  following:  To  Nicolas  de  Guinaldi.  Genoese  mer¬ 
chant,  who  resides  at  the  Court  of  the  Emperor,  our  lord,  four  hundred 
and  twenty-six  thousand  and  four  hundred  and  twenty  maravedis. 

XXVII.  It  will  be  shown  by  a  cedula  or  document  executed  by  me 
that  I  owe  the  aforesaid  fifty  thousand  maravedis  each  year  during  his 
life,  all  of  which  will  appear  therein.  Of  this  amount  he  has  not  received 


686 


Christopher  Columbus 

any  payment  whatever  up  to  the  day  of  the  date  of  this,  my  testament, 
and  I  direct  that  it  shall  be  paid  to  him. 

To  Pedro  de  Medina  two  hundred  thousand  maravedis. 

To  Nebreda  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  thousand  five  hundred 
maravedis. 

To  Luis  de  Soria,  canon,  deceased,  or  to  his  heirs,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  six  hundred  and  forty  maravedis. 

To  the  Burpues  (?)  five  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  four  hundred  and 
sixty  maravedis. 

To  the  Jurist,  Antonio  Bernal,  eighty-nine  thousand  six  hundred  and 
forty  maravedis. 

It  will  be  found  that  all  the  aforesaid  reside  in  Seville. 

The  pesos  of  gold  which  I  remember  that  I  owe  on  this  island  are  the 
following : 

To  Adrian  de  Bibaldo  and  Tomas  de  Fornel.  To  Gaspar  Centurion  one 
thousand  ducats  which  it  happened  that  he  paid  for  me.  To  Melchor 
Centurion. 

To  Sancho  de  Urritia  one  thousand  pesos  of  gold  of  Yucatan  which  he 
loaned  me,  as  will  be  shown  by  a  note  which  he  has  signed  with  my  name. 

To  Fernando  de  Berrio  six  hundred  pesos  of  gold  which  he  loaned  me, 
which  will  be  shown  by  a  note  which  he  has  signed  with  my  name. 

To  the  Treasurer  Miguel  de  Pasamonte  seven  hundred  pesos  of  gold, 
a  little  more  or  less,  which  will  be  shown  by  the  cedulas  or  notes  which  he 
has  signed  with  my  name,  to  which  I  refer. 

To  the  Ginobeses  engaged  in  the  slave  trade  two  thousand  five  hundred 
arrobas  of  sugar  for  fifty  negroes  who  may  be  received  from  them  up  to 
the  date  of  this  testament. 

Item.  Further  to  Juan  de  la  Pena  one  hundred  pesos  of  gold  which  I 
promised  to  give  him  for  a  jewel  which  he  had  and  gave  to  Dona  Maria, 
my  daughter. 

Item.  Five  hundred  pesos  of  gold,  a  little  more  or  less,  which  I  remem¬ 
ber  that  I  owe  on  account  of  the  tenth  which  I  am  obliged  to  deduct  from 
my  revenues,  which  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  left  directions  should  be  de¬ 
ducted  for  distribution  in  the  service  of  our  Lord,  which  may  be  regarded 
as  borrowed  to  meet  some  necessities  which  we  have  been  under:  which 
pesos  of  gold  are  to  be  restored  and  paid  so  that  by  their  means  there  may 
be  effected  and  fulfilled  what  I  leave  ordered  in  this  my  testament  regard¬ 
ing  the  erection  of  the  monastery  or  as  shall  be  decided  by  the  lawyer  or 
lawyers  with  whom  my  executors  shall  take  counsel  that  it  may  be  fulfilled 
for  the  lightening  of  my  conscience,  and  regarding  it  see  the  clause  of  the 
testament  of  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  which  speaks  of  the  said  tenth:  and 
I  direct  that  this  sum  be  paid  intact  without  the  deduction  of  anything 
whatever,  for  the  clause  above  regarding  the  institution  of  the  monastery 
in  which  I  say  that  the  cows  and  ewes  which  I  bequeathed  for  it  I  intend 
to  be  also  for  the  satisfaction  of  what  I  have  failed  to  pay,  stated  that  on 
account  of  that,  I  do  not  desire  that  any  legacy  of  this  testament  be  de- 


Appendix  687 

creased  or  unpaid.  And  as  to  the  debts  declared  above  which  I  say  that 
I  owe  in  Castile,  I  say  that  I  am  not  certain  if  they  are  owed,  but  rather  I 
believe  that  they  are  all  paid  or  the  greater  part  of  them  because  since  con¬ 
tracting  the  said  debts  and  coming  to  this  island,  I  have  sent  on  different 
times  and  occasions,  many  sums  in  gold,  pearls,  and  sugar  to  pay  them, 
and  the  said  creditors  have  there  received  them.  This  present  year  on  the 
last  vessels  which  left  here  before  the  date  of  this  testament,  which  was  in 
the  month  of  April  last,  I  sent  for  their  payment  a  good  quantity  of  pearls 
and  sugar  and  hides,  directed  to  Fernando  Fere,  a  Florentine  merchant 
in  the  city  of  Seville,  that  he  might  sell  them  and  with  the  proceeds  and 
with  another  nine  hundred  thousand  maravedis,  which  he  had  to  collect 
for  me  from  Francisco  del  Alamo,  for  what  remained  due  me  from  the  sale 
of  the  town  of  La  Palma  and  surroundings,  he  should  pay  and  fulfil  the 
said  debts;  and  as  some  changes  have  taken  place  in  regard  to  the  above 
as  well  as  the  other  debts  concerning  all  of  which  I  cannot  be  sure,  I  direct 
that  an  account  shall  be  taken  with  the  said  creditors,  and  what  shall 
appear  to  be  justly  owing  them,  shall  be  paid  them  without  delay  or  law¬ 
suit. 

The  debts  which  are  owing  me  which  I  remember,  are  the  following; 

First,  the  Emperor,  our  Lord  and  the  King,  Don  Ferdinand  and  Dona 
Isabel  of  glorious  memory,  owe  me  all  the  eighth  which  may  belong  to  me 
in  these  regions  on  account  of  which  they  have  not  paid  anything  what¬ 
ever  to  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  or  to  me:  and  besides  there  is  due  me  the 
tenth  from  the  mainland  and  from  Yucatan,  which  is  likewise  mine,  and 
belongs  to  me  as  shown  by  my  privileges  and  these  are  to  be  paid. 

Item,  the  Emperor,  our  Lord,  owes  me  ten  thousand  new  ducats  which 
I  loaned  him  in  moneys  at  the  city  of  Coruna,  when  he  went  to  Flanders, 
as  will  be  shown  by  a  cedula  signed  with  his  name  which  is  in  the  possession 
of  the  Vicereine,  my  wife. 

Item,  nine  hundred  pesos  of  gold  which  his  Highness  owes  me  for  the 
ewes  which  he  took  from  the  Adelantado,  my  uncle — may  he  rest  in  glory 
— because  nine  years  ago  sentence  was  pronounced  by  him  in  order  that 
they  should  be  paid  for. 

Item,  five  hundred  and  fifty  ducats  which  the  Marquis  of  Villa  Franca 
owes  me,  the  son  of  the  Duke  of  Alba,  the  note  for  which  is  in  possession 
of  Garcia  de  Lerma,  and  I  believe  that  they  are  already  paid  according 
to  what  he  wrote  me. 

Item,  eighty  ducats  which  the  Commander-in-chief  of  Alcantara,  son 
of  the  Duke  of  Alba,  owes  me,  the  note  for  which  is  in  possession  of  Garcia 
de  Lerma  for  collection. 

Item,  three  hundred  pesos  of  gold  which  is  owing  me  by  Miguel  Domin¬ 
guez  and  his  heirs  on  the  island  of  San  Juan,  as  the  heir  of  the  Adelantado, 
my  uncle — may  he  rest  in  glory — to  whom  he  owed  them.  The  documents 
relating  to  this  are  in  possession  of  Francisco  Manuel  Dolando,  on  the  said 
island,  who  has  them  in  charge  for  collection. 

Item,  the  King  owes  me  one  thousand  nine  hundred  pesos  of  gold,  a 


68S 


Christopher  Columbus 

little  more  or  less,  according  to  the  auditing  of  accounts  to  find  what  may¬ 
be  due  me  from  m3'  revenues,  which  was  done  at  his  command  by  his  offi¬ 
cials  of  this  island  of  Espahola  with  me :  this  auditing  was  done  in  the  year 
1521.  and  I  have  not  received  anything  whatever  on  account  of  it  up  to 
the  time  of  the  closing  of  the  said  accounts  in  the  books  of  the  accountant 
of  this  Island. 

Item.  The  Commander,  my  lord,  owes  me  a  million  of  the  dowry  of 
the  Vicereine,  m}^  wife,  in  the  half  of  the  third  and  fifth  of  melioration  of 
the  propert}'  of  Dona  Maria  de  Rojas,  my  lady,  her  mother,  which  was 
given  her  in  excess  and  further  she  is  to  have  her  portions,  the  documents 
regarding  which  are  in  Las  Cuevas  of  Seville,  with  others  of  mine. 

Item,  the  half  must  be  collected  from  the  food  of  the  Island  of  La  Mona, 
which  was  done  with  all  the  contraband  goods  there  were  on  the  island 
when  the  Admiral,  my  uncle,  died,  to  whom  the  said  island  belonged  at 
that  time;  and  I  as  his  heir  agreed  with  the  Treasurer  Miguel  de  Pasa- 
monte  and  the  Factor  Juan  de  Ampies  and  the  accountant  Gil  Garcia, 
when  they  took  the  said  island  for  his  Highness,  that  they  should  make 
the  food  and  contraband  stuff  which  there  was  and  will  be  upon  it,  half 
mine  and  the  King  should  take  half,  and  the  other  half  should  be  sowed, 
by'  means  of  which  there  was  a  great  quantity  of  food,  and  up  to  the  present 
nothing  whatever  has  been  given  me:  and  I  do  not  now  remember  other 
debts.  Let  them  be  collected  if  they  are  found  to  be  owing  to  me. 

XXV.  ^  Item.  I  declare  that  the  property  I  possess,  personal  as  well  as 
landed,  will  be  shown  by  inventories  which  are  filed  in  this  testament  and 
signed  with  my  name,  to  which  I  refer. 

And  to  pay  and  fulfil  this,  my  testament  and  the  legacies  and  obsequies 
and  clauses  contained  therein,  I  appoint  and  institute  for  my  executors  the 
Vicereine  Dona  Maria  de  Toledo,  my  wife,  and  Jnan  de  Villoria,  citizen  of 
La  Vega,  and  Friar  Domingo  de  Betanzos,  Religioso  of  the  Order  of  Lord 
Santo  Domingo,  to  whom  and  to  each  one  of  whom  jointly  and  each  one 
by  himself,  insolidum,  I  give  and  grant  my  entire  and  complete  power; 
free  and  full  and  sufficient  that  they  may  enter  into  possession  of  my  prop¬ 
erty'  and  take  the  best  and  least  encumbered  of  it  without  permission  or 
authority  from  judge,  or  permission  from  any  other  persons, — as  large  a 
quantity  as  shall  be  necessary  for  the  fulfilment  of  this  my  testament, — 
and  cause  it  to  be  sold  or  sell  it  at  public  auction  or  otherwise,  as  shall  be 
seen  to  be  best  by  them,  and  fulfil  and  pay  everyffhing  and  for  everything 
entirely  as  provided  for  in  this,  my  testament,  which  power  I  give  and 
grant  with  the  incidences  and  trusts  pertaining  to  and  belonging  to  it,  in 
the  best  manner  possible  and  permitted  by  law. 

XXVI .  And  having  fulfilled  this  said,  my  testament  and  everything 
provided  and  contained  therein,  I  direct  that  what  shall  remain  of  the 
fifth  of  m}^  estate  after  the  things  and  legacies  which  must  be  deducted 
from  it  shall  be  provided  for  shall  belong  to  and  be  vested  in  Don  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus,  my  natural  son,  who  is  in  Castile  and  who  is  now  fifteen 


'  Several  paragraphs  apparently  have  the  same  number. 


Appendix  689 

years  of  age,  which  fifth  of  my  estate  I  bequeath  him  for  his  provision  and 
support,  which  I  direct  shall  be  given  him  without  delay  or  recourse  and 
without  any  delay  or  hindrance  whatever  being  caused  him,  for  it  is  my 
will  that  he  shall  have  it  and  possess  it  for  himself  and  enjoy  it  as  his  own 
possession,  and  shall  have  and  dispose  of  what  he  shall  thus  receive  from 
the  said  fifth  of  my  estate. 

XXVII.  Moreover,  for  the  remainder  of  my  property  I  declare  as  my 
legitimate  children  and  heirs  and  those  of  the  Vicereine,  Dona  Maria  de 
Toledo,  my  legitimate  wife, — Don  Lids  Columbus,  Don  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus,  Doha  Philippa  Columbus,  Doha  Maria  Columbus,  Doha  Joanna,  Doha 
Isabella,  and  the  child  to  which  the  Vicereine  has  not  yet  given  birth,  who 
I  direct  shall  have  and  inherit  my  property  in  the  following  manner. 

That  is  to  say;  Don  Lids  Columbus,  who  is  my  oldest  legitimate  son,  shall 
have  and  possess,  and  I  declare  that  there  shall  belong  to  him  the  Majorat 
and  estate  belonging  to  this  house,  with  all  the  pre-eminencies  and  digni¬ 
ties,  jurisdictions,  and  rights  and  revenues  belonging  to  the  said  Majorat, 
according  to  and  as  contained  in  the  capitulations  and  contracts  and  privi¬ 
leges  which  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  left  regarding  it.  He  shall  enjoy,  hold,  and 
administer  this  estate  as  contained  in  the  said  privileges,  contracts,  and 
articles,  and  as  the  Admiral,  my  lord,  left  established. 

XXVIII .  I  give  to  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  my  legitimate  son,  over 
and  above  his  lawful  portion,  a  third  of  all  my  property,  which  third  I  desire 
that  he  shall  have  and  hold  for  himself,  and  I  direct  that  he  shall  have  and 
possess  the  amount  and  value  of  this  third  in  a  sugar  plantation  belonging  to 
me  which  is  called  Nuestra  Sehora  de  Monte  Alegre,  which  is  on  the  boundary 
of  this  city,  appraising  the  value  of  the  third  and  the  value  of  the  planta¬ 
tion  in  order  that  he  may  have  the  amount  of  the  said  third  in  the  said 
plantation  as  stated:  and  I  give  him  this  portion  over  and  above  his  law¬ 
ful  share,  with  the  charge  and  condition  that  he  cannot  sell  or  transfer  or 
donate  or  barter  or  exchange  or  alter  it  in  any  manner,  and  if  he  actually 
makes  the  said  transfer  or  sale  or  donation  or  exchange,  it  shall  be  void  in 
itself,  and  by  the  same  act  my  other  sons  and  daughters  may  have  it  and 
shall  have  and  inherit  it  in  equal  parts;  and  if  our  Lord  shall  will  to  dis¬ 
pose  of  him  and  take  him  from  this  present  life  before  he  has  a  legitimate 
son  or  daughter,  I  direct  that  the  child  to  which  the  Vicereine,  my  wife, 
has  not  yet  given  birth,  if  it  shall  be  a  son,  shall  have  and  hold  the  said 
third,  but  if  it  shall  be  a  daughter  and  my  said  son  Don  Christopher  Colum¬ 
bus  shall  die  without  leaving  sons  or  legitimate  descendants,  as  stated,  my 
other  legitimate  children  shall  have  and  hold  it  in  equal  parts  whom  I  sub¬ 
stitute  in  the  aforesaid  order,  mutually  and  equally,  and  if  the  child  to 
which  the  Vicereine  has  not  yet  given  birth  shall  be  a  son  and  shall  succeed 
to  this  third  through  default  of  the  said  Don  Christopher,  I  direct  that  he 
may  have  and  hold  it  with  the  same  entails  and  conditions  which  are  set 
forth.  My  other  children  shall  not  be  obliged  to  observe  this  entail,  if  by 
chance,  through  default  of  the  said  Don  Christopher  Columbus  and  of  the 
child  to  which  the  Vicereine  has  not  yet  given  birth,  if  it  shall  be  a  son, 

VOL.  HI. — 44. 


690 


Christopher  Columbus 

they  shall  come  to  inherit  in  equal  parts,  as  stated;  and  I  desire  and  it  is 
my  will  that  the  said  Don  Christopher,  or  in  his  default  the  child  to  which 
the  \'icereine  has  not  yet  given  birth,  providing  he  shall  receive  the  said 
portion  over  and  above  his  legal  share,  shall  not  hold  or  enjoy  the  income 
from  the  said  third  until  he  reaches  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  and  the  in¬ 
come  which  shall  be  received  from  it  during  this  time  I  desire  that  my 
daughters  shall  have  and  hold  to  help  in  their  marriages,  in  the  following 
manner;  Dona  Maria  Columbus,  my  daughter,  shall  have  half  of  the  said 
income,  which  extra  portion  I  bestow  upon  her,  if  it  is  necessary,  in  the 
best  possible  manner ;  and  the  other  half  all  my  other  daughters  shall  have 
in  equal  portions  to  help  in  their  dowries  and  marriages,  providing  that 
any  one  of  them  shall  marry  during  the  said  time  during  which  the  said 
my  son,  is  not  to  enjoy  the  income;  or,  if  any  one  of  them  shall  not  be 
living  in  the  world  or  shall  have  already  entered  an  order  or  estate  for  her 
life,  I  desire  and  it  is  my  will  that  from  that  time  she  shall  not  further  enjoy 
the  part  which  shall  belong  to  her  from  the  said  income,  and  the  said  Don 
Christopher  shall  enjoy  and  hold  it,  or  the  person  who  shall  have  the  said 
extra  portion  of  the  said  third,  so  that,  in  case  any  one  of  the  said  my 
daughters  shall  be  lacking  or  shall  have  disposed  of  her  life  and  shall  have 
entered  the  state  of  marriage  or  religion,  she  shall  not  hold  or  enjoy  the 
part  of  the  said  income  which  may  belong  to  her,  and  it  shall  return  to  and 
be  enjoyed  by  the  said  Don  Christopher,  or  whoever  shall  have  the  extra 
portion  of  the  said  third. 

XXIX.  And  the  remainder  of  my  property  shall  be  possessed  and 
inherited  in  equal  parts,  by  the  said  Don  Luis  Columbus,  and  Don  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus  and  Doha  Philippa  Columbus  and  Doha  Maria  Columbus 
and  Doha  Joanna  Columbus  and  Doha  Isabella  Columbus,  and  the  child 
to  which  the  Vicereine,  Doha  Maria  de  Toledo,  my  lawful  wife,  mother  of 
the  said  my  children,  has  not  yet  given  birth:  and  as  tutor  and  guardian 
of  the  said  my  sons  and  daughters  for  all  and  each  one  of  them,  I  designate 
and  appoint  the  Vicereine,  Doha  Maria  de  Toledo,  my  wife,  in  order  that 
while  she  shall  not  marry  she  shall  have  and  hold  the  persons  and  property 
of  the  said  my  sons  and  daughters,  and  as  such  tutor  and  guardian  manage 
and  administer  their  persons  and  property,  and  the  person  and  Majorat  of 
the  said  Don  Luis  Columbus,  my  son,  with  all  that  belongs  to  his  offices, 
revenues,  and  estates,  appointing  and  discharging  for  such  purpose  such 
persons  as  may  be  fitting  in  order  that  by  her  authority  and  government 
the  person  and  offices  and  property  of  the  said  Don  Luis  Columbus,  and 
of  each  one  of  the  said,  my  children  may  be  guarded  and  administered, 
observing  in  everything  the  service  of  God,  our  Lord,  and  of  the  Emperor 
and  Queen,  our  Lords,  and  of  those  who  shall  be  their  successors,  and  the 
welfare  and  population  of  this  country:  and  I  charge,  implore,  and  pray 
her  as  a  favour  to  take  great  care  of  the  conversion  and  protection  of  the 
natives  of  this  said  country,  and  of  the  welfare  and^increase  of  the  said 
my  children  and  hers,  as  I  hope  in  her  that  she  will  do:  and  I  direct  the 
said  Don  Luis  Columbus,  my  son,  and  all  my  sons  and  daughters  to  always 


691 


Appendix 

obey  her,  and  serve  and  honour  her  since  they  all  have  obligation  and 
cause  to  do  so;  and  if  it  should  happen  that  the  Vicereine,  my  wife,  should 
marry,  I  appoint  and  designate  as  guardians  of  the  person  and  property 
and  offices  of  the  said  Don  Luis  Columbus  my  son,  and  of  the  persons  and 
property  of  all  my  other  sons  and  daughters  and  of  each  one  of  them,  Don 
Ferdinand  Columbus,  my  brother,  and  Juan  de  Villoria,  citizens  and  Gov¬ 
ernor  of  the  city  of  La  Concepcion  de  la  Vega. 

XXX.  Moreover,  inasmuch  as  being  in  the  village  of  San  Lucar,  it 
may  be  three  years  ago,  a  little  more  or  less,  I  made  a  codicil  in  which  I 
bequeathed  certain  legacies,  and  left  it  in  the  Monastery  of  San  Geronimo 
in  the  said  village  of  San  Lucar  de  Barrameda,  I  desire  that  if  there  shall 
be  in  it  any  legacy  which  is  not  in  this  testament,  that  it  shall  be  fulfilled 
and  observed  as  if  it  were  placed  and  noted  here;  and  by  this  my  testa¬ 
ment  I  revoke  and  annul  and  make  void  and  invalid  and  defective  all  and 
any  testament  or  testaments  which  I  up  to  the  present  day  may  have  made 
and  executed  in  any  manner,  which  I  desire  shall  be  invalid  and  worthless 
in  court  or  out  of  court,  except  this  one  which  I  desire  shall  be  valid  and 
legal  in  court  and  out  of  court,  and  if  it  shall  not  be  valid  for  my  testament 
that  it  shall  be  valid  for  my  codicil,  and  if  it  shall  not  be  valid  for  my  last 
and  final  will,  which  I  desire  shall  be  observed  and  fulfilled  in  the  afore¬ 
said  form,  and  that  it  shall  be  valid  in  the  best  manner  possible  in  law,  in 
witness  of  which  I  execute  this  testamentary  letter  as  my  last  will;  before 
Fernando  de  Berrio,  notary  public  of  this  city  of  San  Domingo,  dated  the 
eighteenth  day  of  September,  of  this  year  1523. 

Moreover,  I  say  that  besides  the  debts  above  declared,  there  have  come 
to  memory  the  following  which  I  owe  to  the  persons  here  declared. 

To  Juan  Fernandez  de  las  Varas,  one  hundred  and  eighteen  pesos  and 
two  tomines. 

To  Isabel  de  Campiisano,  who  was  the  wife  of  Geronimo  de  Aguero,  one 
hundred  pesos. 

To  Don  Francisco  Centeno,  who  was  a  citizen  of  the  village  of  Santiago, 
deceased,  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  pesos. 

The  Second  Admiral  Viceroy  Don  Diego  Columbus. 

In  the  city  of  San  Domingo,  by  the  port  of  this  island  of  Espanola, 
Tuesday,  the  eighteenth  day  of  the  month  of  September,  in  the  year  of  the 
birth  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  1523;  the  Illustrious  and  Most  Magnifi¬ 
cent  Lord,  Don  Diego  Columbus,  Admiral,  Viceroy,  and  Governor  in  these 
regions  for  his  Majesty,  in  the  presence  of  me,  Fernando  de  Berrio,  Notary 
Public  and  Member  of  the  Council  of  this  city,  and  of  the  witnesses  below 
subscribed,  said  that  what  is  contained  in  this  document  which  he  presented 
before  me,  closed  and  sealed,  was  his  last  and  final  will  and  testament,  and 
that  it  would  lie  his  will  that  such,  his  testament  should  be  valid  and 
should  be  fulfilled  in  everything  and  by  everything  as  contained  therein, 
leaving  those  persons  contained  therein,  as  his  Lordship  said  he  left  them, 
as  his  heirs  and  executors,  and  revoking  as  he  said  he  revoked  them,  any 


692 


Christopher  Columbus 

testament  and  codicils  whatever  which  he  might  have  made,  which  should 
not  be  valid,  but  this  one  alone,  in  which  he  said  that  his  will  was  fulfilled; 
to  which  there  were  present  as  witnesses  the  Licentiate  Pedro  Vazquez,  and 
Fernando  de  Carbajal,  Alcalde  Mayor,  and  Juan  de  Villoria,  and  Lope  de 
Bardecia,  and  Garcia  de  Aguilar  and  Toribio  Rodriguez  and  Francisco  de 
Santa  Cruz,  his  servants  and  residents  of  this  same  city:  and  his  Lordship 
and  the  said  witnesses  signed  it  with  their  names — The  Admiral  and  Vice- 
ro}' — Fernando  de  Carbajal,  Juan  de  Villoria,  the  Licentiate  Pero  Vazquez, 
Lope  de  Bardeca,  Francisco  de  Santa  Cruz,  Garcia  de  Aguilar,  Toribio 
Rodriguez;  and  I,  Fernando  de  Berrio,  Notary  Public,  and  belonging  to 
the  government  of  this  said  city,  caused  it  to  be  written  and  placed  my 
signature  here,  as  witness. 

The  witnesses  present  at  the  said  petition  have  this  said  testament 
opened  and  published,  and  all  the  rest  contained  above  were  the  Licentiate 
Marcos  de  Aguilar,  and  the  Licentiate  Alonso  Zuazo  and  the  Licentiate 
Pero  Vazquez,  and  the  Licentiate  Troylus  de  Lucena  and  Juan  de  Villoria 
and  Lope  de  Bardeci  and  Garcia  de  Aguilar  and  Hernando  de  Carbajal  and 
Pedro  de  Lanzedo,  citizens  of  this  said  city,  and  Antonio  Lobio,  clerigo  pres- 
bitero,  and  Juan  de  Valle  and  Juan  de  Vargas  and  Alonso  de  Xeres,  servants 
of  the  said  Lady  Vicereine;  and  to  have  this  present  copy  corrected  and 
made  to  agree  with  the  said  original  testament:  Francisco  de  la  Rosa,  clerigo 
presbitero  and  Hernando  Silos  and  Abel  Melendez  and  Juan  de  Loaysa,  resi¬ 
dents  of  this  said  city:  which  copy  was  corrected  and  compared  with  the 
said  original  in  the  said  city  of  San  Domingo  the  sixth  day  of  the  month 
of  May,  in  the  year  of  the  birth  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  1526;  being  in 
the  houses  of  the  dwelling  and  office,  the  said  notary  caused  it  to  be  written, 
and  I,  the  said  Esteban  de  la  Roca,  Notary  of  their  Majesties  and  Notary 
Public  aforesaid,  was  present  together  with  the  said  witnesses  at  all  which 
has  been  said  and  each  one  thing  and  part  of  it :  and  by  order  of  the  said 
Sehor  Alcalde  I  caused  this  present  copy  of  the  said  original  testament  to 
be  written  and  drawn  up,  and  I  corrected  and  compared  it  with  the  said 
original  testament ;  the  witnesses  who  were  present  to  see  it  corrected  and 
compared  were  Francisco  de  la  Rosa,  clerigo  presbitero,  and  the  other  wit¬ 
nesses  aforenamed  in  the  day,  month,  and  year  aforesaid,  and  therefore 
I  placed  this,  my  signet  here,  to  that  effect;  in  witness  of  the  truth  =  [there 
is  a  notarial  signet]  Estaban  de  la  Roca,  Notary  Public  ^between  marks= 
In  Granada  the  14th  day  of  the  month  of  August,  1^26,  Francisco  de  Aguilar 
presented  it  in  the  Council  of  the  Indies. 


INDEX 


A 

A.  F.,  anonymous  author,  birth  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  L,  264 

Abadia,  Juan  de  la,  conspired  to  murder 
Arbues,  I.,  461 

Abagarus,  King,  sought  portrait  of 
Christ,  II.,  221 

Abbas  (Abbe),  title  of  De  Cusa  in  Tetra- 
logus,  I.,  364 

Abranel  (Abrahan),  Isaque,  Isag.,  pay¬ 
ments  to,  I.,  458,  459 
Abre  el  Ojo,  islands  of,  II.,  394 
Abrezuela,  anglezuela,  agrezuela,  mean¬ 
ing  of,  I.,  584 

Aburema,  bay  of,  discovery,  II.,  587,  645 
Aburema,  province  of,  II.,  587 
Academic  des  Sciences  et  des  Arts,  Bul- 
laert,  Columbus  portrait  in.  III.,  55 
Acaiuolus,  Donatus,  Vespucci’s  letter  to, 

I.,  227,  228 

Acci  (Acciensis),  town  of,  former  Corsican 
town,  I.,  362 

Acciensis,  town  of.  See  Acci 
Accord,  Sieur  des,  allusion  to  Leo  X.,  I., 
41 

Acevedo,  Pedro  de,  member  First  Voyage 

I.,  470 

Achfemenidian  family,  Sataspes  belonged 
to,  I.,  29s 

Achras  Sapota  tree.  III.,  425 
Agoque,  Juan  Martines  de,  member  First 
Voyage,  wages  of,  I.,  478 
Acosta,  Joseph  de  (Father),  relates  Pilot 
story,  I,,  331 

Acta,  Scotch  colony  at,  II.,  617 
Acul,  bay  of,  I.,  615,  616,  618,  623 
Adam  of  Bremen  (of  Misnie),  mentions 
Iceland,  I.,  381;  version  of  Sagas,  I., 
393;  printing  of  poem,  I.,  394 
Adamaney,  island  of,  Indian  name  of 
Saona,  II.,  337 

Adda,  Gerolamo  d’.  Marquis,  ordered 
lithograph  of  Quarto  Letter,  11. ,  41 
Adelantado,  office  of.  III.,  494 
Admiral  of  the  Indies,  the  favourite  title 
of  Columbus,  II.,  15,  16 
Adrian,  rebellion  of,  II.,  432 
Adrian  VL,  Pope  (Adriaan  Florent)  ap¬ 
pointed  Regent  of  Spain,  I.,  28;  sketch 
of,  I.,  28;  letter  to  Peter  Martyr,  L,  32 ; 
appoints  Paulus  Jovius  to  office.  III.,  10 


Aeul,  bay  of  St.  Thomas,  II.,  287 
Agies  (Agis),  L,  56.  Ajes 
Aguacadiba,  province  of,  visited  by  Men¬ 
dez,  II.,  625,  660 

Aguado,  Juan,  instructions  from  Sover¬ 
eigns,  L,  400;  Royal  Cedula  issued  to, 

11.,  354;  conduct  in  Espahola,  II.,  355. 
3S7 

Aguero,  Jeronimo,  Xeronimo,  cited.  III., 
123,  295,  306,  319;  identity  of.  III  , 
302 

Aguilar,  Andres  de.  Prior  of  Las  Cuevas, 
witnessed  inventory  family  papers  of 
Columbus,  I.,  243 

Aguilar,  Diego  de,  witnessed  Mendez’s 
will,  II.,  657 

Ahmed-Ben-Kothair,  Arabic  astronomer, 

1.,  288 

Ailly  Pierre  d’  (Petrus  Abacus),  declared 
Land  of  Spices  could  be  reached  by 
sailing  west,  I.,  322 ;  sketch  of  II.,  341, 
342;  Tractatus  Exponibilimn,  printed 
by  M archant,  II.,  58.  See  also  “  Imago 
Alundi ” 

Aix-la-Chapelle  (Aquis  Granum),  German 
emperors  crowned  at,  I.,  107 
Ajaccio  (Adaiciensis),  wrong  identifica¬ 
tion  of,  I.,  362 

Ajes,  Agies,  Agis,  Ages  (sweet  potatoes), 
food  of  Indians  I.,  56,  73,  194,  200,  21 1 ; 

11.,  278,  280,  489;  different  from  bata¬ 
tas  I.,  558;  description  of,  I.,  610,  617, 
646;  II.,  249,  488 

Aji,  agi,  Indian  pepper,  L,  646;  II.,  280 
Alaminos,  Antonio  de,  pilot  of  Ponce  de 
Leon,  I.,  589 

Alamo,  Cristobal  del,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  471 
Alba.  See  Benvick  y  Alba 
Albany,  city  of,  Columbus  portrait  at, 

111.,  71 

Albarracin,  Juan,  sailor  on  San  Juan, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was 
continental  land,  II.,  330 
Albergati,  Vianesi,  Apostolic  Nuncio,  let¬ 
ter  to  Communeros,  I.,  28 
Alberico,  name  of  one  part  of  Paesi:  de¬ 
scription  of,  II.,  527 

Albero  Genealogico,  Colombo  names  sister 
of  Columbus,  I.,  258 

Albert,  Archbishop  of  Mentz,  sale  of  in¬ 
dulgences,  L,  99 


694 


Index 


Alberti,  Carlos  de,  brother  of  Leon  Bat¬ 
tista,  I..  357 

Alberti,  Leon  Battista,  friend  of  Toscan- 
elli,  L,  357 

Albertis,  Battista  de,  Italian  poet,  wrote 
Hecatoiupliila,  L,  357 
Albertus  Magnus,  De  Naiura  Locoriim, 
the  Antipodes,  L,  166 
Albissola,  town  of,  pretended  birthplace 
of  Columbus,  I.,  234,  246 
Albuquerque,  Rodrigo  de,  repartimiento 
made  by.  III.,  302,  313 
Alcala,  Duke  of,  Columbus  said  to  have 
been  buried  in  chapel  of.  III.,  514,  515 
Alcala  de  Henares,  city  of,  called  Com- 
plutum,  I.,  61 

Alcala,  University  of,  founding  of,  I.,  27 
Alcantara,  peace  of,  I.,  318 
Alcatrazes,  point  of,  first  name  of,  II.,  393 
Alcedo  Spanish  author.  III.,  534 
Alciatus  Andreas,  Italian  jurist,  cited,  I., 
18;  letter  to  Jovius,  III.,  9,  10 
Alco,  small  animal,  I.,  553 
Aldrete,  Diego  Gracian  de,  Spanish  Sec¬ 
retary,  translated  Bull  IV.,  II.,  121 
Aldus,  son  of  Paulus  Manutius,  marriage 
of,  I.,  267 

Alejandre,  Fray.  See  Friar  Alexander 
Alemanus.  Magpnus,  one  of  Three  Asso¬ 
ciates,  III.,  462 

Alemanus,  Thomas,  one  of  Three  Asso¬ 
ciates,  III.,  462 

Aleutian  Islands,  stepping-stones  for 
Western  migration,  I.,  494 
Alexander  V.,  Pope  (Peter  of  Candia),  in¬ 
auguration  of,  II.,  342 
Alexander  VI.,  Pope,  nativity  of,  I., 
287;  recognition  of  Columbus,  I.,  344; 
conferred  title  of  Catholic  Kings  on 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  I.,  413,  II., 
86;  eulogised  by  Dati,  II.,  70,  71; 
news  of  discovery  communicated  to, 

II.,  84-87;  made  Bemardin  de  Carvajal 
a  Cardinal,  II.,  85;  appointed  Father 
Boil  to  office,  II.,  86;  issued  Bulls  to 
Spanish  Sovereigns,  II.,  87,  95,  100, 
379;  a  lawyer  before  becoming  Pope, 

II.,  102;  alleged  breviary,  given  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  51 1 

Alexander,  Friar,  page,  Fourth  Voyage, 

II.,  570 

Alexander  ihe  Great,  cited  by  Ferrer,  II., 
367;  portrait.  III.,  16;  visited  tomb 
of  Cyrus,  III.,  491 

Alexandria,  lament  of  Peter  Martyr,  I., 
14;  burning  of  library,  I.,  13 
Alfonseca,  Juan  de  la  Cruz,  President 
Municipal  Council,  San  Domingo,  as¬ 
sisted  at  identification  remains  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  565 

Alfonso  L,  Duke  d’Este.  See  Este  d’ 
Alfonso  IV.,  King  of  Portugal,  sent  e.x- 
pedition  to  Canary  Islands,  I.,  505,  506 
Alfonso  V.,  King  of  Portugal,  birth,  ac¬ 
cession,  and  death  of,  I,,  293;  construc¬ 
tion  of  his  map,  I.,  295;  Cadamosto 
in  service  of,  II  ,  452 
Alfonso  X.  “the  Wise,”  of  Castile,  I.,  515 
Alfonso  XL,  King  of  Castile,  forbade 
travel  on  mule-back,  I.,  272,  III,,  496 


Alfonso  XII.,  King  of  Spain,  ordered  in¬ 
vestigation  regarding  true  remains  of 
Columbus,  III.,  580 

Alfonso  XIII.,  King  of  Spain,  visit  to 
Palos  and  La  Rabida,  III.,  543 
Alfonso,  Don,  brother  to  Henry  IV.  of 
Castile,  I.,  318 

Alfonso  (Alonzo),  Don,  illegitimate  son 
of  Ferdinand  the  Catholic,  education 
of,  I.,  8;  his  father’s  favourite,  I.,  425 
Alfragan,  cited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  197,  198 
Algaba,  Lord  de  la,  nephew  of  Dona 
Maria  de  Guzman,  II.,  423 
Alhambra,  the,  Isabella’s  sepulchre  in,  I., 
22 

Aljofars,  mis-shapen  pearls,  II.,  394 
Allspice  (pimento),  name  given  by  Co¬ 
lumbus  to,  I.,  631  *■ 

Almadana,  Arias  de,  negotiated  Treaty  of 
Tordesillas,  II.,  122,  175-185 
Almagest,  Ptolemy,  translated  by  Muller, 

I-.  358 

Almagro,  Alonso  de,  on  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  569 

Almagrurins,  visit  Canary  Islands,  I.,  503 
Almaifar,  Indian  veil,  II.,  388,  393 
Almarnor,  Jacob,  King  of  the  Moors  in 
Spain,  wall  erected  by.  III.,  449 
Almazan,  Michael  Perez,  Secretary  of 
State,  I.,  23;  correspondent  of  Peter 
Martyr,  L,  23,  24 
Almazique  (musk),  I.,  567 
Almeida,  Ferdinand  d’.  Ambassador  at 
Rome,  II.,  113 

Almirante,  1’,  bay  of,  Columbus  anchored 
at.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  586 
Aloe,  discovery  of,  I.,  559,  564,  566,  607, 
638,  II.,  25,  81,  488 

Alonso,  servant  Mateo  Sanchez,  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  569;  killed,  II.,  612,  613 
Alonso,  Diego,  Notary  of  Huelva,  I.,  401 
Alonso,  Garcia,  member  First  Voyage,  I., 
470 

Alonso,  Master,  physician.  First  Voyage, 

1.,  470;  probable  salary,  I.,  474 
Alonso  of  Palos,  member  First  Voyage, 

wages  of,  L,  479 

Alonso,  Roderigo,  steward  of  Buenavista, 
hospitality  to  Columbus,  II.,  378 
Alonzo,  Prince  of  Portugal,  marriage  and 
death  of,  I.,  24 

Alonzo  il  Negro,  name  given  Nino  by 
printer  of  Libretto,  II.,  454 
Alpha  and  Omega,  cape,  named  by  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  581,  600,  II.,  316 
Alpujarras,  the,  HI.,  232 
Altissimo,  Cristofano  dell’,  Italian  artist, 

111.,  1 2  ;  copied  Columbus  portrait,  HI., 
18 

Alto  de  Juan  Danue  (Cap  de  Palmiers), 
discovery  of,  I.,  554 

Alto  Velo,  island  of,  discovery,  II.,  336,407 
Alum,  sources  of  supply,  I.,  367 
Alunite,  alum  stone,  discovery  of  mine, 

367 

Alvarado,  Pedro  de.  Governor  of  Guate¬ 
mala,  I.,  140;  honours  Cacique,  I.,  143 
Alvarez,  Braulio,  Governor  San  Domingo, 
assisted  at  identification  remains  of 
Columbus,  III.,  565 


Index 


695 


Alvarez,  Fernando,  signed  Treaty  of  Tor- 
desillas,  II.,  178,  186 
Alvaro  de  Portugal,  Don,  III.,  194 
Amaiauna,  cave  of,  Indian  legend,  I., 
82 

Amamor,  General  d’,  erected  Columbus 
monument  at  Baltimore,  III.,  80 
Amazons,  the,  story  of,  I.,  295;  on  Gua- 
daloupe,  II.,  358 

Amberes,  Francisco  de,  Spanish  artist, 

111.,  8 

Ambras,  castle  of,  possessed  Columbus 
portrait.  III.,  37 
Ambroise,  Saint,  III.,  486 
Ambrosian  Library,  its  founder,  I.,  3; 
possesses  unique  example  Spanish 
Quarto  Letter,  II.,  11,41-45;  possesses 
copies  Edition  “  F  ”  Cosco  Latin  Letter, 

11. ,  58 

Ambrosius,  cited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  197,  198 
Amendaloro,  birthplace  Julius  Pompon- 
ius  Laitus,  I.,  5 

Amerbach,  Johannes,  printed  works  of 
Petrarch,  I.,  503 

America,  discovery  due  at  end  of  fifteenth 
century,  I.,  164;  naming  of,  and  early 
use  of  name,  I.,  500,  III.,  605,  606; 
Ogilby,  Montanus-Columbus  portrait 
reproduced  in.  III.,  55 
American  Antiquarian  Society,  Worces¬ 
ter,  Mass.,  copy  Parmigiano-Columbus 
portrait  owned  by.  III.,  59 
American  Geographical  Society  possesses 
portrait  Columbus,  III.,  33 
Amerinus,  L.,  Apostolic  Notary,  collated 
Bull  II.,  II.,  95,  97,  152,  153 
Ameyro,  Indian  chief,  visited  by  Mendez, 

11.,  625,  661 

Amomum  Granunt  Paradisi — allspice,  I., 
631 

Amoo-Darya,  city  of,  location  of,  I.,  351 
Ampolletas,  half-hour  glasses,  I.,  607 
Amurathes  II.,  III.,  16 
Anacaona,  Indian  Princess,  ruled  Pro¬ 
vince  of  Xaragua,  I.,  125;  death  of,  I., 
125,  II.,  663 

Anan,  Anas,  Avan,  province  of  Espanola, 
inhabitants  born  with  tails,  II.,  24,  81, 

367 

Ancona,  site  of  Holy  House,  I.,  635 
Anecdotes,  Beloe,  works  of  Las  Casas,  I., 
12 1 

Anecdotes  of  Florence,  Varillas,  cited,  I., 

Anecdotes  o/Pafn/!Hg,  Walpole, cited.  III., 
70 

Angel,  cape,  location  of,  I.,  641 
Angera,  Anghera,  Anguera,  village  of,  I.,  4 
Angiolello,  Giammaria,  Paesi  dedicated 
to,  II.,  528 

Angleria,  Counts  of,  I,,  4 
Anglcsea,  ancient  name  of,  II.,  338 
Anguera,  village  of.  See  Angera 
Angulo,  Alonso  de,  warrant  to,  I.,  458; 

witnessed  Mendez’s  will,  II.,  657 
Angulo,  Doctor,  III.,  295 
Angulo,  Pedro  de,  Dominican  monk,  one 
of  the  conquerors  of  La  Tierra  de 
Guerra,  I.,  14 1 
Anima,  meaning  of,  II.,  12 


Annales  de  la  Typographie  N eerlandaise , 
Campbell,  date  of  printing  of  Imago 
Alundi,  II.,  341;  printing  of  Marco 
Polo’s  book.  III.,  462 
Annales  Typogr aphid.  Panzer,  cited,  I., 
106 

AMMaA,Fonzio,  virtue  of  Toscanelli,  I., 3 66 
Annali,  Giustiniano,  printing  of  Psalter, 
I-.  20S_ 

Annali  Veneti,  L’Archivo  Storico  Italiano, 
Malipiero,  capture  of  Venetian  galleys, 

1.,  218,  221,  222 

Annali  Veneti  daW  Anno  14^7  al  1500, 
Malipiero,  publication  of,  IL,  441 
Annals,  Schuman,  contains  Call  to  Assem¬ 
ble,  I.,  104 

Anne,  Princess  of  Bourbon,  wife  of  Pierre 
of  Beaujeu,  Bartholomew  Columbus  in 
her  household,  I.,  175,  II.,  344;  Regent 
of  France,  I.,  221,  II.,  344 
Annee  Veritable  de  la  Naissance  de  Cliris- 
tophe  Colomb,  d’Avezac,  cited,  I.,  275 
Another  World,  use  of  term,  I.,  63,  II., 
361,  362,  399 

Anpu,  Anubis,  Egyptian  god,  office  of,  I., 
499 

Antaeus,  cited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  367 
Anthropophagi,  cannibals  so  called  by 
Syllacio,  II.,  248 

Antichthones,  the  (Antipodes),  ancient 
theory  that  Nilus  rose  in,  II.,  413:  sup¬ 
posed  locality  of  Earthly  Paradise  in, 

11.,  414 

Antilia,  island  of  (Seven  Cities),  on  Be- 
haim’s  globe,  I.,  279;  near  city  of 
Quisay,  I.,  306,  312,  316,  556;  legend 
of,  I.,  324,  343,  502,  518 
Antiquities,  Josephus,  III.,  300,  306 
Antonino,  Archbishop, recorded  in  Diario, 
L,  366 

Antonio,  tobacco  merchant,  legacy  of 
Diego  Columbus  to,  I.,  561 
Antonio,  Nicolaus,  Bibliotheca  Hispana 
Nova,  Peter  Martyr’s  birth,  I.,  4;  Bib¬ 
liotheca  Hispana  Vetus,  rarity  of  1530 
edition  Epistolce,  L,  47;  Bibliotheca 
Hispana  Vetus,  mention  of  De  Epi- 
demia  et  Peste,  II.,  10;  Bibliotheca  His¬ 
pana  Nova,  Vosaeus,  librarian  Ferdi¬ 
nand  Columbus,  III.,  436 
Antonio,  Juan,  messenger  of  Columbus, 

111.,  387 

Antonius,  Johannes  de  Benedicto,  I.,  252 
Anubis,  Egyptian  god,  honoured  by  Cana¬ 
rians,  II.,  246.  See  Anpu 
Aoamaquique,  Indian  name  eastern  end 
of  Jamaica,  II. ,  624 

Aparicio,  opinion  of;  works  of.  III.,  27 
Aparicio,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voyage,  II. , 

571 

Apianus,  Petrus,  map  of,  name  America 
first  shown,  I.,  .500,  III.,  606 
Aquis  Granum.  Sec  Aix-la-Chapelle 
Arabians,  the,  used  Ptolemy’s  meridian, 

1.,  501;  visited  Canary  Islands,  I.,  503 
Arana,  Diego  de,  murdered  at  La  Navi- 

dad,  I.,  471;  probable  salary-,  First 
Voyage,  I.,  474:  account  money  re¬ 
ceived,  First  Voyage,  I.,  479;  left  at 
La  Navidad  as  captain,  I.,  632,  633 


696 


Index 


Arana,  Diego  de,  witness  Mendez’s  will, 

11.,  657,  665 

Arana,  Pedro  de,  brother  Beatriz  Enri¬ 
quez,  sent  by  Columbus  to  Espanola  as 
captain  of  vessel,  II.,  375,  376 
Aranda,  Francisco  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

Araoz,  Juan  de,  Don,  III.,  541,  542 
Arbor  Columborum,  Isnardi’s  genealogy, 

1.,  249 

Arbor  Consanguinitatis,  House  of  Vera- 
gua,  or  Larreategui,  III.,  617,  623,  639, 
640,  641;  House  of  Berwick  y  Alba, 

111.,  618,  619,  623,  637,  638;  House  of 
Portugal-Columbus,  III.,  632-636 

Arbues  de  Epila,  Pedro,  Chief  Inquisitor, 
killed  by  Marranos,  I.,  460 
Arcadius,  Emperor  of  the  East,  death  of, 

11.,  516 

Archeo'logie  Navale,  Jal,  dimensions  of 
Santa  Maria,  I.,  469 

Archives  Tabellionnaires ,  Genoa,  III.,  424 
Archivio  Consistoriale,  cited.  III.,  353 
Arcimboldi,  Giov.,  Archbishop  of  Milan, 
friend  of  Peter  Martyr,  I.,  5 
Arcimboldi, Guido  Antonio,  Archbishop  of 
Milan,  sent  as  Ambassador  to  Spain, 

11.,  216 

Arcipelago,  group  of  islands  discovered 
by  Columbus,  II.,  492 
Arco,  Fernando  Dominiguez  de,  gover¬ 
norship  of  St.  Brandon,  L,  279 
Arcos,  Pedro  de,  member  First  Voyage, 

I-.  471 

Arellano,  Rafael  Ramirez  de,  discovered 
documents  relating  to  Beatriz  Enri¬ 
quez,  I.,  424 

Arevalo,  Bernardino,  Franciscan  monk, 
reinforced  Sepulveda’s  arguments,  I., 

15s 

Arfaxat,  sorcerer,  caused  death  of  Sts. 

Simon  and  Jude,  II.,  220 
Argensola,  B.  L.  de,  Primera  Parte  de  los 
Anales  de  Aragon,  Columbus  equipped 
by  Aragon,  I.,  463 

Argenteus,  Latin  form  of  Silber,  II.,  58 
Argento,  Luigi,  III.,  569,  571 
Argyropylus,  III.,  17 
Argyros,  Greek  form  of  Silber,  II.,  58 
Arias,  Juan,  member  First  Voyage,  wages 
of,  L,.479 

Arias,  Pedro,  expedition  of,  I.,  84 
Aristizabel,  Gabriel  de,  Don,  Spanish 
Lieutenant-General,  caused  removal 
supposed  remains  of  Columbus  to 
Havana,  III.,  538-543 
Aristotle,  his  works  in  library  of  Queen 
Isabella,  I.,  8;  Rhetoric,  translation  of, 

1.,  218:  Columbus  inspired  by,  I.,  288, 

111.,  485,  486;  India  to  be  reached  by 
sailing  west.  I.,  322,  II.,  488;  believed 
in  existence  of  southern  continent,  II., 
414:  edition  of  Moral  Philosophy  be¬ 
queathed  by  Mendez,  II.,  666 

Armalecco  (Alimali),  city  of,  I.,  351 
Armanino,  Genoese  lithographer,  took 
tracing  of  Columbus  Bank  or  St.  George 
letter.  III.,  252 

Arona,  birthplace  of  Peter  Martyr,  I., 
3.  4 


Arraes,  Juan,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  478 

Arraes,  Pero,  sailor.  First  Voyage,  wages 
of,  I.,  478 

Arredondo,  Francisco  de,  Don,  III,,  541 
Arriera,  Martin  de  (Arrayollos) ,  cooper. 
Fourth  Voyage,  I.,  184,  II.,  570 
Arroba,  Spanish  measure  of  weight, 
weight  of,  I.,  140,  II.,  353 
Arset  (Dorset),  Anne  d’,  romance  of,  I., 
396,  397 

Arthur,  Prince  of  Wales,  betrothal  of, 

111.,  223 

Artiaga,  Pedro  de,  magistrate  of  Seville, 
inventoried  family  papers  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  243 

Artieta,  Inigo  de,  Captain-General  of 
fleet  for  deportation  of  Muley  Boabdil, 
I-,.  473 

Artists,  fifteenth-century  Spanish,  III.,  8 
Aryas,  Portuguese  scholar.  Professor  of 
Greek  in  Salamanca,  I.,  86 
Arzilla,  town  of,  geographical  description 
of;  visited  by  Columbus,  II.,  577,  III., 
267,  270 

Asclepiades,  his  name  assumed  by  Mar¬ 
cus,  a  Roman  scholar,  I.,  4 
Asensio,  Jos6  Maria,  Don,  Spanish  pro¬ 
fessor,  Cristobal  Colon,  su  Vida,  su 
Viages,  sus  Descubrimientos ,  discovery 
of  Columbus  document  by  brig  Chief¬ 
tain,  II.,  6 

Ashbumham  Collection  (Dei  Correspond¬ 
ence) ,  Vespucci  letter  preserved  in,  I., 
227,  228 

Aspa,  Antonio  de.  Friar,  copy  of  Dr. 

Chanca’s  letter  in  papers  of,  II.,  217 
Asses.  See  Ajes 

Assiduus,  adjective  used  in  Milan  edition 
of  Spectacula,  I.,  18 

Assyrius,  adjective  accepted  in  some  read¬ 
ings  of  Spectacula,  I.,  18 
Astronomic  on,  Manilius,  printed  by  Mul¬ 
ler,  I.,  360 

Athens,  Thinai  or  Sina  understood  for,  I., 
171 

Atlantica,  island  of,  sovereignty  of,  I., 

505 

Atlantis,  legend  of,  I.,  343 
Attibiunco,  river  of  Espanola,  II.,  496 
Atwood  Cay  (Samana),  description  of,  I., 
59°.  592 

Auberville,  Captain  d’,  commander  brig 
Chieftain,  alleged  discovery  Columbus 
document,  II.,  6 
Augsburg,  Diet  of,  I.,  100 
Augustine,  Saint,  III.,  486;  Latinity  of, 

1.,  309;  Sermones,  cited  by  Syllacio, 

11.,  244;  de  civitate  Dei,  I.,  205 
Augustus  III.,  King  of  Poland  and  Elec¬ 
tor  of  Saxony,  bought  Sistine  Madonna, 

1.,  242 

Augustus  Caesar,  Emperor,  married  Ari- 
tony’s  daughter  to  King  Juba  of  Mauri¬ 
tania,  I.,  496 

Aurantius,  Philibertus,  in  Elogia,  III.,  14 
Aurea,  fortress  of,  II.,  501 
Aurea  Chersonesus,  mines  of,  sought  in 
Middle  Ages,  II.,  696 
Aurelianus,  Corolus,  III.,  17 


Index  697 


Ausurraga,  Pascual  de,  cabin  boy,  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  572 

Autograft  di  Cristoforo  Colombo,  Lollis. 
See  also  “  Raccolta  ” 

Autdgrafos  de  Cristobal  Colon,  etc..  Duch¬ 
ess  of  Alba,  cited,  III.,  455 
Avan.  See  Anan 

Ave  Maria,  Cuba  once  called,  I.,  551 
Avezac,  M.  d’,  cites  letter  of  Cardinal 
Bempo  to  Ramusio,  I.,  267,  Annee 
Veritable  de  la  Naissance  de  C hristophe 
Colomb,  cited,  I.,  275 
Avicenna.  See  Ibn-Sina 
Avila,  Dona  Isabella  d’,  daughter  of 
Juana  de  la  Torres,  pension  of,  II.,  423 
Avila,  town  of,  deposing  of  Henry  IV.  at, 

I.,  318 

Ay  Ay,  Indian  name  of  island  of  Santa 
Cruz,  II.,  491 

Ayala,  Pedro  d’,  Ambassador  to  Portu¬ 
gal  ,  II.,  122 

Ayala,  Teresa  Marina  d’,  wife  Pedro 
Manuel  de  Portugal,  III.,  634 
Ayamonte,  Marquises  of,  own  village  of 
Saltes,  I.,  515 

Ayamonte,  Sebastian  d’,  sailor  on  San 
Juan,  Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba 
continental  land,  II.,  330 
Ayay,  island  of,  cannibal  island.  II.,  267 
Ayers,  J.  J.,  complete  set  of  Ptolemies, 

I.,  500 

Azambuja,  Diogo  de,  Portuguese  captain, 
commanded  fleet  to  San  Jorge  de  Mina, 

I.,  282 

Azevedo,  edited  Fructuosa’s  Saudades  da 
Terra,  L,  397 

Azoa,  province  of,  situation  of,  II.,  663 
Azores,  the,  islands  of  Portugal,  I.,  304; 
position  of  Line  of  Demarcation  with 
reference  to,  II.,  loi ,  103,  104, 106, 108— 
112,  377,  379;  geographical  descrip¬ 
tion  of,  II.,  105;  map  of.  II.,  107; 
situation  and  ancient  name  of,  II.,  382 
Aztec,  Indian  nation,  I.,  139 
Azua,  Acua,  port  of  fleet  of  Columbus  at, 
IP,  581 

Azurara,  Gomez  Eannes  de,  Portuguese 
historian.  Chronica  de  Descobrimento  e 
Conquista  de  Guine,  etc.,  colonisation  of 
Madeira  Islands,  I.,  397 

B 

Babcock,  George  R.,  Hon.,  cited.  III.,  72 
Babeque  (Baneque),  island  of,  reports  of, 

1.,  562,  565-580,  604,  608,  609,  612, 

11.,  394;  visited  by  Martin  Alonso 
Pinzon,  I.,  637 

Babueca.  See  Babeque 

Bab5don,  the  Egyptian,  Cairo  so  called, 

1.,  16,  18,  20,  23 

Baccalaos,  Line  of  Demarcation  crossed, 

11.,  208 

Bacon,  Francis,  Sir,  Essays  Civil  and 
Moral,  quoted  passage  from  Medea,  I., 
170;  handwriting  of.  III.,  459 
Bacon,  John  F.,  Clerk  Senate,  New  York, 
cited.  III.,  73 

Bacon,  Roger,  I.,  322;  d’Ailly  follows 
Opus  Majus,  II.,  341 


Badajoz,  junta  at,  II.,  207  ;  sketch  of,  II., 

548 

Bsetica,  ancient  name  of  southern  Spain, 
IL,  54 

Bastis,  ancient  name  of  Guadalquivir,  II., 
54 

Baez,  Buenaventura,  Hon.,  President 
Santo  Domingo,  not  present  at  identi- 
fleation  remains  of  Columbus,  III.. 
559 

Baez,  E.steban,  certified  to  Treaty  of  Tor- 
desillas,  II.,  186 

Baez,  Felix,  Alderman,  San  Domingo, 

III.,  565 

Baez,  Valentin  Ramirez,  Minister  of  War, 
Santo  Domingo,  III.,  560-566 
Bafan,  Indian  name  for  province  of  Great 
Khan,  I.,  556 

Bahaboni,  river  in  Espanola,  I.,  586 
Bahama  Islands,  government  of,  I.,  601 
Balboa,  Vasco  Nunez  de,  discovered 
Pacific  Ocean,  I.,  84 

Baldovinetti,  Alessio,  painted  portrait  of 
Toscanelli,  I.,  367 

Baldwin,  Admiral,  ordered  photograph 
Cogoleto  Columbus  portrait.  III.,  33 
Baldwin  IX.,  Count  of  Flanders,  treaty 
with  Venice,  I.,  218 

Bile,  city  of.  University  Library  contains 
copy  Edition  “D”  Cosco  Latin  Letter, 
IT,  53,  54;  first  pictorial  representa¬ 
tion  of  discovery  and  first  engraved 
likeness  of  Columbus  published  at.  III., 
13;  Peace  of.  III.,  538 
Balenciano,  Bemaldo,  complained  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  400 
Baleonus,  Horatius,  III.,  17 
Ballester,  III.,  157 
Balsams,  legend  of,  I.,  19,  20 
Baltimore  (Md.) ,  city  of,  Columbus  monu¬ 
ments  at.  III.,  80 

Bandrojin,  Tuan,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IT,  571 

Baneque.  See  Babeque 
Banes,  port  of,  identification  of,  I.,  552 
Baracoa,  port  of,  Puerto  de  Mares,  I.,  559; 
location  of,  I.,  598 

Baraona,  Gabriel,  murdered  at  La  Navi- 
dad,  I.,  472 

Barba,  Antonio,  Don,  III.,  540,  541 
Barba,  Juan,  soldier.  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 
570;  death  of,  II.,  636 
Barbarus,  Hermolaus,  Venetian  Ambas¬ 
sador,  embassy  to  Germany,  I.,  218: 
literarv  fecundity,  I.,  218 
Barbarussa,  Hariadenus,  III.,  17 
Barbasta  (Narbasta),  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  572 

Barbosa,  Arias,  Portuguese  philologist 
and  poet,  I.,  10 

Barcelona,  city  of,  Columbus  made  Ad¬ 
miral  at.  I.,  61 

Barcia,  Garcia  del,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Barco,  Johan  del.  sailor  on  Nina,  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  continental 
land,  II.,  329 

Barco,  Juan  del,  murdered  at  La  Navi- 
dad.  I.,  472 

Bardsen,  Ivar,  described  hot  springs  in 
Greenland,  I.,  385 


69S 


Index 


Bargali.  Marco  de.  courier  of  Columbus, 

111..  162 

Barker  and  Webb.  Xaltiral  History  of  the 
Canaries.  Boccaccio’s  pamphlet  incor¬ 
porated  by.  I.,  505 

Barlandus,  Adrianus,  friend  of  Martens, 

11..  64 

Barlow,  S.  L.  M.,  library  of,  Columbus 
Codex  sold  from,  II,,  564 
Barnett,  Captain,  sketched  plan  of  Wat- 
ling  Island,  I.,  591 

Baro.  Johannes,  Spanish  printer,  printed 
at  Barcelona,  II.,  26 

Barranco,  Diego,  seaman,  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  571 

Barranco,  Pedro,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  572 

Barros.  Dacada  Primeira  da  Asia,  Dr. 
Joseph’s  expedition,  I.,  407;  Diaz  expe¬ 
dition  to  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  III.,  482 
Bartlett,  J.  R.,  catalogued  Carter-Brown 
Library,  IF,  56 

Bartolini,  Lorenzo,  commissioned  to  exe¬ 
cute  Columbus  monument.  III.,  81 
Basilius,  Opusculum  ad  Juuenes,  printed 
by  Muller,  F,  360 

Basso,  Ansaldo,  notary  in  Savona,  F,  240 
Bastidas,  Roderigo  de,  Spanish  explorer, 
escaped  death  in  wreck  of  Spanish 
fleet,  IF,  579;  names  Carthagena,  IF, 
617;  buried  in  Cathedral,  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  III.,  548 

Bastimentos,  port  of.  Nombre  de  Dios, 
IF,  596,  687;  abandonment  of,  IF,  597 
Batallas  y  Quincuagenas,  III.,  303,  311. 
See  Oviedo 

Batensis,  Ludovicus,  Spaniard  converted 
to  Mohammedanism,  Peter  Martyr  re¬ 
ceived  by,  F,  16 

Baubola,  town  of.  Martial  bom  at,  F,  18 
Bavarello,  Giacomo  (Jacobus  Bavarelus), 
cheese  merchant,  married  sister  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  F,  255,  256,  258 
Bavarello,  Pantalinus  (Pantaleone) ,  son 
of  Blanchineta  Colombo,  notarial  act 
concerning,  F,  258 
Bawdekins,  origin  of  word,  F,  218 
Bayamo,  city  of,  identification  of,  F,  560 
Bayard, Chevalier, heroism  at  Trani,F,  14; 

nearly  captured  Pope  Julius  IF,  F,  91 
Bayle,  Peter,  reference  to  Juan  de  Valdes, 
F,  96;  speech  of  Barbarus,  F,  218  ; 
reference  to  d’Ailly,  IF,  341;  cites 
Paulus  Jovius,  III.  9 
Bayuera,  Constanzo,  Lettera  printed  in 
name  of,  IF,  683,  699;  said  to  have 
translated  Lettera,  III.,  495 
Baza,  siege  of,  described  by  Peter  Mar¬ 
tyr,  I.,  12 

Bdellium  stone, ancient  name  of  pearl, IF, 
410,  41 1 

Beamonte,  Francisco,  Father,  bought  Co¬ 
lumbus  property.  III.,  425 
Beata,  island  of,  former  name  of,  IF,  376; 
island  of,  Columbus  at.  Fourth  Voyage, 
IF,  637,  III.,  277 

Becerillo ,  Spanish  dog,  anecdote  of ,  1 1. ,  3 1 7 
Becerra,  Alvaro,  visited  Canary  Islands, 
F,  507 

Becher,  Captain  A.  B.,  accepts  Bay  of 


Nipe  as  landfall  of  Columbus  on  Cuba, 
F,  550;  estimate  of  distances  given  in 
Journal,  F,  557;  the  landfall  of  Colum¬ 
bus  identified  as  Watling  Island,  F,  591 
Beda,  Columbus  familiar  with  works  of, 
F,  288 

Behaim,  Martin,  Antilia  and  St.  Brandon 
on  globe  of,  I.  279,  518;  location  of 
Portuguese  islands,  F,  320;  member  of 
Dr,  Joseph’s  expedition,  F,  407;  al¬ 
leged  discovery  by,  IF,  73 
Behechio,  Indian  chief.  King  province  of 
Xaragua,  F,  125;  hostile  to  Spaniards: 
killed  wife  of  Guacanagari,  IF,  347 
Belaforma,  island  of,  discovery  of;  pos¬ 
sibly  Tobago,  IF,  390 
Belem  and  its  river,  discovery  and  loca¬ 
tion  of,  IF,  604,  645,  68g;  description 
of,  IF,  605;  as  the  landfall  was  called 
San  Salvador,  and  as  the  first  settle¬ 
ment  in  the  New  World  was  called 
Navidad,  so  the  name  Bethlehem 
was  given  to  the  first  continental  set¬ 
tlement,  IF,  608;  service  of  Mendez  at, 
IF,  657;  Columbus  abandoned  ship 
at,  IF,  691 

Belgrano,  L.  T.,  assisted  Lollis  in  prepara¬ 
tion  of  Autografi,  etc..  III.,  460;  paper 
read  by.  III.,  610 

Belle  Isle,  Espanola  so  called,  IF,  258,  283 
Bellinger,  John,  London  printer,  printed 
Molloy’s  De  Jure  Maritimo,  F,  247 
Belloro,  Giambattista,  Revista  Criiica, 
pretended  will  of  Domenico  Colombo, 
F,  236;  quoted  by  Harrisse,  F,  238; 
Cogoleto  Columbus  portrait.  III.,  33 
Belloro,  Giov.  Tommaso,  quoted  notarial 
documents  of  Savona,  F,  238,  252 
Beloe,  William,  Anecdotes,  works  of  Las 
Casas,  F,  121 

Belouri,  ancient  city  in  Iceland,  F,  381 
Belprado,  cape  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  641 
Beltran,  member  Second  Voyage,  salary 
awarded  to,  IF,  304,  308 
Beltran,  Diego,  sailor  on  Nina,  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  continental 
land,  IF,  329 

Bempo,  Cardinal,  letter  to  Ramusio,  F,  267 
Benaliis,  Bemardinus  de,  printed  Supple- 
mentum  Chronicarum,  II.,  77 
Benedict  XIIF,  Pope  (Peter  de  Luna)  .ac¬ 
knowledged  by  King  of  France,  IF,  342 
Bennington,  the,  tJ.  S,  man-of-war,  escorted 
new  Pinta  and  Nina  to  Havana,  I.,  469 
Benoni,  Jerome,  revised  proofs-  of  1479 
Pliny,  F,  497 

Benzoni,  Girolamo,  Historia  del  Nuevo 
Mundo,  repeated  Pilot  story,  F,  328; 
mentions  tobacco  in  Mexico,  F,  561 
Berardo,  Bishop  of  Santa  Sabina,  Car¬ 
dinal,  executor  of  De  Cusa’s  will,  F,  362 
Bergman  de  Olpe,  Johannes,  first  book 
printed  by,  IF,  53;  printed  Edition 
“K”  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  IF,  66; 
printed  Stultifera  Navis,  IF,  74 
Bergomas,  Jacobus  Philippus,  Chronicle, 
1503  edition,  account  of  discovery  in, 
n.,  73-76;  Chronicle,  1303  edition, 
fac-simile  and  translation  from,  II.,  77— 
81 ;  sketch  of,  IF,  77 


Index 


699 


Bermejo,  Juan  Rodriguez,  member  First 
Voyage,  I.,  470 

Bermeo,  Domingo  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  471 

Bermuda,  the  name  given  by  Ferdinand 
Columbus  to  Santiago  de  Palos,  II.,  614 
Bermudez,  Diego,  member  First  Voyage, 

I-.  471 

Bermudez,  Francisco,  master.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  570,  614 
Bermudez,  Juan,  member  First  Voyage, 

I.,  471 

Bernal,  Master,  physician.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  rebelled  against  Columbus,  II., 
569,  570,  633 

Bernal,  member  First  Voyage,  wages  of, 

I-.  479 

Bernaldez,  Andres,  Curate  of  Los  Pala¬ 
cios,  sketch  of,  I.,  269;  did  not  men¬ 
tion  Pilot  story,  I.,  328;  related  anec¬ 
dote  of  gold  chain  worn  by  brother  of 
Caonabo,  II.,  351.  See  also  “  Historia 
de  los  Reyes  Catdlicos  ” 

Bernardo  Palastrelli,  II  Suocero  e  la  Mog- 
lie  di  Cristoforo  Colombo,  cited,  I.,  398 
Bemays,  J.,  Petrus  Martyr  Anglerius, 
cited,  I.,  4 

Beroaldus,  Philippus,  edited  1479  Pliny, 

1.,  497 ;  age  of,  1 .,  500 

Berroto,  Johannes  (de  Rapallo),  I.,  253 
Berthelot,  M.,  directed  painting  of  Seville 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  78 
Berwick,  Duke  of,  James  Fitz-James, 
parents  of:  descendants  of.  III.,  618 
Berwick  y  Alba,  House  of.  III.,  618,  619, 
622,  637,  638.  See  also  Stuart 
Berwick  y  Alba,  Duchess  of,  Condesa  de 
Siruela,  present  holder  of  the  title,  Nue- 
vos  Autdgrafos  de  Cristdbal  Colon,  etc., 
important  holograph  document  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  477-479,  III.,  420;  discov¬ 
ered  holograph  Columbus  documents, 

1 1 . ,  1 2 ,  Columbus  holographs  in  archives 
of.  III.,  89,  93,  opp.  117,  122,  126,  127, 

132,  133.  154,  15s.  160,  161,  166,  167. 

173.  i77>  180,  181,  186,  187,  192,  193, 

198,  199,  206,  207,  212,  213,  218,  219, 

278,  280,  282,  380,  381,  408,  409,  414, 

415,420;  A  utdgrafos  de  Cristdbal  Colon, 
cited.  III.,  455 

Berwick  y  Alba,  Maria  del  Pilar  Alvarez 
de  Toledo,  Duchess  of.  III.,  60. 
Berwick  y  Alba  y  Liria,  Carlos  Miguel, 
Duke  of,  owned  Columbus  portrait, 

111.,  59,  60 

Berwick  y  Alba  y  Liria  Duke  of,  Santiago 
Luis  Rafael  Fitz-James,  pedigree  of, 

111.,  617-619,  623,  637,  638 

Beryl,  precious  stone,  ancient  name  of, 

11.,  41 1 

Besicken,  Johannes,  printed  Dati’s  Se- 
condo  Cantare  deli  India,  II.,  71; 
printed  Volatcrranus,  II.,  82 
B(5thencourt,  Jean  IV.,  Sire  de,  first  King 
of  Canary  Islands,  tomb  and  monument 
of,  I.,  507,  508;  received  aid  and  pro¬ 
tection  from  Spain,  I.,  507;  conquest 
of  Canary  Islands  by,  I.,  508,  509 
Bethicee  et  Granatcc  Obsidio,  Victoria  et  Tri- 
umphus,  Verardus,  printing  of,  II.,  53 


Bethlehem,  Sultan  granted  Christians 
right  to  rebuild  sacred  temples  at,  1,17. 
See  Belem 

Beyrc,  M.  de,  Spanish  Ambassador,  III., 

303 

Beyrout,  Sultan  granted  Christians  right 
to  repair  sacred  temples  at,  I.,  17 
Biagi,  Dr.  Guido.  See  Preface 
Biblia  Sacra,  first  printed  book,  II.,  524 
Bibliographia  Colombina,  Harrisse,  bib¬ 
liographical  account  Cosco  Latin  edi¬ 
tions  Quarto  Letter  in,  II.,  47,  56 
Bibliographie  Instructive,  De  Bure,  works 
of  Las  Casas,  I.,  121 
Biblioteca  Ambrosiana,  II.,  41 
Biblioteca  Columbina,  contains  Latin 
translation  of  Marco  Polo’s  book,  I., 
168;  contains  unique  copy  first  Italian 
edition  Columbus  Letter,  II.,  68;  con¬ 
tains  copy  of  Imago  Mundi  with  manu¬ 
script  notes,  II.,  342;  librarians  of.  III., 
449;  decay  of.  III.,  453 
Biblioteca  de  Autores  Espanolcs,  Zuniga, 
writings  ofGolumbus,  III.,  87 
Biblioteca  Marciana,  I.,  v.,  vi.,  II.,  439 
Biblioteca  Alaritima,  Navarrete,  cited,  I. 
A  . 

Biblioteca  Mediceo-Laurenziana,  II.,  209 
Biblioteca  Nazionale,  Florence,  II.,  527 
Biblioteca  Reale,  in  Munich,  I.,  364 
Bibliotheca  Americana  Vetustissima,  Har¬ 
risse,  classification  Cosco  Latin  editions 
Quarto  Letter,  II..  56;  stanza  of  Dati's 
poem  from,  II.,  69,  70;  anonymous 
German  book  cited  in,  II.,  73;  editions 
Magellan’s  voyage  described  in,  II,, 
206;  Libretto  recorded  in,  II.,  439 
Bibliotheca  Americana  Vetustissima  Addi¬ 
tions,  Harrisse,  cited,  I.,  36;  Cosmo¬ 
graphy  of  Mela  cited  in,  II.,  74;  copy 
Libretto  owned  by  Ferdinand  Colum¬ 
bus,  II.,  439;  described  in,  II  ,  440 
Bibliotheca  Hispana  Vetus.  See  Antonio 
Bibliotheca  Instituta.  See  Gesner 
Bibliotheca  Spenceriana,  Dibdin’s:  Calcn- 
darium  cited  in,  I.,  359 
Bibliotheca  Trivulziana,  IF,  71 
Bibliotheque  Nationale,  Paris,  IF,  60,  73 
Bilboa  de  Larrabezua,  Pedro  de,  member 
First  Voyage,  I.,  470 
Billini,  Francisco  Xavier,  Rev.  Vicar, 
Cathedral  of  San  Domingo,  assisted 
at  identification  remains  of  Columbus, 
HI.,  552,  560-566 

Bills  of  exchange,  oldest  known.  III.,  248 
Biographic  de  Thierry  Martens,  Van  Ise- 
ghem.  Edition  “  J  ”  Cosco  Latin  Letter 
printed  by  Martens,  II.,  64 
Biographic  IJniverselle,  Ginguend:  wood- 
cuts  in  Elogia,  III.,  15 
Birardo,  Lorenzo.  See  Girardi 
Bird  Rock.  See  Cabo  del  Isleo 
Birretis,  Johannes  .\ntonius,  patron  of 
printing,  friend  of  Syllacio,  II.,  216; 
had  no  press  when  Syllacio  letter  was 
printed,  11,222;  Syllacio  visited.  II.,  244 
Bisticci,  Vespaciano  da,  Toscanelli’s  char¬ 
acter,  I.,  366 

Biues,  Bartolom6,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  478 


Index 


700 


Blades,  William,  cited  in  connection  with 
forged  Columbus  Quarto  Letter,  II.,  42 
Blanca,  island  of,  first  named  El  Mar¬ 
tinet,  II.,  403 

Blanca,  Spanish  coin,  value  of,  I.,  484- 
4S6:  two  kinds  of,  I.,  536 
Blanche,  Queen  of  Castile,  wife  Henry 
IV.,  repudiated  by  husband,  II.,  221 
Blanchetes,  lap-dogs  of  the  Indians,  I., 
543 

Blanes,  Spanish  town,  home  of  Jaime 
Ferrer,  II.,  365 
Blondus,  Flavius,  III.,  17 
Bloodhounds.  See  Dogs 
Bluefields,  port  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  644 
Boa,  Indian  name  for  house,  II.,  489,  495 
Boa  Vista,  island  of,  description  of,  II., 
105,  107,  202;  proposed  starting-point 
Line  of  Demarcation,  II.,  208,  377,  378 
Boabdil,  King,  homage  to  King  Ferdi¬ 
nand,  I.,  435 

Bobadiglia,  Beatrix  de.  Governess  of  Go- 
mera,  I.,  517 ;  II.,  246 
Bobadilla,  Francisco  de,  sent  to  Espa- 
nola,  II.,  419;  treatment  of  Columbus, 

II.,  420,  433-436,  438,  506,  507;  death 
of,  II.,  579 

Bobadilla,  Tomas,  Don,  legend  related 
by,  III.,  553 

Boca  de  Monos,  part  of  Boca  del  Drago, 
Ib, 372 

Boca  del  Drago  (Dragon’s  Mouth),  dis¬ 
covery,  naming,  and  location  of,  II., 
372,  390,  456;  passage  by  Columbus, 

II.,  401,  402,  456;  pearls  reported  to  be 
found  near,  II.,  456 

Boca  del  Sierpe  (Serpent’s  Mouth),  dis¬ 
covery,  naming,  and  location  of,  II., 
372,  386,  401;  present  name  of,  II.,  389 ; 
passage  by  Columbus,  II.,  389,  390 
Boca  del  Toro,  discovery  of,  II.,  644 
Boca  Grande,  part  of  Boca  del  Drago,  II., 
372:  description  of,  II.,  401 
Boca  Huevos,  part  of  Boca  del  Drago,  II., 
372 

Boca  Navios,  part  of  Boca  del  Drago,  II., 


Boccaccio,  Giovanni,  reputed  birthplace 
of,  I.,  3  55  ;  De  Canaria  et  de  Insulis  Re- 
liquis  ultra  Hispaniam  in  Oceano  Novi- 
ter  Repertis,  account  of  Genoese  expe¬ 
dition  to  Canary  Islands,  I.,  505 ;  taught 
Greek  by  Pilatus,  II.,  439 
Bodin,  comment  on  Paulus  Jovius,  III.,  9 
Bodleian  Librarv,  contains  only  two 
known  copies  Edition  “I”  Cosco  Latin 
Letter,  II.,  62;  Canonici  library  incor¬ 
porated  in,  II.,  440 

Boethius  (Annius  Manlius  Torquatus 
Severinus),  IT,  36,  37 
Bofarull,  Manuel  de,  cited,  I.,  464 
Bogart,  William  H.,  Clerk,  Senate  of  New 
York,  cited,  IIP,  72 

Bohio,  Bosio,  island  of,  reports  of,  iden¬ 
tified  as  Espanola,  I.,  547,  558,  565, 
570,  580,  604,  623,  626,  633,  III.,  90; 
inhabitants  cannibals,  I.,  573,  580; 
name  of  province  of  Espanola,  IT,  271 
Bohios,  Indian  name  straw  huts  on  Es¬ 
panola,  L,  532,  547 


Boil  (Buil),  Bernardo,  Father,  appointed 
to  ecclesiastical  duties  in  Espanola,  II., 
86;  member  Second  Voyage:  said  first 
mass  in  New  World,  II.,  214;  altera¬ 
tion  made  by  French  translation  of 
Navarrete  regarding,  II.,  214;  wrote 
letters  to  Spain,  IT,  297;  enemy  of 
Columbus,  II.,  312,  346,  354;  member 
Council  for  government  of  Isabella,  II., 

31-1 

Boldoni,  visited  ruins  of  Jovian  villa.  III., 
1 2 

Boletin  de  la  Real  Academia  de  la  Historia, 
published  researches  of  Senor  de  Arel¬ 
lano,  I.,  424 

Bollettino  Della  Societa  Geografica  Italiana, 
Manfredi  letter,  I.,  321 
Bombardero,  Mateo,  workman.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  570;  death  of,  II.,  612 
Bombasine,  gossampine,  Indian  name  for 
cotton,  I.,  71 

Bon,  Ser  Hieronimo,  French  sea-captain, 

1.,  223 

Bonao,  Bourgade,  fortress  of,  location  of, 
Ib, 352 

Bonao,  plain  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  352 
Bonaparte,  Letitia,  Madame,  said  once  to 
have  owned  Mengs-Columbus  portrait, 
Ilb,  63 

Bonaventura,  Medttationes  Vitce  Christi, 
printing  of,  II.,  26 

Bonavista,  Boa  Vista,  island  of,  descrip¬ 
tion  of,  II.,  247 
Bondi,  Antonius,  I.,  255,  256 
Bonetty,  Jos6  M.,  Alderman,  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  III.,  565 

Bonetus,  Metaphysica,  printed,  II.,  26 
Bonhours  Dominique,  cited,  IIP,  432 
Bonnefoux,  Baron  le  Capitaine,  birth  of 
Columbus,  I.,  264,  268 
Bonnet,  small  sail,  I.,  657 
Bono,  Juan,  massacre  of  Trinidad  Indians 
by,  IP, 386 

Bono  Anno,  fortress  of,  building  of,  IP, 
5°3 

Bontier,  Pierre,  Frere  of  Saint  Jouin  de 
Marnes,  joint  author  of  journal  of  Beth- 
encourt’s  expedition  and  conquest,  L, 

51° 

Booby  Cay,  hill  on  Rum  Cay,  I.,  597 
Book  of  Privileges  of  Columbus,  cited,  I., 

173.  339.  442,  IP,  76,  88,  93-95.  418, 

420,  423,  576,  IIP,  78,  114,  205,  243, 
322,  501;  extracts  from  Document 
Pin.,  I.,  453;  reason  for  including 
Bull  II.  in,  it.,  100;  compilation  and 
copies  of,  IP,  530,  532,  III.,  301;  two 
copies  sent  to  Oderigo,  IP,  531,  532, 

111.,  242,  366;  copy  in  possession  of 
Genoa,  IP,  532;  copy  in  archives  of 
Paris,  IP,  533;  description  and  repro¬ 
duction  coats-of-arms  in  Paris  and 
Genoese  cartularies,  IP,  535,  536;  de¬ 
scription  of  Documents  contained  in, 
IP,  536-562;  hand  drawn  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  il.,  560;  first  use  of  term  West 
Indies,  It.,  560,  561;  description  Flor¬ 
entine  Codex,  IP,  562-564;  descrip¬ 
tion  Providence  Codex,  IP,  564,  565; 
Title  page  opp.  IP,  531 


Index 


701 


Book  of  the  Prophecies,  Columbus,  cited, 

1.,  170,  288,  II.,  6g6;  composition  of, 

11.,  566;  allusion  to  lunar  eclipses  in, 

11.,  631,  632;  inspiration  of  Columbus, 

111.,  461 , 660-664 

Borbonius,  Franciscus,  in  Elogia,  III.,  14 
Bordoni,  Girolamo,  Milanese  printer,  pub¬ 
lished  Historic;  quoted  Bank  of  St. 
George  letter.  III.,  252 
Borgia,  Alexander.  See  Alexander  VI. 
Borgona,  Juan  de,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Borromeo,  Carlo,  Cardinal,  nephew  Pope 
Pius  IV.,  1.,  3 

Borromeo,  Frcderico,  Cardinal,  founded 
Ambrosian  Library,  I.,  3 
Borzeno,  Nicolo  de,  I.,  253 
Bossi,  Luigi,  Chevalier,  Vita  di  Cristoforo 
Colombo,  birthplace  Columbus,  I.,  246, 
264,  274;  believes  map  in  Edition 
“D”  Cosco  Latin  Letter  to  have  been 
drawn  by  Columbus,  II.,  50;  transla¬ 
tion  of  Letter  a.  III.,  495 
Bosworth  Field,  battle  of,  occurrence  of, 

1.,  228 

Botos,  large  fish  seen  by  Columbus,  Third 
Voyage,  II.,  382 

Bourbon,  Louis  de.  Admiral  of  France, 
Vice-Admiral  of,  I.,  226 
Bovedella,  ruler  of  Gomera,  IL,  246 
Boyens,  Florentius,  father  Pope  Adrian 
VI.,  I.,  28 

Bozorina,  Simonina,  I.,  253 
Bracciforti,  Bartolina,  wife  of  Gabriello 
Palestrello,  L,  398 

Bracciolini,  Giovanni  Francesco  Poggio, 
Liber  Facetiarum,  Toscanelli  praised, 

I-.  .v;8 

Braccius,  portrait  in  Jovius,  III.,  16 
Brachium,  unit  of  measure,  I.,  372 
Bradley,  William  Harrison,  possessed 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  50 
Bragadino,  Francesco,  Mayor  of  Brescia, 
Lettera  dedicated  to,  II.,  683 
Bramantino.  See  Suardi 
Brandao,  Francisco,  Monorchia  Lnsytana, 
colonisation  of  Madeira  Islands,  I.,  397  ; 
mentions  Pedro  Moniz,  L,  403 
Brandt,  Sebastian,  author  Stultifera 
IV avis,  II.,  74 

Brass,  valued  by  Indians,  I.,  644,  II.,  349, 

.150.  392 

Brasseus  de  Bourbourg,  Abb6,  translated 
Ramon  Pane’s  work,  I  ,  80 
Brava,  island  of,  location,  II. ,  112 
Bravo,  Manuel,  Don,  witnessed  transfer 
alleged  remains  Columbus,  III.,  540 
Brayau,  cacique  in  Puerto  Rico,  caused 
death  of  Salzedo,  I.,  537 
Brazil,  harbour  of  (Espanolal,  departure 
of  Columbus  from,  II.,  692 
Brazil,  named  bv  Cabral,  I.,  325,  II. ,  444 
Brenes,  Jos6  de  Jesus,  Licentiate  in  Medi¬ 
cine  and  Surgerv,  assisted  at  identifica¬ 
tion  remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  560- 
566 

Brera  Library  at  Milan,  II. ,  53 
Bres,  fortress  of,  building  of,  L,  385 
Rreviarinm  Ecclesice  Elnensis,  printing  of, 

11. ,  10 

Brevis  Exactaque  MoscovicB  Descriptio, 


map  in  1555  edition  Eden’s  translation 
Decades,  etc.,  IL,  103 
Bribiesca,  Jimeno  de,  cited,  II. ,  307 
Brief,  papal  document,  description  of, 

11. ,  88 

Brissensis,  Johannes  Paulus.  See  Pablos 
British  Museum,  contains  unique  copy 
Edition  “M”  Columbus  Letter,  IL,  68; 
contains  unique  copy  Edition  “N” 
Columbus  Letter,  IL,  69  ;  contains  copy 
Edition  “Q”  Columbus  Letter,  II. ,  72; 
contains  copies  Enneades  of  Sabellicus, 
IL,5i7 

Britannia,  allusion  by  Pomponius  Mela  to 
Roman  conquest  of,  L,  496 
Briviesca,  Ximeno  de,  punishment  by 
Columbus,  1 1.,  558 

Brothers  of  the  Common  Life,  religious 
order,  De  Cusa  educated  in  house  of, 

1.,  360 

Brown,  John  Nicholas,  bought  Colum¬ 
bian  Codex,  IL,  565 

Brown,  Rawdon,  compiled  Calendar,  De- 
liberazione  Senato  (Secreta),  L,  223 
Brun,  Pierre,  printed  with  Spindeler  and 
Posa,  II. ,  10 

Brunelleschi,  Filippo,  pupil  of  Toscanelli, 
L,  356;  work  on  dome  of  Santa  Maria 
del  Fiore,  I.,  356 

Brussels  Royal  Library  contains  unique 
copv  Edition  “J”  Cosco  Latin  Letter, 

11. . 64 

Bryant,  William  Cullen,  History  of  Amer¬ 
ica,  Herrera-Columbus  portrait.  III.,  37 
Buccaneers,  the,  lived  on  Tortugas,  1., 
582;  derivation  of  name,  II. ,  594;  cap¬ 
ture  of  Puerto  Bello  by,  II. ,  595 
Buckinck,  Arnoldus,  printed  edition  of 
Ptolemy,  III.,  463 

Budge,  Dr.  E.  A.  Wallis,  planting  of  Tree 
of  Pharaoh,  L,  20 

Buenavista,  island  of,  geographical  de¬ 
scription  of,  IL,  377;  prolific  in  turtles; 
lepers  cured  there,  1 1.,  378.  See  Boa 
Vista 

Buenosrinos,  Ruiz  de,  payment  by  Bea- 
triz  Enriquez  to,  I.,  424 
Bugiasco,  Bogliasco,  town  of,  pretended 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  L,  232,  233,237 
Bull,  or  Bulla,  Papal  document,  IL,  88 
Bullaert,  Isaac,  Academic  dcs  Sciences  et 
des  Arts,  Thevet-Columbus  portrait, 
HI.,  ss 

Bidlarum  Collectio,  cited,  II. ,  148,  152 
Bullarum  .  .  .  Collectio,  cited,  I.,  108 
Bidletin  de  la  Society  de  Geographie,  family 
of  Beatriz  Enriquez,  I.,  424;  descrip¬ 
tion  Versailles-Columbus  portrait.  III., 
47 

Bunchema,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II., 
492 

Buonaccorsi,  Florentine  scholar,  I.,  4 
Buona  Parte,  family  of.  III  ,  249 
Burchard,  quoted  by  Harrisse,  II.,  87 
Burenquen,  Buriquen,  Boriquen,  island 
of  (Puerto  Rico),  arrival  of  Columbus 
at.  Second  Voyage,  II. ,  270,  373;  In¬ 
dian  women  taken  captive  from,  1 1., 

Bunquen.  See  Burenquen 


702 


Index 


Bussi,  Giovan  Andrea  d’,  Bishop  of  Acci, 
witnessed  DeCusa’s  will,  I.,  362 ;  correc¬ 
tor  of  first  press  in  Italy,  I.,  362 ;  figures 
in  Tctralo^iis  as  Vigerius,  1.,  364,  365 
Byron,  Lord,  Ill.,  70 

C 

Cabacho,  Pedro,  murdered  at  La  Navi- 
dad,  I.,  472 

Caballeria,  Alfonso  de  la,  Vice-Chancellor 
of  Spain,  conspired  for  murder  of  Ar- 
buds,  I.,  460 

Caballeria,  de  la,  family  of,  intermarried 
with  Santangels,  I.,  461 
Cabana,  plain  of,  location  of,  II,,  312 
Cabana,  point  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  552 
Cabanas,  level  fields,  burning  of,  I.,  616 
Cabezas,  Alonso  de  las.  Treasurer  of  the 
Crusade,  returns  loan  for  equipment 
fleet  of  Columbus,  I  ,  459 
Cabezudo,  Diego,  seaman.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  S7I 

Cabezudo,  Juan  Rodriguez,  citizen  of 
Moguer,  loaned  mule  to  Columbus,  III., 
620 

Cabo  Alto  y  Bajo,  discovery  of,  I.,  614 
Cabo  Boto,  identification  of,  II.,  390 
Cabo  de  Boa  Esperanpa.  See  Cape  of 
Good  Hope 

Cabo  de  Campana,  discovery  of ,  I . ,  5  7  2 , 5  7  3 
Cabo  de  Caribata,  discovery  of,  I.,  615 
Cabo  de  Cinquin,  discovery  of,  L,  582 
Cabo  de  Conchas,  discovery  of,  II.,  402 
Cabo  de  Cruz  (Capo  de  Santa  Croce),  dis¬ 
covery  of,  II.,  318 
Cabo  de  Cuba,  discovery  of,  I.,  565 
Cabo  de  la  Galea.  See  Cabo  de  la  Galera 
Cabo  de  la  Galera  (Punta  Galeota),  dis¬ 
covery  of,  II.,  370,  384 
Cabo  de  la  Laguna,  discovery  of,  I.,  543 
Cabo  de  Lapa,  confusion  regarding,  11., 
361,  395;  identification  of,  II.,  390 
Cabo  de  las  Virgines,  doubled  by  expedi¬ 
tion  of  Magellan,  II.,  204 
Cabo  de  Padre  6  Hijo,  discovery  of,  I.,  642 
Cabo  de  Palmas,  discovery  and  identifi¬ 
cation  of,  I.,  554 

Cabo  de  Sabor,  discovery  of,  II.,  402 
Cabo  de  Sancta  Cruz,  Columbus  at.  Sec¬ 
ond  Voyage,  II.,  335 
Cabo  de  Sant  Miguel,  discovery  of,  II., 
336,  626;  Mendez  at,  II.,  663 
Cabo  de  Sant  Rafael,  discovery  and  iden¬ 
tification  of,  II.,  338,  376 
Cabo  de  Sierpe,  discovery  of,  I.,  634 
Cabo  de  Torres,  identification  of,  I.,  614 
Cabo  del  Becerro,  discovery  of,  I.,  636 
Cabo  del  Buen  Tiempo,  discovery  of ,  I . ,  64 1 
Cabo  del  Elefante,  discovery  of,  I.,  582 
Cabo  del  Enamorado,  discovery  of,  I  ,  642 
Cabo  del  Engano,  identification  of,  I., 
648,  II.,  338,  376;  discovery  of,  II.,  357 
Cabo  del  Estrella  (Cape  of  St.  Nicholas), 
discovery  of,  I.,  582 
Cabo  del  Farol,  discovery  of,  II.,  336 
Cabo  del  Isleo  (Bird  Rock),  point  on 
island  of  Isabella,  I..  548,  549,  594 
Cabo  del  Monte,  discovery  of,  I.,  580 
Cabo  del  Pico,  discovery  of,  I.,  572 


Cabo  del  Tiburon,  discovery  of,  II.,  336 
Cabo  Hermoso  (Cape  Beautiful),  discov¬ 
ery  of,  I.,  544;  different  spelling  of 
name,  L,  545;  identification  of,  I.,  594 
Cabo  Lindo,  discovery  of,  I.,  580 
Cabo  Luengo,  discovered  by  Columbus, 
II.,  402 

Cabo  Rico,  discovered  by  Columbus,  II., 
402 

Cabo  Santo,  discovery  of,  L,  634 
Cabo  Verde,  location  of,  I.,  549,  593,  595 
Cabot,  John,  preceded  Columbus  in  con¬ 
tinental  discovery,  IL,  371;  earliest 
account  of  voyage,  IL,  527 
Cabot,  Sebastian,  drew  up  document  fix¬ 
ing  Line  of  Demarcation,  II. ,  200  207; 
friend  of  Peter  Martyr,  1 1.,  219 
Cabra,  island  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  635  636 
Cabral,  Manuel  M.,  Alderman,  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  III.,  565 

Cabral,  Marcos  A.,  Minister  of  the  Inter¬ 
ior,  Santo  Domingo,  assisted  at  identi¬ 
fication  remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  559- 
566 

Cabral,  Pedro  Alvarez,  driven  upon  coast 
of  Brazil,  I.,  164,  325,  II. ,  203,  444;  re¬ 
lation  of  voyage,  in  Paesi,  II. ,  526 
Cabrera,  Joaquin,  Don,  III.,  541 
Cabrero,  Juan,  Doctor,  Ambassador  to 
Portugal,  III.,  31^ 

Cabrero,  Juan,  Spanish  Chamberlain,  pro¬ 
tected  Columbus,  L,  414,  III.,  311,  319; 
retains  slaves,  I.,  414;  sketch  of.  III., 
311.  312 

Cabrero,  Martin,  nephew  of  Juan  Ca¬ 
brero,  friendship  of  his  uncle  for  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I  ,  414;  attested  death  of  Juan 
Cabrero,  III.,  313 

Cdceres,  Jos^  Nunez  de.  Canon  of  San 
Domingo,  III.,  535,  536 
Cdceres,  M.  A.,  Minister  of  Finance,  as¬ 
sisted  at  identification  remains  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  565 

Cacique,  Cazichio,  Indian  title  of  King, 
meaning  of,  I.,  621 

Cadamosto,  Aloysius  da  Luis,  Venetian 
Captain,  voyages  contained  in  Paesi,  I., 
36,  3q8,  II. ,  452,  526;  commissioned  by 
Prince  Henry,  I.,  298;  charged  with 
lagiarism,  II.,  451;  at  Madeira  Islands, 
.,  398;  at  Canary  Islands,  I.,  497,  517 
Cadiz,  ancient  name  of,  I.,  498;  Colum¬ 
bus  sailed  on  Second  and  Fourth  Voy¬ 
ages  from,  II. ,  245,  576,  643,  683 
Cadoret,  Eugene,  Abb^,  La  Vie  de  Chris- 
tophe  Colomb,  birth  of  Columbus,  I.,  268 
Caesar,  Julius,  in  Eloe^ia,  III.,  14 
Cagnamares,  Spanish  fanatic,  attempted 
to  kill  King  Ferdinand,  I  ,  54 
Cahonao,  province  of  Espanola,  I.,  586 
Cain  lived  eastward  of  Eden,  II.,  41 1 
Cairo,  Egyptian  Babylon,  I.,  16-18,  23 
Caithness,  Sinclair  created  Earl  of,  I.,  384 
Cajetan,  Papal  Legate,  appearance  at 
Diet  of  Augsburg,  I.,  100 
Calabaza,  Spanish  measure,  II. ,  353 
Calabres,  Anton,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  470 

Calafar,  Gomez,  sailor  on  Nina,  believed 
Cuba  was  continental  land,  1 1.,  329 


Index 


703 


Calafar,  Rodrigo,  on  Nina,  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  believed  Cuba  was  continental 
land,  II.,  329 

Calandre,  Indian  name  for  kind  of  fish, 

11.,  498 

Calculazione  Dell'  Eclissi  in  Sole  e  Lima, 
Dati,  publication  of,  II.,  70 
Calderinus,  Domitius,  maps  of,  location 
of  Iceland,  I.,  383;  edited  1478  Ptol¬ 
emy,  III.,  463 

Calderon,  Andres  Alvarez,  Don,  III.,  540 
Calendar,  Rawdon  Brown,  Deliberazione 
Senato  (Secreta),  I.,  223 
Calendarium  (Almanac),  Muller,  carried 
by  Columbus,  Fourth  Voyage,  I.,  288, 
359,  II.,  630;  bibliographical  descrip¬ 
tion  of,  I.,  359,  II.,  630,  631;  printed 
by  Muller,  I.,  360 

Calendi,  Giuseppe,  engraved  portrait  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  29 

Calicut,  Egyptian  fleet  burned  at,  I.,  15: 

described  in  Libretto,  II.,  527 
Calixtus  III.  (Alfonso  Borgia),  Pope, "ef¬ 
forts  for  Crusade,  I.,  178;  uncle  to 
Alexander  VI.,  II.,  102 
Call  to  Assemble  only  known  by  man¬ 
uscript  entries,  I.,  104 
Calle,  Alonso  de  la,  seaman.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  572 

Callimachus,  name  assumed  by  Floren¬ 
tine  scholar,  Buonaccorsi,  I.,  4 
Calvi,  town  of,  pretended  birthplace  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  234,  247 

Calvo,  Carlos,  Coleccion  Completa  de  los 
Tratados,  passage  from  Zuazo  letter 
repeated  by,  II.,  200 
Calvo,  Francisco,  sailor  on  San  Juan, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was 
continental  land,  II.,  330 
Calvus,  F.  Minitius,  printed  first  edition, 
account  of  Magellan’s  voyage,  II.,  206 
Camacho,  Gonzalo,  squire.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  571;  friendly  to  Columbus, 

111.,  156,  162;  sketch  of,  IIP,  351,  352; 
seeks  Terreros's  property.  III.,  357, 

,369-  376 

Camacho,  Juan,  seaman.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IP,  570 

Camacho,  Pedro,  IIP,  352 
Camanor,  Joseph,  converted  native  East 
Indian, LiTirc^/ocontainsstory  of,  IP,  527 
Camarl,  river  of,  IP,  398,  402 
Cambaluc  (Pekin),  city  of  capital  of,  the 
Great  Khan,  P,  352 
Cambiaso,  Giuseppe  G.,  IIP,  568,  571 
Cambiaso,  Luis,  Don,  Italian  consul, 
tried  to  obtain  remains  of  Columbus 
from  Spain,  IIP,  555;  assisted  at  iden¬ 
tification  remains  of  Columbus,  IIP, 
558,  560-566;  carried  dust  of  remains 
to  Genoa,  IIP,  567,  571,  6it 
Cambiaso,  Michael-Angelo,  Count,  once 
possessed  Genoa  Codex,  IP,  532 
Cambray,  Cathedral  of,  d’Ailly  buried  at, 

11.,  342 

Gamers,  Johannes,  annotated  edition  of 
Solinus,  P,  500:  regarding  Canary 
Islands,  P,  501 

Cami,  supposed  Indian  name  for  Great 
Khan,  P,  554 


Campagnola,  Domenico,  IIP,  62 
Campania,  A.  de, collated  Bull  I,  IP, 97, 137 
Campbell, A  de  laTypographie  Neer- 

landaise,  date  of  printing  Imago  M undi, 
IP,  341 ;  printing  of  Marco  Polo’s  book, 
IIP,  462 

Campi,  Bernardino,  Italian  painter,  copies 
Columbus  portrait,  IIP,  15 
Campi,  Pietro  Maria,  canon  in  Placentia, 
Discorso  Historico  Circa  la  Nascita  di 
Christoforo  Colombo,  birth  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  P,  242;  author  Historia  Ecclesi- 
astica  di  Piacenza,  P,  242 
Canale,  Giuseppe,  Storia  Civile  e  commer- 
ciale  dei  Genouesi,  cited,  IIP,  248 
Canaria,  one  of  Canary  Islands,  1.,  497; 

sovereignty  of,  P,  505 
Canarians,  the,  home  of:  derivation  of 
name,  P,  499;  description  of,  IP,  246 
Canary  Islands,  the  (Fortunate  Islands), 
Columbus’s  point  of  departure  for  New 
World,  P,  493,  IP,  486,  503,  520,  578, 
643,  683;  traces  of  prehistoric  man 
found  on,  P,  494;  description  of,  P, 
494,  IP,  245-247,  486;  description  in 
Plutarch’s  Life  of  Quintus  Sertorius,  P, 
495;  mention  by  Pomponius  Mela,  P, 
496;  Pliny’s  description  of,  P,  496-499; 
Solinus’s  description  of,  P,  499,  500; 
location  by  Ptolemy,  P,  500-502;  var¬ 
ious  reports  of,  P,  502;  known  by  Ara¬ 
bians,  P,  502,  503  :  Genoese  expeditions 
to,  P,  503-505;  Petrarch’s  account  of 
Genoese  expedition  to,  P,  503,  504; 
grant  of,  P,  505;  purple  dye  from,  P, 
505;  Spanish  voyages  of,  P,  506,  507; 
conquest  of,  P,  507-509:  first  given 
modern  names  in  1513  Ptolemy,  P,  510; 
volcanic  origin,  belong  to  Spain,  P,  510, 
51 1 ;  mention  in  Carvajal’s  oration,  IP, 
86;  map  of,  IP,  107;  arrival  of  Colum¬ 
bus  at,  Second  Voyage,  IP,  245,  490; 
supposed  location  of  Earthly  Paradise, 
IP,  41 I 

Cancellieri,  Francesco,  Notizie  Storiche 
e  Bibliografiche  di  Cristoforo  Colombo, 
di  Cuccaro  nel  Monferrato,  Discopritore 
dell'  America,  birth  of  Columbus,  P, 
273:  Dissertazioni,  Edition  “O”  Co¬ 
lumbus  Letter,  II.,  71;  Notizie,  etc., 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  29,  30 
Canc6r,  Luis,  Dominican  Monk,  one  of 
the  conquerors  of  La  Tierra  de  Guerra, 
L,  141,  142 

Canchiete,  province  of,  IL,  508 
Canessa,  Achille,  designed  Baltimore  Co¬ 
lumbus  statue.  III.,  80 
Caniba,  Canima,  Caribs,  inhabitants  of 
island  of  Bohio,  L,  573;  believed  by 
Columbus  to  be  people  of  Great  Khan, 
L,  605;  arrows  of,  L,  61 1,  626.  See 
also  Cannibals 

Cannibals,  described  by  Peter  Martyr,  L, 
62,  67 ;  first  use  of  term,  P,  63,  IP,  248 ; 
mentioned  by  Gallo  and  Senarega,  P, 
193,  200:  described  by  Giustiniano,  P, 
210:  reported  to  Columbus,  P,  570, 
573,  580,  605,  61 1,  626,  633,  644,  646, 
647,  IP,  25,  81,  394,  487;  appearance 
and  customs  of,  I.,  643,  IP,  248,  250- 


704 


Index 


Cannibals — Coni’ d 

253.  265-268,  294,  487-491,  509,  521; 
light  with.  Second  Voyage,  II.,  252, 
253,  269,  492;  Columbus  proposed  en¬ 
slaving  of,  II.,  3fii,  302 
Cannaboa,  nativ^e  chief,  accused  of  mas¬ 
sacre  at  Navidad,  I.,  70.  See  Caonabd 
Cannoba.  See  Caonabo 
Cano,  Juan  Sebastian  del,  lost  day  in  sail¬ 
ing  westward,  II.,  206;  coat-of-arms 
of,  II.,  668 

Canoes  (canoa),  Indian  boats,  I.,  577, 
578,  617,  II.,  23,  250,  487:  carved  on 
tomb  of  Mendez,  II.,  665,  666 
Canonici,  Abb6,  obtained  part  of  Soranzo 
library,  II.,  440 

Canovas,  President  Spanish  Cabinet,  III., 
580 

Cansi,  Antonio,  Don,  III.,  540,  541 
Cantabrian  barques,  used  on  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  213 

Cantino,  Alberto,  made  map  for  Duke  of 
Ferrara,  II.,  200 

Canton  (Sin-assin),  commerce  of,  I.,  350 
Cantu,  Ci£sar,  Storia  Universale  Scriita  da 
CcBsar  Cantu,  birth  of  Columbus,  I.,  273; 
Racconto,  death  of  Columbus  and  age, 
I-,  273 

Caona,  canno,  Indian  name  for  gold,  I., 
643,  II.,  495 

Caonabo,  Indian  king,  province  of  Ma- 
guana,  I.,  125,  II.,  299;  death  of,  I., 
125,  II.,  356;  destroyed  Spaniards  at 
La  Navidad,  II.,  254,  274,  276;  hostil¬ 
ity  of,  II.,  313,  347;  seizes  wife  of  Gua- 
canagari,  II.,  347:  captured  by  Ho- 
jeda,  II.,  349-351;  capture  of  his 
brother,  anecdote  of  gold  chain,  II., 
351;  meaning  of  name,  II.,  495 
Cap  de  la  Roca,  discovery  of,  I.,  641 
Cap  de  Palmiers,  discovery  of,  I.,  554 
Cap  Samana,  discovery  of,  I.,  642 
Capatinus,  B.,  witnessed  Bull  I.,  II.,  97, 137 
Cape  Bojador,  I.,  297 
Cape  Cabron,  discovery  of,  I.,  642 
Cape  Haitien,  harbour  of,  description  of, 

I.,  623 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  (Cabo  de  Boa  Espe- 
ranpa,  Cavo  di  Diab),  I.,  78,  295 
Cape  Verde,  not  the  starting-point  for 
Line  of  Demarcation,  II.,  104;  geo¬ 
graphical  description  of,  II.,  105,  195, 
198 

Cape  Verde,  islands  of,  Portuguese  pos¬ 
session,  I.,  304;  in  relation  to  Line  of 
Demarcation,  II.,  loi— 112,  187—200; 
geographical  description  of,  II.,  105, 
19s,  202;  map  of,  II.,  ro6,  107; 

ancient  name  of,  II.,  376;  modern 
name  of,  II.,  377;  Columbus  at,  Third 
Voyage,  II.,  377-379-  503;  prolific  in 
turtles:  lepers  cured  there,  II.,  378 
Capella,  Martianus,  named  one  of  Canary 
Islands  Theoden,  I.,  500 
Capilla,  Diego  de,  murdered  at  La  Navi¬ 
dad,  I.,  471 

Capilupo,  Hippolyto,  Carmina,  epitaphs 
of  Columbus,  III.,  319 
Capitana,  (i),  the,  sailed  on  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  264;  purchase  of,  II.,  303 ;  sailed 


on  Fourth  Voyage,  crew  of,  II.,  569, 
570,  612;  accident  to,  II.,  605,  606, 
622;  Mendez  made  captain  of,  II.,  660; 
abandonment  of,  II.,  614 
Capitana  (2),  vessel  in  Spanish  fleet  at 
San  Domingo,  wreck  of,  II.,  579 
Capitelo,  Versio,  husband  Juana  Colon  y 
Toledo,  III.,  630 

Capitolinus,  Columbus  familiar  with 
works  of,  I.,  288 

Capitulation,  the,  summary  of,  I.,  437- 
441;  text  of,  I.,  441-451;  referred  to 
prospective  discovery  only,  I.,  515; 
forms  Document  II.  in  Book  of  Privi¬ 
leges,  II.,  539 

Capoy,  Thibault  de.  Seigneur,  French 
scholar,  Marco  Polo  gave  copy  book  of 
his  travels  to,  II.,  620 
Capraria,  one  of  Canary  Islands,  lizards 
on,  I.,  498,  500;  sovereignty  of,  I.,  505 
Caprili,  Julianus  and  Stampinus,  Do¬ 
menico  Colombo  sold  estate  to,  I.,  232, 
277 

Capriolo,  Aliprando,  engraved  portraits, 

111.,  26 

Caracciolus,  Papal  Legate,  sees  Mexican 
exhibits  at  house  of  Peter  Martyr,  II., 

585 

Carachara,  Indian  name  of  Guadaloupe, 

11.,  491 

Carambaru,  province  of.  See  Caravaro 
Carangonor,  described  in  Libretto,  II.,  527 
Caravaro,  discovery  of,  II.,  586,  685 
Carbajal.  See  Carvajal 
Carbone,  Tommaso,  his  house  in  Genoa, 

I--  255 

Cardenas,  Alonzo  de,  Comendador  Mayor 
of  Castile,  exempted  from  order  re¬ 
stricting  slave-holding,  I.,  414 
Cardenas,  Gutierrez,  Don,  Spanish  Com¬ 
missioner,  negotiated  Treaty  of  Tor- 
desillas,  II.,  122,  176,  177,  184 
Cardera,  the,  vessel  of  Columbus  used  in 
exploration  of  Cuba,  II.,  313,  331,  356 
Carderera,  Valentine,  proposes  restora¬ 
tion  of  Ganez  portrait  of  Columbus, 

111.,  24;  Memorias  de  la  Real  Academia 
de  la  Historia,  Parmigiano-Columbus 
portrait.  III.,  57 

Cardona,  Sancho  de,  married  Maria  Colon 
y  Toledo,  I.,  243 

Cardona  y  Colon,  Cristoval  de.  Admiral  of 
Aragon,  son  of  Maria  Colon  y  Toledo, 

1.,  243,  244,  III.,  630,  632,  633 
Carenas,  port  in  Cuba,  I.,  577 
Carenero,  Point  on  Espanola,  I.,  584 
Cariari,  Cariay,  settlement  of,  landing  of 

Columbus  at,  identification  of,  II.,  382, 
584,  644,  685;  description  of,  II.,  693 
Carib,  Charib,  use  of  name,  II.,  292,  293 
Carib,  island  of,  identified  as  Puerto  Rico, 

I.,  646,647  ;  Columbus  sought  for,  I.,647 
Cariba,  Cariby,  Caribi,  country  of  canni¬ 
bals,  I.,  606;  captives  taken  from,  II., 
278;  ajes  called  nabi  there,  II.,  278 
Caribata,  province  of  Espanola,  descrip¬ 
tion  of,  I.,  613;  rich  in  gold,  I.,  626 
Caribbean  Sea,  tempests  on,  II.,  5 
Caribs,  Caribes,  terrify  people  of  Espa¬ 
nola,  I.,  626;  name  given  cannibals  in 


Index 


705 


Caribs — Cont’d 

translation  Syllacio  letter,  II.,  248; 
name  given  cannibals  by  Dr.  Chanca, 

II.,  265,  266;  without  beards,  II.,  269. 
See  also  Cannibals 

Carillo,  Alonso,  Bishop  of  Pampelune,  stu¬ 
dent  of  Peter  Martyr,  I.,  6 
Caritaba,  Indian  name  of  mainland,  I.,  604 
Carlo,  St.  See  Cardinal  Borromeo 
Carlo  Alberto,  King  of  Sardinia,  receives 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  30 
Carlos,  Prince  of  Viana,  proposed  removml 
library  Benedictine  friars  to  Spain,  II., 
221 

Carmelites,  monastery  of,  founding  of,  I., 
402 

Carmichael,  General,  takes  possession  of 
San  Domingo  for  Spain,  III.,  557 
Carmina,  Capilupo,  epitaphs  of  Colum¬ 
bus  in.  III.,  519 

Carminis  de  Corbaria,  Bernardo  (Leon¬ 
ardo),  Bishop  of  Monte- Peloso,  made 
epigram  for  Cosco  translation,  Colum¬ 
bus  Letter,  II.,  46 
Camero,  Garcia  Fernandez,  I.,  468 
Camus,  Jacobus,  alleged  discovery  made 
with  Behaim,  II.,  73 

Carpentarius,  Georgius,  note  in  handwrit¬ 
ing  of,  II.,  54 

Carpentiez,  Paolo,  artist,  Columbus  por¬ 
trait  by.  III.,  34 

Carral,  Francisco,  sailor  on  Cardera,  Sec¬ 
ond  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  conti¬ 
nental  land,  II.,  331 
Carranza,  Cosme  de,  Don,  III.,  542 
Cartagena.  See  Carthagena 
Carte's  Collection  of  Original  Letters,  III., 
533 

Carter-Brown  Library,  Peter  Martyr  s 
First  Decade  contained  in,  I.,  34;  con¬ 
tains  copy  Edition  “D”  Cosco  Latin 
Letter,  IL,  53;  cataloguer  of,  II.,  56; 
has  copy  Edition  “  F  ”  Cosco  Latin  Let¬ 
ter,  II.,  58;  has  copy  Edition  “H” 
Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II.,  60;  contains 
copy  Edition  “  K”  Cosco  Latin  Letter, 

II.,  66;  contains  copy  Edition  “Q  ” 
Columbus  Letter,  II.,  72;  contains 
copy  of  Paesi,  II.,  526;  contains  Co¬ 
lumbian  Codex,  II.,  564 
Carthagena,  province  of.  Governor  of,  I., 
231;  not  known  to  Columbus,  II.,  617 
Carvajal,  Alonso  Sanchez  de.  See  Sanchez, 
Alonzo 

Carvajal,  Bemardin  de.  Cardinal,  Spanish 
Ambassador,  communicated  news  of 
discovery  to  Pope,  II.,  85;  sketch  of: 
oration  of,  II.,  85,  86 
Carvajal,  Ferdinand  de,  III.,  300,  306 
Carvajal,  Garcia  Lopez,  brother  of  Ber- 
nardin,  Peter  Martyr’s  letters  to,  II.,  85, 
122;  Ambassador  to  Portugal,  II.,  122 
Carvajal,  Luisa  de,  mistress  of  Luis  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  243,  III.,  630 
Casa  de  Colon,  palace  built  bv  Diego  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  135,  II.,  j.t6,  IIP,  625 
Casa  de  Contratacion,  III.,  370 
Casanova,  Abbd  Martin  fde  Pioegiola), 
claimed  Calvi  as  birthplace  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  247 

VOL.  HI. — 45. 


Casanovi,  N.,  Apostolic  Scribe,  collated 
Bull  I.,  II.,  97,  137 
Casas,  Luis  de  las,  Don,  III.,  541 
Casasola,  Gaspar  de,  Don,  transfers  al¬ 
leged  remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  541 
Casaus,  History,  cited  by  Munoz,  I.,  31 
Cascaes,  village  of,  arrival  of  Columbus 
at,  I.,  663,  II.,  13 

Casenove,  Guillaume  de,  Vice-Admiral  of 
France,  identified  as  corsair  Coulomp, 

I.,  225,  226 

Caseterides,  said  by  Columbus  to  be  an¬ 
cient  name  of  Azores,  II.,  382 
Casillas,  Thomas,  Dominican  monk,  sailed 
to  New  World  with  Las  Casas,  I.,  149 
Cassia  Fistula,  trees  discovered  by  Pin- 
zons,  II.,  51 1 

Cassitcrides,  ancient  name  of  Scilly 
Islands,  II. ,  383 

Castagneti,  Bartholomeus,  apprentice  en¬ 
gaged  by  Domenico  Colombo,  I.,  238,251 
Castaldi,  Panfilo,  alleged  to  have  in¬ 
vented  printing,  I.,  168 
Castel,  Jean,  French  historian,  Leibnitz’s 
chronicle  based  on  his  work,  I.,  225; 
mention  of  Colombo,  I.,  225,  226 
Castellano,  coin,  weight  of,  IL,  351 
Castellanos,  Las  Elegias  de  Varones  II- 
Instres  de  Indias,  epitaph  of  Columbus, 
IIP,  520 

Castigationes,  Barbarus,  publishing  of,  P, 
218 

Castigliani,  description  of  his  discoveries 
in  Paesi,  IP,  527 

Castile,  wars  of,  cited  by  Toscanelli,  P, 

317.  318  _ 

Castilla,  point,  port  of  Trujillo,  IP,  644 
Castilla  del  Oro,  first  name  of  Panama, 
IP,  604 

Castillo,  Jesus  Maria  (Josd  Maria),  Span¬ 
ish  civil  engineer,  directed  repairs  to 
Cathedral  of  San  Domingo,  IIP,  552; 
assisted  at  identification  remains  of 
Columbus,  IIP,  560-566:  gathered 
dust  of  Columbus,  IIP,  572,  573;  divi¬ 
sion  of  said  dust,  IIP,  612 
Castillo,  murdered  at  La  Navidad,  P,  47 1 ; 

probable  salary  on  First  Voyage,  I. ,474 
Castillo,  Pedro  del,  Don,  native  oi  Can¬ 
aries,  published  manuscript  account  of 
a  voyage  to  Canary  Islands,  P,  506 
Castro,  Ana  de  Ossorio,  marries  Don  Luis 
Columbus,  IIP,  629,  630 
Castro,  Felipe  Davila  Fernandez  de.  For¬ 
eign  Minister  to  San  Domingo,  assisted 
at  identification  remains  of  Columbus, 
IIP,  565 

Castro,  Maria  Luisa  de,  wife  Pedro-Nuno 
I  de  Portugal,  IIP,  634 
Castro  y  Portugal,  Catarina  de,  wife 
.‘\lvaro- Jacinto  de  Portugal,  IIP,  633 
Casula,  robe  given  Martyr  by  Sultan,  P,  20 
Cat  Island,  identified  bv  Com.  Mackenzie 
as  Guanahani,  P,  588;  territory  of,  P, 
500 

Catalina,  Senora,  wife  of  Gian  Luigi 
Fieschi,  IIP,  243 

Cataneo,  Rafael,  citizen  of  Seville,  wit¬ 
nessed  original  Capitulation,  P,  442 
Catani,  Pedro,  Don,  IIP,  540 


7o6 


Index 


Catanio,  Franco,  courier  of  Columbus, 

II.,  531,  III.,  366 

Catano,  Diego,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  571 
Catayo.  Sec  Cathay. 

Caterina,  mother  of  Leonardo  da  Vinci, 
F,  357 


Cathalina,  province  of,  discovery,  IF,  337 
Catha3%  country  of,  riches  of,  F,  305,  31 1, 
314;  called  a  city  by  Columbus,  F,  554; 
Columbus  believed  himself  near,  F, 
564,  IF,  617,  619;  missionaries  desired 
63^  Emperor  of,  IIF,  501 
Catherine  of  Aragon,  Queen  of  England, 
birth  (Dec.  15,  1485)  and  education  of, 
I.,  8,  25,  281;  betrothal  of,  IIF,  223 
Catherine  of  France,  mother  of  Henry 
VIF  of  England,  F,  228 
Catherine  of  Lancaster,  Queen  of  Castile, 
protected  Bdthencourt,  F,  507,  509 
Catholic  Sovereigns,  Ferdinand  and  Isa¬ 
bella,  F,  413,  IF, 86 
Catholicon,  formation  of  pearls,  IF,  401 
Catiba,  river  of,  Columbus  discovered 
solid  edifice  at,  II.,  594 
Catigara,  Gallo’s  account,  F,  195;  Gius- 
tiniano’s  account,  F,  212 
Cattho,  Angelo,  physician  of  Louis  XI., 
F,  7 

Cauni,  Indian  name  of  gold,  IF,  489 
Cavalca  Fungi  Lingua,  from  Florentine 
press,  IF,  68 

Cavetto,  Gian  Maria  del,  IIF,  243 
Cavila,  Indian  name  for  Great  Khan,  F ,  5  56 
Cavo  di  Diab,  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  so 
called  on  Portuguese  map,  F,  295 
Cayas  de  Morante,  point  on  Jamaica,  IF, 


643 

Caycos,  islands  of,  expedition  of  Ponce  de 
Leon  at,  F,  589 
Caynas,  Garcias,  I.,  59 
Cayo  de  Levantados,  island  of,  discovery 
of,  F,  642 

Cayo  Largo,  island  of,  IF,  643 
Cay  re,  island  of,  gold  on,  IF,  269 
Cazabi,  native  bread,  F,  606,  626 
Cazibaxagua,  cave  of,  F,  82 
Cazichio,  Indian  name  for  king,  IF,  495 
Cea,  Alonso  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  571 

Ceballos,  Josef,  Don,  opinion  in  Huelva 
lUustrada,  F,  515 

Cedo,  Fermin,  caused  trouble  at  Isabella, 
IF, 312 

Cemeteries,  Mohammedan,  Peter  Mar¬ 
tyr’s  visit  to,  F,  20 
Centrefrei,  identification  of,  II.,  22 
Centurini,  Luigi,  IIF,  569,  571 
Cerabaro.  See  Caravaro 
Cerasco,  Giambattista,  owned  Columbus 
portrait,  IIF,  52 

Cerda,  Luis  de  la,  Duke  of  Medinaceli, 
letter  to  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  F,  41 1; 
protected  Columbus,  F,  413;  Hojeda 
belonged  to  household  of,  IF,  217,  298 
Cerda,  Luis  de  la,  Don,  Prince  of  Fortune, 
made  ruler  Canary  Islands,  F,  504-506 
Cement,  island  of.  sovereignty  of,  F,  505 
Cervantes  lived  in  Valladolid,  IIF,  503 
Cervicomus,  •  Eucharius,  printed  second 


edition  account  Magellan's  voyage,  IF, 
206 

Ceuti,  cepti,  Portuguese  coin,  F,  484,  536 
Ceyre,  island  of,  cannibal  island,  IF,  267 
Chacachacare,  island  in  Boca  del  Drago, 
IF, 401 

Chacmool,  native  idol  in  Yucatan,  san¬ 
dals  of,  F,  494 

Chala,  Francisco  U.  de,  assisted  at  iden¬ 
tification  remains  of  Columbus,  IIF. 

56s 

Chalcondyles  Demetrius,  IIF,  17 
Chamberiaine,  A.  P.,  purchased  Mengs- 
Columbus  portrait,  IIF,  63 
Chanca  (Anca),  Doctor,  Peter  Martyr 
quoted  word  “cannibal”  from,  F,  64; 
member  Second  Voyage,  II.,  214,  217; 
wrote  account  Second  Voyage,  pre¬ 
served  in  Mejorada,  IF,  217,  281; 
quoted  by  Bernaldez,  IF,  217;  called 
city  of  Isabella,  Marta,  IF,  218,  278, 
283 ;  date  of  discovery  on  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  220,  264;  translation  of  letter, 

11.,  263-281;  salary  of,  IF,  304 
Chang-Choo-Foo-(Zaiton),  location  of,  F, 

348 

Charis,  island  of  cannibals,  F,  63,  IF,  81, 
292,  293 

Charles  V.,  Emperor  of  Germany,  birth 
of,  I,,  25;  reluctance  to  go  to  Spain,  F, 
27;  rebellion  of  Communeros,  F,  28; 
Peter  Martyr’s  letter  to.  First  Decade, 
F,  36;  coronation,  F,  107;  abdication, 

1.,  108:  interview  with  Las  Casas,  I., 
1 19;  incorporated  company  of  colon¬ 
ists,  I.,  132;  named  La  Tierra  de  Vera 
Paz,  F,  143;  rebellion  of  Ghent,  F, 
144;  refused  to  read  anything  written 
about  himself,  F,  153;  convoked  cotm- 
cil  at  Valladolid,  I.,  154;  obtained 
order  for  feast  to  commemorate  Ar- 
bu6s’s  death,  F,  460;  natural  daughter 
of,  IIF,  70;  remark  regarding  lan¬ 
guages,  IIF,  432;  entry  into  Barce¬ 
lona,  IIF,  439;  loan  of  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus  to,  IIF,  624,  625 ;  pedigree.  III.,  629 

Charles  IF,  King  of  England,  knighted 
Henry  Morgan,  IF,  595 
Charles  VF,  King  of  France,  unable  to 
aid  Bdthencourt,  F,  509;  Confessor  of, 
IF,  342 

Charles  VIF,  King  of  France,  bon-mot 
on,  F,  226 

Charles  VIIF,  King  of  France,  affianced 
to  Isabella  of  Spain,  F,  24;  minor  at 
time  of  Georgius’s  embassy,  F,  221; 
gift  to  Sforza,  IF,  215;  Anne  of  Beau- 
jeu  Regent  for,  IF,  344 
Charles  IIF,  King  of  Navarre,  created 
title  for  Prince  Carlos,  IF,  221 
Charles  IIF,  King  of  Spain,  ordered  Mu¬ 
noz  to  write  history  of  America,  IIF,  59 
Charles  IV.,  King  of  the  Romans  and 
Emperor  of  Germany,  issued  golden 
Bull,  IF,  88 

Charlevoix,  P.  F.  X.  de,  on  Columbus’s 
birth,  F,  264,  273;  story  of  Spaniards, 
F,  537;  anecdote  of  Becerillo,  IF,  317; 
calls  fortress  of  Bonao,  Bourgade,  IF, 

352 


Index 


707 


Chartography.  See  Maps 
Chartreuse,  Brotherhood  of,  received 
copy  Edition  “D  ”  Cosco  Letter,  II.,  54 
Chatarina,  escape  of,  II.,  494 
Chavarin,  Anton,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  569 

Cheneco  (Cheulco),  page.  Fourth  Voyage, 

n.,  572 

Chess,  first  game  m  America,  II.,  585 
Chiamonus,  Governor  of  Milan,  death  of, 
I-.  93 

Chiapas,  Bishop  of.  See  Las  Casas  Bar- 
tolom^  de 

Chiapas,  Bishopric  of,  I.,  149 
Chiavari,  pretended  birthplace  of  Colum¬ 


bus,  I.,  234,  246 

Chicago  Herald,  expedition  of,  I.,  591 
Chidekel,  ancient  name  of  Tigris,  II.,  412 
Chieftain,  the,  American  brig,  finds 
alleged  Columbus  document,  ll.,  6 
Chili  sauce  (Salsa  de  Chile) ,  pleasantry  of 
Remesal,  I.,  142 

Chimney^  in  Indian  houses,  I.,  543 
China  (Sera),  longitude  calculated  by 
Marinus  and  Ptolemy,  I.,  352,  353; 
change  of  dynasty  in,  I.,  353,  354 
Chinchorrero,  Tristan  Perez,  sailor. 
Fourth  Voyage,  IT,  569 
Chiriqui,  lake  of,  discovery  of,  IT,  645 
Chiriqui,  province  of,  carved  monuments 
found  at,  IT,  583 

Chocero,  Alonso,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  1.,  479 

Christopher,  Emperor  of  Hayti,  ordered 
destruction  of  defences  of  Mole  St. 


Nicholas,  I.,  582 

Chronica  de  Descobrimento  e  Conquista  de 
Gnine,  etc.  See  Azurara 
Chronicarum  Supplementum,  Bergomas, 
account  discovery,  IT,  73,  74,  80;  bib¬ 
liographical  description,  il.,  76,  77  ;  fac¬ 
simile,  II.,  77-79;  translation,  II.,  79-82 
Chuq,  chuq,  Indian  name  for  hawks’ 
bells,  I.,  626 

Churchill,  Arabella,  sister  Duke  of  Marl¬ 
borough,  son  of.  III.,  618 
Chuzona  Chico  (Rio  de  Gracia),  naming 
of,  I.,  640 

Ciamba,  province  of,  gold  mines  at,  II., 

685  . 

Ciampi,  Sebastian,  published  Boccaccio’s 
account  of  expedition  to  Canary  Isl¬ 
ands,  I.,  505 

Ciba,  Indian  name  for  stone,  II.,  276 
Cibao.  See  Civao 

Cibau,  name  given  Cuba  in  Simancas 
copy  Santangel  letter,  II.,  367 
Cibo,  Francesco,  son  of  Pope  Innocent 

VIII.,  J.,  41 

Cicero,  his  works  in  library  of  Queen  Isa¬ 
bella,  I.,  8;  calls  Sebosus  friend  of  Ca¬ 
tullus,  I.,  498;  works  translated  by 
Petrarch,  II.,  439 

Cienfuegos,  city  of,  origin  of  name,  I.,  616 
Cifuentes,  Conde  de,  Spanish  orderly,  or¬ 
dered  to  arrest  Rivarol,  II.,  531 
Ciguarc,  province  of,  .situation  of,  maps 
illustrative  of,  IT,  589-593;  riches  of, 
IT,  686 

Cijar,  Opusculum,  printing  of,  II.,  26 


Cimbago,  province  of  Espanola,  IT,  496 
Cini,  Mateo,  altro  mondo,  Verde’s  letter 
to,  I.,  63,  II.,  422 

Cinnamon,  discovery  of,  I.,  558,  IT,  25, 
489 

Cincpie-cento  age.  III.,  37,  40,  52 
Cintra,  rock  of,  location  of,  I.,  657;  Co¬ 
lumbus  arrives  at,  I.,  663;  reference 
to,  II.,  II 

Cintra,  Pedro  de,  discovered  the  Islas  de 
Los,  I.,  408 

Cipangi,  province  of  Espanola,  IT,  496 
Cipango,  island  of,  riches  of,  I.,  306,  312, 
316,  581,  635;  belief  of  Clolumbus  re¬ 
garding,  I.,  547,  581,  635;  reports  of, 

1.,  622,  626 

Ciudad  Real,  capital  of  Chiapas,  I.,  150 
Civao,  Indian  name  for  Espanola,  I.,  586; 

111.,  90;  rich  in  gold,  I.,  622,  626,  629; 
IT,  279;  mines  investigated  by  Ho- 
jeda,  II.,  217,  279;  visit  of  Columbus 
to,  IT,  31 0-312;  origin  of  name,  IT, 

.  3.1 1 

Cividad  Rodrigo,  I,,  363 

Cladera,  Christopher,  birth  of  Columbus, 

1.,  264;  defended  Columbus,  I.,  518 
Clarence  Harbour,  first  anchorage  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  on  Fernandina,  I.,  595 

Clarendon,  Lord,  III.,  531 
Clarke,  A.  R.,  Colonel,  measurement  of 
metre,  I.,  372 

Clavus,  Claudius,  map  of,  I.,  381 
Claynaerts,  Nicolas,  III.,  447 
Clemencin,  Spanish  numismatist,  I.,  484 
Clement  VI.,  Pope,  gave  Canary  Islands 
to  Don  Luis  de  la  Cerda,  I.,  505 
Clement  VII.,  Pope,  favoured  Paulus 
Jovius,  III.,  10 

Cleopatra,  daughter  of  Antony  and  Cleo¬ 
patra,  I.,  496 

Coanobo,  Indian  cacique.  See  Caonabb 
Cobraba,  Cobrara,  province  of,  discovery 
of,  IT,  645 

Cobrava  Aurira,  province  of,  cited  by 
Mendez,  IT,  657 

Cobrera,  Anne  de,  proposed  marriage  of, 

I.,  426 

Cobrera,  Juan  de,  bequest  of,  I.,  426 
Coche,  island  of,  location  of  name,  IT, 
403 

Cochet,  Abbb,  discovery  of  Bbthencourt’s 
tomb  by,  I.,  507,  508 
Cockburn  town,  main  settlement  on  Wat- 
ling  Island,  1.,  600,  602 
Codex  Juris  Gentium  Diplomaticus,  Leib¬ 
nitz,  letter  of  Ferdinand  of  Sicily  to 
Louis  XL,  I.,  225 
Codex  Theodosianus,  I.,  277 
Codice  Colombo  Americano.  Spotomo, 
Navarrctc  copied  Columbus’s  letter  to 
nurse  from,  II. ,  424 

Codice  diplomatico  Colombo- Americano, 
ofpa  Raccolta  di  Documenti  originate  e 
inediti,  spettanti  a  Cristoforo  Colombo 
alia  scoperta  ed  al  Governo  dell’  America, 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  I.,  259 
Coelho,  Nicolas,  member  of  Da  Gama’s 
expedition,  I  .  78 

Coen,  David,  assisted  at  identification  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus,  III.,  560-566 


Index 


70S 


Cogoleto  (Cugurco),  town  of,  pretended 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  I.,  232-234, 
236;  ditferent  form  of  name,  1.,  235: 
Columbus  brothers  in,  I.,  235;  por¬ 
trait  Columbus,  III.,  32-34 
Coins  (and  coinage),  values  and  fluctua¬ 
tions  of,  1.,  4S1,  48  2,  490;  authorities 
on,  I.,  4S4:  weights  and  fineness  in 
U.  S.,  I.,  4S6,  4S7;  ratio  silver  to  gold 
at  end  fifteenth  century,  I.,  4S9 
Colba,  island  of,  error  for  Cuba,  1.,  547 
Colcccioit  dc  Docunicntos  Ineditos  para  la 
Historia  dc  Espana,  cited,  I.,  4, 'll.,  344 
Coleonus,  Bartholomeus,  III.,  16 
Coleti,  Spanish  author.  III.,  534 
Collaert,  Adriano,  engraved  Stradano- 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  39 
Collection  of  Original  Letters,  Thomas 
Carte,  III.,  533 

Collectiones P eregrationum  in  IndiamOcci- 
dentalein,  De  Bry,  natives  Peru  fought 
from  trees,  II.,  588;  account  Columbus 
portrait.  III.,  39,  42 

Collomba,  Columbus  so  called  in  Janu- 
arius  letter,  II.,  8 

Colmeiro,  IManuel,  made  report  for  Span¬ 
ish  Academy  of  History,  III.,  612 
Colom,  designation  of  Columbus,  II.,  14 
Coloma,  Juan  de,  drew  up  Capitulation, 

I.,  441-443,  447,  451,  III.,  188;  drew 
up  order  to  town  of  Palos,  I.,  467 
Colombo,  Antonio,  Albero  Genealogico 
called  sister  of  Columbus  Nicoletta,  I., 

258 

Colombo,  Baldassare  (of  Cuccaro), 
claimed  estate  and  Majorat  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  242—245 

Colombo,  Bernardo,  member  Cogoleto 
family,  claim  to  estate  of  Admiral,  I., 
236,  245 

Colombo,  Bertolino,  father  Giovanni,  I., 
242 

Colombo,  Blanchineta  (Blanche),  sister  of 
Columbus,  name  and  marriage  of,  I., 
2.i8 

Colombo,  Domenico,  father  Christopher 
Columbus,  sons  of,  I.,  236-259;  alleged 
Will  of,  I.,  236;  documents  proving 
residence  in  Savona,  I.,  238-242;  docu¬ 
ments  proving  residence  in  Genoa,  I., 
250-256;  ownership  of  houses  in  Genoa, 

I.,  255-263;  facts  established  by  Ge¬ 
noese  documents,  I,,  257—259,  270 
Colombo,  Facius  de  (de  Placentia),  I,,  241 
Colombo,  Fedele  Guglielmo,  owned  Co¬ 
lumbus  portrait.  III.,  29,  30 
Colombo,  (i^iacomo.  See  Columbus,  Diego 
Colombo,  Giovanni,  pretended  father  of 
Domenico,  T.,  236 

Colombo,  Giovanni,  father  Domenico  and 
Nicolo,  I.,  242,  257 

Colombo,  Johannes  Pelegrinus,  brother 
Christopher  Columbus,  I.,  238,  240, 
2.36,  258 

Colombo,  Lanpa,  pretended  father  of  Do¬ 
menico  Colombo,  I.,  236 
Colombo,  Lan9a,  Lord  of  Cuccaro  and 
Conzano,  sons  of,  I.,  243 
Colombo,  Luigi,  III.,  30 
Colombo,  Nicolao,  brother  Lan9a  Colom¬ 


bo:  Bernardo  Colombo  descended 

from,  I.,  236 

Colombo,  Nicoletta,  sister  of  Columbus, 

1.,  258 

Colon,  Cristoval,  grandson  of  First  Ad¬ 
miral,  11.,  608,  ill.,  617 
Colon,  Don  Cristoval  (de  Larreategui  y  de 
la  Cerda).  See  Veragua,  Duke  of 
Colon,  Francisca,  daughter  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus,  III.,  617 

Colon  y  Carvajal,  Cristoval,  illegitimate 
son  Luis  Columbus,  I.,  243,  III.,  630, 

631 

Colon  y  Mosquera,  Felipa,  daughter  Luis 
Columbus,  wife  Diego  Colon  y  Pravia, 

111.,  630,  632 

Colon  y  Mosquera,  Maria,  daughter  Luis 
Columbus,  III.,  630 

Colon  y  Pravia,  Diego,  second  Duke  of 
Veragua  and  Fourth  Admiral,  succes¬ 
sion  and  death  of,  I.,  243,  III.,  632 
Colon  y  Pravia,  Francisca,  daughter 
Christoval  Colon  y  Toledo,  efforts  to 
obtain  Majorat:  descendants  of,  IT, 
608,  III.,  639,  640 

Colon  y  Toledo,  Christoval,  second  son 
Diego  Columbus,  Majorat  belonged  to 
descendants  of,  I.,  243,  III.,  638 
Colon  y  Toledo,  Diego,  third  son  Diego 
Columbus,  in.,  638 

Colon  y  Toledo,  Isabel,  daughter  Diego 
Columbus,  House  of  Berwick  y  Alba 
descended  from.  III.,  623 
Colon  y  Toledo,  Juana,  daughter  Luis 
Columbus,  III.,  628,  630 
Colon  y  Toledo,  Maria,  marriage  of,  I., 

243 

Coloni,  the,  supposed  ancestors  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  214 

Colonia,  Paulus  de,  Spanish  printer, 
printed  Spanish  edition  of  Plutarch’s 
Lives,  III.,  462 

Columbine  Registrum ,  Catalogue  de  la,  cita¬ 
tion  of  Cosco,  II.,  49 

Columbo,  Juan  Antonio,  sent  to  Espanola 
as  captain  of  ship,  II.,  375 
Columbus,  name  of,  common  in  Italy,  I., 
234,  249 

Columbus,  Bartholomew,  son  of  Domen¬ 
ico  Colombo,  I.,  236,  242,  243,  245,  249, 
254,  258,  259;  designed  maps  in  Lis¬ 
bon,  and  influenced  the  Admiral,  IT, 
340;  at  Courts  of  England  and  France, 

1.,  175,  239,  240,  II.,  344;  presented 
nephews  at  Court,  II.,  344;  went  to 
Espanola  in  command  of  fleet,  II.,  344; 
created  Adelantado,  III.,  494;  met 
Columbus  near  Espanola,  Third  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  407,  417;  joint  Governor  Es¬ 
panola,  II.,  417,  501;  founded  San 
Domingo,  II.,  417,  III.,  115,  340;  ser¬ 
vices  as  Adelantado,  II.,  345,  356, 
501-503:  sailed  Fourth  Voyage,  at 
Arzilla,  II.,  577;  landed  at  Cariari,  IT, 
582;  expeditions  in  Veragua,  II.,  606, 
607,  613,  614,  658,  689;  accompanied 
Mendez  and  Fresco  to  extremity  of 
Jamaica,  II.,  625,  663;  conflict  with 
rebels  on  Jamaica,  II.,  636;  the  Ade¬ 
lantado,  death  and  burial,  I.,  135,  136, 


Index 


709 


Columbus,  Bartholomew — Cant’d 

111.,  527;  Las  Casas’s  sketch  of,  II., 
341;  his  relation  of  First  Voyage  in 
Paesi,  II.,  527,  528;  the  notes  in  Imago 
Mundi,  II.,  341-343,  III.,  483-486; 
improbable  that  he  forged  Tpscanelli 
Letter,  I.,  346 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Birth  and  Birth¬ 
place),  called  Ligurian  in  First  De¬ 
cade  and  Epistolce,  Genoese  in  Second 
Decade,  I.,  38,  39,  62,  78,  230;  ear¬ 
liest  biographies  of,  L,  189;  ortus 
vilibus  parentibus,  I.,  202,  209,  214; 
nobility  claimed  for,  I.,  2 13-2 15;  his 
native  land,  I.,  230—233;  pretended 
birthplaces  of,  I.,  234—248;  son  of  Do- 
minicus  Columbus,  I.,  236-262;  docu¬ 
mentary  proof  that  he  was  Genoese,  I., 
238,  240,  249-263;  true  genealogical 
tree,  I.,  249;  legal  majority,  I.,  257, 
258,  277,  278;  called  himself  Genoese, 

1.,  260,  261;  date  of  his  birth,  I.,  264- 
276;  1446  the  probable  date,  I.,  277— 
285;  calculation  determining  his  age, 

1.,  284;  German  form  of  name,  II., 
455 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Youth  and  Early 
Voyages),  Cape  Vincent  sea-fight,  I., 
215-217,  220,  229;  in  Portugal,  I., 
280,  293,  294,  299,  405;  mine  of  St. 
George,  I.,  282;  alleged  academic  edu¬ 
cation,  I.,  286,  287,  II.,  222;  years 
passed  on  sea,  I.,  283,  284,  616,  III., 
484;  under  King  Ren6,  I.,  300;  the 
Toscanelli  letters,  I.,  301 ,  31 7-323,  513; 
different  texts  of  Toscanelli  Letter,  1., 
302-316;  the  Pilot  story,  I.,  325-338, 
379;  present  at  return  of  Dr.  Josephus 
from  Africa,  I.,  331,  407;  charge  of 
Vignaud,  I.,  338;  his  testimony  in  case 
of  Pilot  vs.  Toscanelli,  I.,  342—344, 

11.,  696;  marriage  of,  I.,  395  ;  residence 
in  Madeiras,  I.,  395,  404,  405,  11. ,  374; 
his  wife’s  family,  I.,  396,  399-404; 
number  of  his  children,  I.,  405-407; 
did  not  accompany  Diaz  to  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  II.,  344,  III.,  482-484; 
voyage  to  North,  I.,  381 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Character  and 
Purpose),  conspicuous  figure  in  drama 
of  New  World,  I.,  186;  his  real  patron, 

1.,  57 ;  heroic  qualities  and  greatness  of 
character,  I.,  165,  185,  186;  his  pur¬ 
pose  and  its  fulfilment,  I.,  167,  168,  176, 
177;  impression  received  from  passage 
in  Medea,  I.,  170;  believed  in  existence 
of  inhabited  islands  between  Spain  and 
India,  I.,  171-174,  515,  527;  his  perse¬ 
verance,  I.,  174,  175,  285;  called  a 
parancnic,  I.,  175;  his  ultimate  pur¬ 
pose,  I.  177-180,  575,  628,  658,  IT, 
364,  III.,  498-502;  two  charges  against 
him,  I.,  181;  excuse  for  slavery,  I.,  182, 
IT,  292-296,  301,  302,  393  ;  tenacious  of 
honours,  I.,  183,  III.,  498,  502;  realised 
nature  of  discovery,  I.,  184,  185,  562, 
563.  II-.  354.  3<3<3.  403,  404,  568,  687; 
piety,  I.,  287,  289;  Toscanelli’s  influ¬ 
ence  upon,  I.,  376,  377,  549;  frankness, 

I.,  394;  executive  ability,  IT,  284,  286, 


287;  believed  to  have  been  influenced 
by  Imago  Mundi,  II.,  342;  geographi¬ 
cal  conceptions,  II..  687;  authorities 
acknowledged  by.  III.,  485,  486 ;  lesson 
taught  by  life  of.  III.,  613 

Columbus,  Christopher  (In  Spain),  first 
visit  to  Salamanca,  I.,  10,  11,  418- 
420;  honours  from  Sovereigns,  I.,  61, 
668,  669;  desired  to  serve  only  Spain, 

I.,  175,  410;  the  Majorat,  I.,  242,  243, 
259,  III.,  159,  499,  646-654;  application 
for  use  of  mule,  I.,  271-273;  entered 
service  of  Spain,  I.,  280-282,  293,  407, 
646,  IT,  698;  codicil  from  Will,  I.,  281, 
282;  his  papers,  I.,  339,  II.,  217,  360; 
complaint  of  Michael  Muliar,  I.,  400; 
legacy  to  Violante  Nuniz,  I.,  400  ;  letter 
to  nurse,  I.,  409,  II.,  423—437  ;  patrons, 

I.,  411-415,  670,  IT,  443;  first  Junta, 

1.,  417-420;  relations  with  Beatriz 
Enriquez,  I.,  421—426,  II.,  343  ;  his  sons 
at  school,  I.,  427,  656,  IT,  4;  second 
Junta,  I.,  428-430;  at  La  Rabida,  I., 
430-433,  444;  at  fall  of  Granada,  I., 
435;  understanding  of  Line  of  Demarca¬ 
tion,  IT,  109-111,  377,  379;  wore  habit 
of  Saint  Francisco,  II.,  356,  III  ,  5; 
years  passed  at  Spanish  Court,  IT, 
404,  698;  complaints  of  injustice,  IT, 
430-438;  establishes  Majorat,  III  ,  643- 
656;  Book  of  Privileges,  II.,  530,  531, 
536-565;  coat-of-arms,  IT,  535,  536; 
relations  with  Fonseca  II.,  548-550, 

111.,  159,  351,  389;  Book  of  the  Pro¬ 
phecies,  IT,  566,  567,  III.,  660-664; 
proposed  use  of  mortuary  bier.  III., 
314;  friendship  for  Vespucius,  III., 
395-399;  condition  on  return  from 
Fourth  Voyage,  last  years.  III.,  493- 
497;  Last  Will,  III.,  656-660;  military 
codicil.  III.,  510,  511;  illness.  III  ,  61 1 ; 
death,  see  Los  Restos. 

Columbus,  Christopher  (First Voyage), the 
Capitulation,  I.,  437-451;  his  share  in 
equipment  of  First  Voyage,  I.,  452,  453, 
457.  464.  473.  474,  476,  480;  assis¬ 
tance  from  the  Pinzdns,  I.,  454-457; 
holograph  report  of  people  on  First 
Voyage,  I.,  477,  478;  Martyr’s  relation 
of  discovery,  I.,  54-59;  Martyr’s  ac¬ 
count  of  La  Navidad,  I.,  69,  70;  letter 
to  Santangel,  I.,  176,  343,  IT,  7;  letter 
to  Sanchez,  I.,  176,  343,  II.,  47-72; 
Bergomas’  relation,  II.,  77;  Sabellicus’s 
account  of  discovery,  II.,  518-522; 
Fulgosus’s  account  of  discovery,  II., 
525;  account  of  discovery  in  Paesi,  II., 
528,  529;  Gallo’s  account,  I.,  189—195; 
Senarega’s  account,  I.,  196-201;  re¬ 
lation  of  discovery  in  Polyglot  Psalter, 

1.,  206—212;  route  followed  to  the  west¬ 
ward,  I.,  324,  377,  378;  charts  car¬ 
ried  on  First  Voyage,  I.,  377,  524,  525; 
sails  First  Voyage,  I.,  490,  512,  11., 
486;  volcano  of  Tenerife,  I.,  497,  516, 
517;  prologue  to  Journal,  I.,  513- 
515;  used  Italian  miles,  I.,  516,  592, 

11.,  486;  at  Canaires,  I.,  517,  518.  II., 
486;  evades  capture,  I.,  518;  false 
reckoning  by,  L,  519;  variation  of 


710 


Index 


Columbus,  Christopher — Coitt’J 

needle  by,  1..  520,  526,  502:  discon¬ 
tent  of  sailors,  I.,  520-527,  056;  origin 
of  mutiny  story,  1.,  521),  530,  II.,  4; 
landfall,  1.,  530-532,  587-603;  claimed 
reward,  I.,  530,  532:  prayer  on  taking 
possession  of  Xew  World,  1,,  532;  cap¬ 
ture  of  natives,  1.,  53^,  537,  564,  634; 
wore  beard,  1.,  534;  hrst  reference  to 
tobacco,  I.,  540:  discovery  of  stamped 
gold  pieces,  1.,  543;  order  followed  in 
naming  islands,  I,,  552;  believed  Cuba 
continental  land,  I.,  556-581,  II.,  321- 
332,  403,  486;  believed  he  had  dis¬ 
covered  multitude  of  islands  at  end  of 
east,  I.,  566;  planting  of  crosses  by, 

1.,  567,  605;  believed  himself  near 

Florida,  1.,  569;  abandoned  by  Martin 
Alonso  Pinzon,  I.,  569;  Indians  unable 
to  understand  Spaniards,  1.,  575,  583, 
605;  first  sight  of  Espanola,  I.,  580; 
names  Espanola,  I.,  586,  II.,  486 ;  wreck 
oi  Santa  Maria,!.,  624,  II.,  486;  con¬ 
structs  La  Navidad,  I.,  627,  629;  pro¬ 
vinces  named  as  islands,  I.,  629; 

complains  of  Pinzon,  I.,  631,  634,  638, 
640,  641,  650  ;  return  of  Martin  Alonso 
Pinzdn,  I.,  637;  island  inhabited  by 
women,  I.,  295,  586,  638,  643,  646,  647, 
656;  vowed  pilgrimage,  I.,  655;  threw 
document  overboard,  I.,  657,  II.,  3-7; 
visit  to  King  and  Queen  of  Portugal, 

1.,  665-667;  return  from  First  Voyage, 

1.,  667,  668,  II.,  13 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Second  Voyage), 
first  reported  in  print  by  Syllacio,  II., 
223—262;  reported  by  Chanca,  II.,  263— 
281;  reported  by  Martyr,  I.,  60,  61; 
called  Indians  canibales,  I.,  63;  wrote 
Martyr  from  Espanola,  I.,  74,  76;  the 
departure,  II.,  213,  216,  244,  245,  263, 
489;  visit  to  Guacanagari,  II.,  255,  256, 
275,  276,  494;  sent  De  Torres  to  Spain, 

11.,  262,  292,  495 ;  illness  at  Isabella,  II., 

289,  290;  Diaz  rebellion,  II.,  309,  310; 
exploration  of  Cibao :  building  of  Sancto 
Tomas,  II.,  3 10-3 12,  496;  return 

to  Isabella,  II.,  312,  497;  Indian  hos¬ 
tilities,  II.,  313;  preparation  for  ex¬ 
ploration  of  Cuba,  II.,  314;  voyage  to 
Cuba,  II.,  315,  497;  voyage  to  Ja¬ 
maica,  IT, 316,  317,  335,  336,  497;  ex¬ 
ploration  of  Cuba,  II.,  318-320,  333, 
335,  497,  498;  discovered  Evangelista, 

II.,  333;  return  to  Espanola  and  ill¬ 
ness,  II.,  336-338,  346,  499;  subjugated 
Espanola,  11. ,  348,  349,  353,  499;  party 
to  stratagem  of  Hojeda,  II.,  340;  fort¬ 
resses  built  on  Espanola  by,  II.,  351, 
352,  499,  500;  conduct  toward  Aguado, 

355!  prepared  to  return  to  Spain, 

II.,  356,  357,  500;  return  voyage,  II., 
357“3591  jaime  Ferrer  letter  to,  II., 

365-369 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Third  Voyage), 
first  printed  report  in  LIBRETTO,  II., 
457-514;  Third  Voyage,  II.,  370,  371, 
372.  373;  at  Madeira  Islands,  II.,  374, 
503;  at  Canary  Islands,  II.,  375,  376, 
503;  capture  of  corsair,  IT,  375,  376, 


503;  at  Cape  Verde  Islands,  IT,  377- 
379'  5°3!  Sargasso  Sea,  IT,  381,  382, 
503;  discovery  of  Trinidad,  IT,  383, 
503;  coast  of  Trinidad,  IT,  384-386, 
503,  504;  glimpses  of  continental  land, 
IT,  385,  389,  394-396;  intercourse  with 
Indians,  IT,  387,  391-395-  504-  505: 
passage  of  Boca  del  Sierpe,  IT,  389,  390, 
504;  supposed  Earthly  Paradise,  T, 
661,  IT,  404-415;  the  continental 
landfall,  IT,  391,  504;  capture  of  In¬ 
dians,  II.,  393,  504;  coast  of  mainland, 
II  '  393-400 !  use  of  term  Another 
World,  T,  63,  IT,  361,  362,  399;  re¬ 
fers  to  Paria,  IT,  395,  504;  passage  of 
Boca  del  Drago,  IT,  401,  402,  506; 
from  Boca  del  Drago  to  Margarita,  IT, 
402,  403;  illness  of,  IT,  403;  in  haste 
to  reach  Espanola,  IT,  404-406;  meet¬ 
ing  with  Adelantado,  IT,  407,  417; 
arrival  at  San  Domingo,  IT,  408, 
506;  rebellion  in  Espanola,  IT,  418, 
432,  506,  507;  treatment  of  Roldan, 

II.,  419;  superseded  by  Bobadilla,  IT, 

419,  433,  434,  506;  placed  in  irons,  IT, 

420,  421,  435,  507;  promise  of  Villejo, 
IT,  420,  42 1 ;  end  of  Third  Voyage,  IT, 
421, 507 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Fourth  Voyage), 
first  reported  in  LETTERA,  IT,  669- 
699;  dates  of  departure  and  return,  II., 
450;  equipment,  IT,  569-573;  instruc¬ 
tions  of  Sovereigns,  IT,  574,  575; 

the  departure;  at  Arzilla,  IT,  576, 
577,  643,  683;  not  allowed  to  land  on 
Espanola,  IT,  578,  579,  643,  684;  his 
seamanship,  IT,  579,  580,  III.,  222— 
224;  at  Huerta  de  la  Regina,  IT, 
581,  643;  treatment  of  Indians,  IT, 
582—586,  596,  644,  645,  685;  sickness 
and  anxiety;  bravery  of  Ferdinand, 
IT,  685;  arrival  at  Cariari,  IT,  685; 
Cariari,  IT,  693  ;  hears  of  Ciguare  and 
the  Pacific,  IT,  589-593;  conception 
of  continent,  IT,  589-593,  686;  search 
for  gold,  IT,  600-603,  645,  689;  illness 
and  opening  of  wound,  ll.,  597,  688; 
arrival  at  Bastimentos,  II.,  687  ; 
fired  upon  Indians,  II.,  599;  river 
Belem,  IT,  604,  605,  645,  689;  builds 
settlement,  IT,  689;  riches  of  Veragua, 

II.,  695;  redemption  of  Jerusalem,  IT, 
695,  696;  hears  prophetic  voice,  IT, 
691;  captured  Quibia,  IT,  611,  612, 
646,  658,  690;  services  of  Mendez  at 
Belem,  IT,  657-659;  made  Mendez  cap¬ 
tain  of  Capitana,  IT,  660;  massacre  at 
Belem,  IT,  612,  659,  690;  abandoned 
Gallego,  IT,  615,  646,  660,  691;  knew 
he  had  discovered  continent,  IT,  617- 
621,646,  693;  arrives  at  Mago;  acci¬ 
dent  to  vessels,  IT,  692;  arrival  at 
Jamaica,  II.,  623,  660,  692;  conversa¬ 
tion  with  Mendez  at  Jamaica,  II.,  661, 
662;  promised  rewards  to  Mendez,  IT, 
664;  appeal  to  Sovereigns  for  aid,  IT, 
692;  sent  Mendez  to  San  Domingo,  IT, 
624,  663;  the  Porras  rebellion,  II.,  628, 
629;  lunar  eclipse,  IT,  630-632,  664; 
Muller’s  Calendarium,  I.,  288,  359; 


Index 


Columbus,  Christopher — Cant’d 

alleged  letter  of,  II.,  633-635 ;  begged 
Sovereigns  to  pay  crew  of  ships,  II., 

696,  697;  complains  of  injustice,  II., 

697,  698;  condition  in  Jamaica, 

11.,  699;  refers  to  loss  of  ships,  II., 
691;  left  Jamaica,  II.,  637,  638,  664;  at 
San  Domingo,  II.,  638;  arrival  in 
Spain,  II.,  639,  646 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Personal  Appear¬ 
ance),  first  mentioned  in  LIBRETTO, 

1.,  230;  II.,  258,  486;  III.,  3  ;  not  des¬ 
cribed  in  Decades,  I.,  40;  description 
of,  II.,  486,  529,  IIP,  3;  number  of 
portraits,  general  mention  of,  IIP,  7,  8; 
jovian  portrait,  IIP,  9—17;  Altissimo 
(or  Florentine),  IIP,  18;  Altissimo- 
Jefierson,  IIP,  18-21  ;  Altissimo- 
Morris,  IIP,  21;  De  Orchi,  IIP,  21-23; 
Yanez,  IIP,  24-26;  Capriolo  engrav¬ 
ing,  IIP,  26-28;  Crispin  de  Pass,  IIP, 
28,  29;  Cuccaro,  IIP,  29,  30;  Roselly 
de  Lorgues,  IIP,  30—32;  Madrid  Royal 
Palace  (or  Rin9on),  IIP,  30-32;  Cog- 
oleto  (or  Isnardi),  IIP,  32-34;  Negri, 
IIP,  34;  Rouen,  IIP,  34,  35:  Ferrari, 
IIP,  36,  37;  Ambras  (or  Vienna), 
IIP,  37,  38;  Stradano,  IIP,  37,  39;  Di 
Padova,  IIP,  39,  40;  Herrara,  IIP,  40; 
Naval  Museum,  P,  Frontispiece;  IIP, 
40,  41;  De  Bry,  IIP,  42-45;  Versailles, 

111.,  45-48;  Talleyrand,  IIP,  48-50; 
Bradley,  IIP,  50-52  ;  Venetian  mosaic, 
IIP,  52;  Cevasco,  IIP,  52,  53;  Thevet, 
IIP,  54,  55;  Montanus,  IIP,  55,  56; 
Herrera,  IIP,  57;  Parmigiano,  IIP,  57- 
59;  Munoz  (or  Bervvick-Liria),  IIP,  59- 
61;  Berwick-Alba,  IIP,  61,  62;  Jo- 
mard,  IIP,  62;  Mengs,  IIP,  62,  63, 
Havana,  IIP,  63;  Lotto,  IIP,  64-68; 
Moro,  IIP,  68-70;  Albany  or  Farmar, 
IIP,  71-74;  Hull,  IIP,  74;  Rinck,  IIP, 
75,  76;  Seville  (Capitol),  IIP,  77,  78; 
De  la  Cosa,  IIP,  78,  79;  portrait  in 
Book  of  Privileges,  IP,  opp.  531;  IIP, 
78;  monuments  and  statues,  IIP,  80— 
82 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Handwriting), 
inscription  in  Historia,  P,  345,  378— 
380;  careless  transcription  Toscanelli 
Letter,  P,  374,  375;  wrote  poor  Span¬ 
ish,  P,  576,  IP,  362,  397 ;  signatures  of, 
IP,  14,15,111,454-458*;  Las  Casas’s 
account  of  note  in  Imago  Miindi,  IP, 
343;  list  of  holographs,  IIP,  84,  85; 
description  of  holographs,  IIP,  87,  88; 
map  coast  of  Espanola,  IIP,  88-91; 
fragmentary  memorandum,  IIP,  92, 
93;  letters  to  Sovereigns,  IIP,  94—113, 
114— 119,  222—241;  to  Don  Diego,  IIP, 
120-123,  285-299,  300-307,  309-325, 

327-338,  339-349-  351-361,  369-377, 
389-394,  395-399,  401-403 '•  to  Gor- 
ricio,  IIP,  125-129,  151— 155,  155-157, 
159-163,  165-169,  171-173,  175-177, 
260-265,  267-271,  273-275,  385-387; 
unaddres,sed  holographs,  IIP,  136-151, 
185-203,  204-221,  378-383,  405-406, 

*  The  stops  are  wrongly  placed  in  the  signatures 
as  printed  in  I.,  243,  II.,  12. 


711 


407—419,  420,  421;  to  Morales,  IIP, 
179-183;  to  Oderigo,  IIP,  242-247, 
362—367;  letter  to  Bank  of  St.  George, 
IIP,  248-259;  letters  to  Morillo,  IIP, 
277-283;  significance  of  monograms, 
IIP,  455-458;  different  types,  IIP, 
45S-488;  examination  and  reproduc¬ 
tion  of  Toscanelli  Letter,  IIP,  465-475; 
examination  of  notes  in  Imago  Mimdi, 
IIP,  475,  480—488 

Columbus,  Christopher  (Los  Restos) ,  his 
death,  Casa  de  Colon,  IIP,  503; 
notice  of  death,  IIP,  503-506;  bur¬ 
ial  at  Valladolid,  IIP,  507-513; 
bvuial  at  Las  Cuevas,  IIP,  514;  epi¬ 
taphs  of,  IIP,  517;  removal  to  San 
Domingo:  Royal  Cedula,  IIP,  522— 
525;  concealment  of  tomb,  IIP,  526; 
location  of  tomb,  IIP,  526,  527,  534— 
537,  550,  604,  605;  removal  of  supposed 
remains  to  Havana,  III.,  538-543  ;same 
remains  removed  to  Seville,  IIP,  543- 
545 ;  story  of  supposed  substitution 
of  remains,  IIP,  553,  554;  conspiracy 
charged  by  Spain,  IIP,  554,  555;  dis¬ 
covery  of  true  remains  in  Cathedral  of 
San  Domingo,  IIP,  558-566;  dust  at 
Genoa,  IIP,  567-571;  Castillo  Locket, 
IIP,  572  ;  dust  at  Pavia,  IIP,  593-596; 
remains  deposited  in  church  Regina 
Angelorum,  IIP,  576-579;  Spanish 
protest,  IIP,  580;  second  examination, 
IIP,  583;  scientific  report,  IIP,  585- 
587;  the  silver  plate,  IIP,  588-602; 
third  examination,  IIP,  592,  593;  de¬ 
posit  of  remains  in  Cathedral  of  San 
Domingo,  IIP,  597;  fourth  examina¬ 
tion,  IIP,  597-601;  inscriptions  on 
box,  IIP,  605-607;  the  leaden  bullet, 
IIP,  608—610;  resume  of  various 
burials,  IIP,  61 1  ;  portions  of  dust, 
IIP,  611,  612 

Columbus,  Diego,  brother,  birth  of,  P,  27 1 ; 
(Giacomo),  son  of  Domenico  Colombo, 
I  .  236.  243. 245. 249. 253,  254, 258,  259; 
Spanish  form  of  name,  P,  236;  appren¬ 
ticeship  in  Savona,  P,  240;  majority 
of,  P,  240,  277,  278;  on  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  IP,  213  ;  commander  of  Isabella, 
IP,  310,  314;  Lieutenant-Governor  of 
Espanola,  IP,  356,  417;  death  of,  IIP, 
261 , 624 

Columbus,  Diego,  son,  sketch  of,  IIP, 
620—626;  probable  date  of  his  birth, 
P,  405,  427,  IIP,  620,  621 ;  specified  as 
legitimate  son  of  Columbus,  P,  423, 
424;  at  La  Rabida,  P,  431-434, 
IIP,  621;  appointed  page  to  Prince 
Juan,  P,  428,  IP,  344,  IIP,  120,  621; 
at  school  in  Cordova,  P,  427,  656,  IIP, 
621;  mentioned  in  LETTERA,  IP,  685; 
Columbus’s  letters  to,  IIP,  1 20-1 23, 
285-299,  300-307,  309-325,  327-338, 

339-349-  351-361,  369-377,  389-394- 
395—399,  401—403;  Bank  of  St.  George 
letter  to,  IIP,  250;  inheritance  of,  IIP, 
622;  endeavour  to  obtain  rights,  IIP, 
516;  marriage  of,  IIP,  516;  children, 
IIP,  623;  Second  Admiral  ordered 
Velasquez  to  subdue  Cuba,  P,  115; 


Index 


712 


Columbus,  Diego — C out’d 

built  Casa  de  Colon,  1,,  135,  III.,  625; 
conversation  w-ith  King  Ferdinand, 

111.,  624:  injustice  to  Mendez,  II.,  665; 
ordered  removal  of  his  mother’s  body, 

1.,  402,  423,  III.,  513;  Admiral’s  love 
of  Franciscans,  III.,  512,  513;  personal 
appearance  of.  III.,  626;  loan  to 
Cnarles  V.,  III.,  624,  625;  death  and 
burial  of.  III.,  626;  first  Will,  III.,  664— 
670:  provided  for  Beatriz  Enriquez,  I., 
422,  423,  426;  legacy  to  Jeronimo  de 
Aguero,  III.,  302;  legacies  to  mis¬ 
tresses,  1.,  422,  III.,  623;  second  Will, 

111.,  671;  legacy  to  his  aunt,  I.,  400; 
legacy  to  tobacco  merchant,  I.,  561 

Columbus,  Diego,  converted  native,  I., 
269,  II., 

Columbus,  Dominicus,  father  of  Discov¬ 
erer.  See  Colombo,  Domenico 
Columbus,  Ferdinand,  birth  of,  I.,  271, 
425,  III.,  422,  444,  483;  called  natural 
son  of  Columbus,  I.,  424;  mother  of,  I., 
421,422,425;  at  school  in  Cordova,  I., 
427,  656;  page  to  Prince  Juan,  II.,  344; 
bravery  of.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  685; 
dwelling-place  of.  III.,  424,  425;  his 
library.  III., 426, 445-453;  unique  copy 
first  Italian  edition  Columbus  Letter, 

11.,  67  ;  his  travels  and  books  collected 
by.  III.,  426-442;  table  exchange 
values  of  gold  ducat,  I.,  482,  483;  pos- 
secsed  copy  Seneca’s  Tragedies,  I.,  170, 

111.,  431;  meeting  with  Erasmus,  III., 
432;  had  copy  of  LIBRETTO,  II.,  439; 
Folio  or  Quarto  Letter  probably  in 
Library,  II.,  45;  no  protest  against 
naming  America,  III.,  435;  helped 
settle  estate  of  Diego,  ill.,  441;  at 
Junta  of  Badajoz,  11. ,  207;  did  not 
mention  Pilot  story,  I.,  328;  said  orig¬ 
inal  text  of  Lett  ERA  was  printed,  IL, 
683 ;  collected  money  from  Grimaldo, 

III.,  343;  character  and  life  of,  I.,  346, 
424,  III.,  310,  422,  444;  personal  ap¬ 
pearance  of,  IIP,  443  ;  calls  Leander  de 
Cosco,  Leonardus,  II.,  49;  story  of  Co¬ 
lumbus’s  irons  told  by,  II. ,  421 ;  death, 
tomb,  and  epitaphs  of,  I.,  425,  IIP, 
442-444,  521;  Will  of,  IIP,  445;  self¬ 
designation  in  last  Will,  L,  261,  262. 
See  also  “Historie  del  S.  D.  Fernando 
Colombo  ” 

Columbus,  Luis,  sketch  of,  L,  346,  IIP, 

627— 63 1 ;  details  of  life  in  Memorial  del 
Pleyto,  L,  244,  IIP,  628;  pedigree  of, 
IIP,  629;  Third  Admiral,  son  of  Diego 
Columbus,  proposed  marriage  of,  P, 
38;  marriages  of,  children  of.  III., 

628- 630;  ordered  to  transfer  body  of 
Columbus  to  San  Domingo,  IIP,  523; 
alleged  forger  Toscanelli  letters,  P,  347 ; 
rights  and  titles  of,  IP,  608,  637,  IIP; 
628;  heir  of  Ferdinand,  IIP,  445,  448, 
628;  exile,  death,  and  burial  of,  IIP, 
528,  630;  tomb  discox^ered  in  Cathe¬ 
dral  of  San  Domingo,  IIP,  552,  553, 
556,  604 

Columbus  Junior,  surnames  of,  P,  226; 
Admiral  of  France,  P,  216,  219,  221; 


capture  of  Venetian  galleys  by,  P,  217, 
218,  220,  224;  not  related  to  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus,  P,  220;  before  French 
King,  I.,  223;  capture  of  Sicilian  ves¬ 
sels,  L,  225;  referred  to  in  Vespucius 
letter,  P,  227,  228 

Columbus,  Pedro,  great-grandson  Colum¬ 
bus,  portrait  Columbus,  IIP,  27,  31 
Columna,  Antonius,  in  Elogia,  IIP,  14 
Colvocoresses,  G.  P.,  Lieut.,  observes 
ruins  city  of  Isabella,  II.,  287 
Coma,  Guglielmo,  refers  to  Canarians,  P, 
499;  member  Second  Voyage,  IP,  214, 
216;  account  Second  Voyage,  IP,  223; 
called  Espanola  Belle  Isle,  IP,  283. 
See  S3dlacio 

Communeros  (Germanada,  Junteros), 
brotherhood  of,  P,  28 
Como,  Aloysius  de,  probably  printed 
Syllacio-Coma  Letter,  IP,  222 
Compendia  de  Algunas.  See  Valtanas 
Completas,  Compline,  hour  of,  P,  662, 
IP,  384 

Complutum.  See  Alcala  de  Henares 
Conches,  Feuillet  de,  Versailles  portrait 
Columbus,  III.,  46,  47 
Conchillos,  Lope,  permitted  slaves,  P,  414 
Concord,  Mass.,  Columbus  portrait  in  Li¬ 
brary  of,  IIP,  62 

Conde  de  Vejtadito,  the,  Spanish  cruiser, 
bears  supposed  remains  of  Columbus  to 
Spain,  IIP,  543 

Condelmerius,  Angelus,  father  Pope  Eu¬ 
gene  IV.,  P,  349 

Condelmerius,  Gabriel.  See  Eugene  IV., 
Pope 

Cdngrks  International  des  Americanistes , 
cited,  IIP,  76 

Conies  on  Canary  Islands,  IP,  246 
Conil  and  Caliz,  Duke  of,  tunny-fisheries 
of,  P,  648 

Conquista  del  Peru.  See  Xeres 
Constantine,  Emperor,  agreement  with 
Bishop  of  Rome,  IP,  86 
Contarinus,  Gaspar,  see  Mexican  exhibit 
at  house  of  Martyr,  IP,  585 
Contemplaciones  sobre  el  Rosario  de  N.  S. 
See  Gorricio 

Conti,  part  of  Paesi,  II.,  527 
Conti,  Nicolo  di,  manuscript  of,  I.,  295; 
absolved  by  Pope  Eugene  IV.,  I.,  349; 
divisions  of  India,  IP,  52 
Conti,  Vicenzio,  History  of  Monferrato, 
Cuccaro,  birthplace  of  Columbus,  P,  245 
Continent  of  America,  cited,  II.,  602,  III., 
304,  434,  463,  605;  map  in  Martyr’s 
First  Decade,  P,  38;  editions  of  Ptol¬ 
emy,  I.,  381,  510 
Convallis,  one  of  Canaries,  P,  498 
Converse,  G.  A.,  commander,  report 
made  to,  IP,  283 

Convolvulus  Batatas,  ajes  belong  to  order 
of,  P,  558 

Copenhagen,  city  of,  example  Syllacio- 
Coma  Letter,  IP,  215 
Copia,  definition  of,  P,  309 
Copper  valued  bv  Indians,  IP,  276 
Copts,  the,  Papal  Embassy  to,  P,  351 
Coraria,  Bariola,  mother  Eugene  IV.,  I., 
349 


Index 


713 


Corarius,  Angelus.  See  Gregory  XII., 
Pope 

Corbizzi,  Angiolino  del  Tegghia  de,  expe¬ 
dition  to  Canaries,  I.,  505 
Cordeyro,  Historia  Insulana,  Perestrello 
family,  I.,  399 

Cordoba,  Francisco  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  572;  deserted  at  Espa- 
nola,  II.,  627 

Cordova,  Duke  of  Sessa,  I.,  7 
Cordova,  Francisco  Hernandez  de,  Span¬ 
ish  explorer,  I.,  31 

Cordova,  Gonsalvo  Fernando  de,  expedi¬ 
tion  into  Italy,  I.,  88;  employs  Oviedo, 

1.,  231 ;  no  portrait  of.  III.,  7 
Cordova,  Maria  Francisca  de,  IIP,  635 
Cdrdova,  Pedro  de,  Dominican  prelate, 

sends  mission,  I.,  117;  scheme  for 
colony,  I.,  130;  death  of,  I.,  134 
Cordova  Nueva,  city  of,  founded,  I.,  134 
Cornualla,  Cornwall,  settlement  of,  I.,  667 
Coroa,  river,  near  Line  of  Demarcation, 
IF,  200 

Coroay  considered  an  island  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  629 

Coronel,  Pedro  Hernandez  (Fernandez), 
member  Second  Voyage,  II. ,305;  mem¬ 
ber  Council  of  Isabella,  II.,  314;  squire. 
Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  569 
Coronica  (Chronica)  de  Aragon.  See 
Vagad 

Corral,  Andreas  de,  at  Fiscal  Inquiry,  IF, 

372 

Corrales,  Spanish  judge,  anecdote  of,  IF, 
584 

Correa  da  Cunha,  Pedro,  appointed 
Governor  Porto  Santo,  F,  399,  403 
Corsairs.  See  Pirates 
Corsaro,  Pietro,  notary  in  Savona,  F,  238 
Corsica,  alleged  birthplace  Columbus,  F, 
247 

Corte  Real,  Gaspar,  expedition  of,  IF, 
203 ;  account  second  voyage  in  Paesi, 

II'.  527 

Cortes,  Hernando,  expedition,  F,  31 ;  por¬ 
trait,  III.,  24;  feud  with  Velasquez, 

111.,  342 

Cortes,  the,  against  appointment  of  for¬ 
eign  priests,  IF,  84 

Corvo,  island  of,  description  of,  IF,  104, 
106,  112 

Cosa,  Juan  de  la,  part  owner  Santa  Maria, 
F,  469,  470,  589;  salary.  First  Voyage, 
F,  474;  map  of,  F,  588,  589,  III.,  78, 
79 ;  Line  of  Demarcation  not  on  map  of, 
IF,  200;  member  Second  Voyage,  IF, 
214;  certifies  Cuba  as  continental  land, 
329;  voyage  to  Veragua  and  Darien, 
IF,  S9s;  names  port  Carthagena,  IF, 
617 

Cosas  Memorahles  de  Espana,  cited,  I.,  7, 
8.  See  Siculo 

Cosco,  Leander  de,  Latin  translation 
Columbus’s  Letter  to  Sanchez,  F,  176, 
IF,  46;  different  forms  of  surname,  IF, 
49 

Cosco  Latin  Editions; 

Harrisse’s  classification,  IF,  46,  47 
‘C.  the  Editio  Princeps,  bibliographi¬ 
cal  description  of,  IF,  47;  fac-simile 


title-page,  IF,  48;  probable  priority 
of,  IF,  49 

“D,”  bibliographical  description  of, 
IF,  49,  50;  fac-simile  title-page,  IF, 
51;  printing  of:  known  copies  of, 
II',.  S3.  54.  56 

“E,”  fac-simile  title-page,  IF,  55;  bib¬ 
liographical  description  of,  IF,  56,  58 
“F,”  fac-simile  title-page,  II.,  57; 

bibliographical  description  of,  IF,  58 
“G,”  bibliographical  description  of, 
IF,  58;  fac-simile  folio  two,  IF,  59 
“H,”  bibliographical  description  of, 
IF,  60;  fac-simile  folio  two,  IF,  61 
“I,”  bibliographical  description  of,  IF, 
62;  fac-simile  folio  two,  IF,  63 
“  J,  ”  bibliographical  description  of,  IF, 
62,  64;  fac-simile  title-page,  IF,  65 
“K,”  bibliographical  description  of, 
IF,  66;  contains,  with  edition  “  D,” 
first  map  of  New  World,  III  ,  91 
Cosimo  1.  sent  Altissimo  to  copy  portraits, 

III.,  12,  18 

Cosio,  Alvaro  Alonso,  F,  468 
Cosmographia,  Heylin,  epitaph  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  III.,  520,  521 

Cosmographia,  Ptolemy,  based  on  stories 
of  travellers,  F,  348,  349;  translated 
into  Latin,  F,  353 

Cosmographia,  Thevet,  publication  of, 
III'.  55 

CosmographicB  Introductio,  names  New 
World,  IF,  341,  III.,  435,  605;  dis¬ 
covery  of  Paria  by  Vespucius,  IF,  404 
Cosmography,  introduction  to,  Lcbrija  al¬ 
lusion  to  Antipodes  in,  IF,  74 
Cosseria,  pretended  birthplace  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  F,  234,  246 

Costa,  Alvaro  da,  opposes  expedition  of 
Magellan,  IF,  204 

Costabili,  Marquis,  had  unique  copy 
Edition  “M”  Columbus  Letter,  IF,  68, 
69 

Cottier,  John,  physician  of  Louis  XL, 
I'.  7 

Cotton,  discovery  of,  F,  536,  558,  562, 
564,  IF,  25,  81,  488 

Coulon,  Coullon,  Coulomp.  See  Colum¬ 
bus  Junior 

Coxon,  Captain,  attacked  Puerto  Bello, 
II'.  597. 

Crates  said  Menelaus  circumnavigated 
Africa,  F,  295 

Cretico,  Messer,  cited,  IF,  446,  448 
Creussner,  Frederick,  books  printed  by, 
F,  168,  358,  IF,  620,  III.,  462 
Creux  (Creo),  Cape,  III.,  222,  233 
Cribb,  William,  bought  Moro-Columbus 
portrait.  III.,  69,  70 
Crino,  Arabian  unit  of  measure,  F,  372 
Cristobal  Colon,  sii  Vida,  sns  Viages,  sus 
Descubrimientos,  Asensio,  discovery 
made  by  brig  Chiejtain,  IF,  6 
Crocco,  Anthony,  III.,  569,  571 
Croce,  Giovan  Battista,  III.,  34 
Croce,  island  of,  discovery  of,  IF,  490 
Crocodiles  discovered  in  New  World,  IF, 
600 

Cromagnon,  generic  skull,  perpetuation 
of,  F,  494 


Index 


;i4 


Croniborgor.  Coruniborger,  Jacobus, 
printer,  books  printed  by,  1.,  37,  43, 
111  .  42t) 

Croinborger,  Johannes,  printed  his  last 
book,  1,,  37  ;  tirst  American  press.  III., 
44^ 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  sent  expedition  to  San 
Domingo,  111.,  531 

Cronau,  Rudolf,  German  author,  exami¬ 
nation  remains  of  Columbus  by.  111., 
597—600 

Crooked  Island,  1.,  594 

Crothon,  Johannes,  collated  Bull  III.,  II., 
160,  161 

Crusades,  New,  I.,  178;  Columbus  to  con¬ 
duct  new  Crusade,  1.,  180;  Sovereigns 
to  aid,  I.,  628,  III.,  249,  652 

Cruz,  Cape  of,  Columbus  sailed  to,  II.,  646 

Cruzat,  Francisco  Herrara,  Don,  III.,  542 

Cuba,  island  of:  Martyr’s  description,  I., 
76—78;  different  names,  I.,  1 15,  II.,  367, 
453.  454.  637;  subjugation  of,  I.,  116; 
the  Spaniards’  god,  I.,  127  ;  massacre  of 
Indians,  I.,  128;  legend  of  white  men  at 
Espanola,  I.,  334,  338;  believed  to  be 
Cipango,  I.,  547,  548;  landfall  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  550:  sketch  of,  I.,  551; 
search  for  Babeque — First  Voyage,  I., 
532—580,  II.,  486,  520;  exploration  of 
— Second  Voyage,  II.,  318,  319,  327, 
328.  333.  335.  497-499;  called  main¬ 
land,  I.,  556,  557,  580,  581,  II.,  321- 
332,  403,  486,  522;  hostility  of  In¬ 
dians,  I.,  579;  Columbus  departs,  I., 


319 

II.. 


499; 
319; 
327-332; 

See  also 


580;  tunics  of  natives,  II., 
first  European  settlement, 

Fernand  Perez  report,  II., 
the  old  cacique,  II.,  334. 

Juana,  Joanna 

Cubagua,  island  of,  description  of;  pearls 
found  at,  I.,  132,  II.,  395,  403 
Cuban acan,  riches  of,  I.,  555 
Cubells,  Martinez,  restored  Yanez  por¬ 
trait  of  Columbus,  III.,  24 
Cuccaro,  town  of,  alleged  birthplace  of 
Columbus,  I.,  234,  242-245 
Cuellar,  Juan  de,  trumpeter.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  li.,  570 

Cuenca,  Archives  in  Colegio  Mayor,  II.,  45 
Cueva,  Juan  de,  murdered  at  La  Navi- 
dad,  I.,  472 

Cugureo,  town  of.  See  Cogoleto 
Cumana,  monastery  of,  destruction  of,  I., 

132,  135 

Cuneo,  Corrado  de,  use  of  Sejus  and 
Tilius,  I.,  254 

Cuneo,  Sebastiano  de,  I.,  254 
Curiana,  Curtana,  Valfermoso,  pearl 
region,  II.,  455  ;  description  of:  visit  of 
Nino  to,  II.,  507-509,  522 
Curiosidades  Bibliogrdficas,  Rivadeneyra, 
quotation  from  Zunega,  II.,  15,  III.,  87 
Currents  understood  by  Columbus,  I,, 
603,  II.,  407 

Curtana,  provinee  of.  See  Curiana 
Curtis,  W.  E.,  suggested  reproduction  of 
Columbus’s  fleet,  I.,  460 
Curzon,  Hon.  R.  (Lord  de  la  Zouche).  A 
Short  Account  of  Libraries  in  Italy,  I., 
t68 


Cush,  land  of,  ancient  name  of  Ethiopia, 

II.,  412 

Cushing,  Caleb,  on  Florentine  Codex,  II., 
562 

Custodi,  Pietro,  Baron,  gives  Spanish 
Quarto  Letter  to  Ambrosian  Library, 

II.,  41 

Ciistodia,  the,  repository  of  Columbus 
relics  in  Genoa,  III.,  252 

Cuvier,  identification  of  Canary  Island 
fish,  I.,  499 

Cyguayos,  Indian  tribe,  I.,  643 

Cynoi^olis,  city  of,  dogs  honoured  at,  11. , 
246 

Cyprian,  Latinity  of,  I.,  309 

Cyrus,  King  of  Persia,  inscription  on 
tomb  of.  III.,  491 

D 


Daffer,  Olivier,  saw  fortress  of  San  Jorge 
de  Mina,  I.,  282 

D  aly ,  Charles  P . ,  j  u  dge ,  secured  photograph 
Cogoleto-Columbus  portrait.  III.,  33 
Dalza,  Bartolom6, cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  571 

Dama,  Alvaro,  visit  to  Columbus,  I.,  664 
Dandalo,  Marco,  III.,  430 
Danice,  De  Situ,  poem  by  Adam  of  Bre¬ 
men,  I.,  393 

Daragon,  Baltasar,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  570 

Darana,  Domingo,  calker,  Fourth  Voyage, 

II.,  571;  death  of,  I L,  612,  613 
Da  Silveira,  Portuguese  for  Van  der  Haa- 
gen,  II.,  106 

Dati,  Giuliano,  sketch  of,  II.,  70;  works, 

II.,  70—72;  Edition  “L,”  bibliographi¬ 
cal  description,  II.,  67,  68;  Edition 
“M,”  II.,  68;  Edition  “N,”  II.,  69; 
stanza  from,  II.,  70;  Edition  “O,” 

II.,  71;  Edition  “  P,  ”  II.,  71 
Dati,  Martin,  sailor.  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 

569 


Daunou,  Pierre  Claude  Franpois,  II.,  534 

Da  Vinci,  Leonardo,  first  of  Florentines, 
I-'  357;  his  handwriting,  III.,  459 

Da  Vinci,  Ser  Piero,  father  of  Leonardo, 
I-,  357 

David,  riches  of,  II.,  696,  III.,  500;  Co¬ 
lumbus  likened  himself  to.  III.,  500 

Ddvila,  Ferrando,  cabin  boy  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  570 

Ddvila,  Francisco,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  571 

Ddviia,  Pedro  Arias,  founder  of  Panama, 

II.,  604 

Dawber,  German  form  of  Columbus,  II., 


Dawes,  George,  printed  Molloy’s  De  Jure 
Maritime,  I.,  247 

Dayra.  See  Paria 

De  Abdicatione  Caroli  V.,  Godlevius,  III., 
629 

De  A  more  Liber  (Hecatomphila) ,  De 
Alberti’s,  I.,  357 

De  Angelis,  No'tizie  Degli  Intagliatori, 
cited.  III.,  3Q 

De  Antiquiiatibus,  Josephus,  riches  of 
Solomon,  II.,  695 


Index 


715 


De  Aquaductibiis,  Frontinus,  use  of  trans¬ 
verse,  I.,  372 

De  Bello  Judiaco,  Josephus,  bequeathed 
by  Mendez  to  sons,  II.,  666 
De  Bry,  Jean,  engraved  Columbus  por¬ 
trait,  III.,  45 

De  Bry,  Theodore,  Collectiones  Peregrina- 
tionuni,  natives  of  Peru,  II.,  588;  his 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  39,  42 
De  Bure,  Guillaume,  cited,  I.,  121 
Decada  Primeira  da  Asia,  Barros:  Dr. 
Joseph’s  expedition,  I.,  407;  Diaz  ex¬ 
pedition,  III.,  482 

Decades,  the,  Peter  Martyr,  bibliographi¬ 
cal  description  and  title.  First  Decade, 
1 51 1,  I.,  34-38;  different  copies,  I., 
34-36:  printing  of,  I.,  34-37.  4i,.42, 
44,  II.,  451,  454;  various  renderings 
of  letter  to  Mendopa,  I.,  35;  Martyr’s 
complaints  about  publication,  I.,  36, 
41—44;  important  map,  I.,  38;  na¬ 
tivity  of  Columbus,  I.,  38,  39; 

Eden’s  translation,  I.,  39,  71;  slight 
notice  of  Columbus,  I.,  40;  early 
editions  of,  I.,  47;  read  by  Leo  X.,  I., 
40;  soil  of  Espanola,  I.,  71;  differences 
in  1511  and  1516  editions,  I.,  71; 
Ramon  Pane  mentioned  in,  I.,  80;  con¬ 
stant  work  on,  I.,  83;  Ramusio  com¬ 
piled  extracts  from,  I.,  267;  China 
called  Cathay  in  Eden’s  translation,  I., 
354;  first  settlers  on  Espanola,  I.,  586; 
building  of  Isabella,  II.,  218;  intimacy 
of  Martyr  with  Sebastian  Cabot,  II., 
219;  I  ndian  name  for  tempest,  II.,  336; 
Italian  translation  First  Decade,  II., 
441;  plagiarism  of  Aloysius  Cadamus- 
tus,  II.,  451,  452;  pearls  found  by 
Nino,  II.,  455,  456;  native  books,  II., 
584:  chess,  II.,  585;  recognition  of 
Puerto  Bello  by  Gregory,  II.,  595,  596; 
domain  of  Quibia,  II.,  604;  departure 
Columbus,  Third  Voyage,  III.,  125; 
death  of  Velasquez,  III.,  342;  death  of 
Columbus  told  in.  III.,  505,  506 
Decades  of  the  Newe  Worlde  Wrytten  by 
Peter  Martyr,  Eden’s  translation  of 
fuerunt,  II.,  103 

De  Canaria  ct  de  Insulis  Reliquis  idtra 
Hispaniam  in  Oceano  Noviter  Repertis, 
Petrarch,  expedition  to  Canary  Islands, 

505 

De  Commodis  Litter  arum,  De  Alberti,  I., 
357 

Decretals,  the  (canon  law),  titles  of 
chapters,  I.,  102 
Decretiim  Gratiani,  I.,  102 
De  Cusa,  Nicholas,  Cardinal,  sketch  of,  I., 
355,  360,  361;  witnesses  Wills  of,  I., 
361,  362;  Tetralogns,  characters  in,  I., 
364,  365 

Deer,  on  Trinidad,  II.,  385,  387 
Deghrateh,  city  of,  ancient  city  in  Ice¬ 
land,  I.,  381 

Degr^aux,  Madame,  descendant  De 
Lonnes,  III.,  50 

Dei  Correspondence,  Laurentian  Library, 
Vespuciuslettcrprescrvedin,  I.,  227, 228 
Dei.  de  Civitate,  St,  Augustine,  printing 
of,  I.,  205 


De  las  Pozzas,  island  of,  discovery  of,  11. , 

693 

Delgado,  Diego,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II-.  571 

Deliberazione  Senate  (Secreta) ,  extract 
from  Rawdon  Brown’s  Calendar,  I., 
223;  Flanders  galleys  affair,  I.,  224 
Dell’  Acqua,  Carlo,  Dr.,  Assistant  Li¬ 
brarian  University  of  Pavia,  solicited 
dust  of  remains  of  Columbus,  III., 
593^ 

Della  Origine  e  Della  Patna  di  C.  Colombo, 
Spotorno,  III.,  33,  34 
Delta  P atria  di  Christoforo  Colombo,  etc., 
Napione,  claims  of  Cuccaro,  I.,  245; 
printing  of,  I.,  273;  portrait  Columbus, 

111.,  29 

Delle  Vacche,  bay  of,  discovery  of,  II  .,  336 
Del  Monte  y  Aponte,  Leonardo,  III.,  566, 
568 

Demarcation,  Line  of,  II.,  108,  187-209; 
natural  line,  I.,  520,  II.,  108;  Treaty  of 
Tordesillason,  I.,  522,  II.,  iii,  165-186, 
189,  379;  in  Bull  II.,  II.,  103,  104,  106, 
108;  drawn  by  Sovereigns,  II.,  108, 
109;  as  understood  by  Columbus,  II., 
109-11 1,  377,379;  Sovereigns’ order  to 
Columbus  regarding,  II.,  112,  119; 

opinion  of  Jaime  Ferrer,  II.,  190-199; 
expeditions  for  fixing,  II.,  199,  200; 
on  Cantino  map,  II.,  200;  on  Salviati 
or  Laurentian  map,  II.,  201;  starting- 
point,  11. ,  202,  206-208;  on  Herrera’s 
map,  II.,  205;  in  treaty  of  Saragossa, 

11.,  208 

Democritus  Secundus,  name  assumed  by 
SepuK'eda,  L,  153 

De  Mulas  point,  identification  of,  L, 
55.2 

Denis,  Michael,  bibliographer,  II.,  86 
Deschenal,  Emile,  birth  of  Columbus,  I., 

273 

Descoredo,  Rodrigo,  formal  possession  of 
New  World  by  Columbus,  I.,  532 
Descriptio  Insnlarum  Aquilonis,  poem  by 
Adam  of  Bremen,  I.,  393 
Description  de  la  Partie  Espagnole  de 
Saint-Domingue,  Moreau  de  St.  M6ry, 
cited,  sepulchre  of  Bartholomew  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  136  , 

Descubridor,  the,  Spanish  brig,  supposed 
remains  of  Columbus  carried  by.  III., 
S-Ii  .  . 

Desfougerais,  Aubin,  assisted  at  identi¬ 
fication,  remains  of  Columbus,  III., 
560—566 

Desimoni,  Comelio,  sub-Editor  of  the 
Raccolta 

Despenscro,  Spanish  title,  meaning  of,  I., 
399 

Destrnycion  de  las  Indias,  Las  Casas,  de¬ 
scription  of,  I.,  I2T.  See  also  “  The 
Destruction  of  the  Indies  ” 

Deza,  Diego  de.  Archbishop  of  Seville, 
Columbus’s  friend,  I.,  11,  415,  III., 
285,  31 1 ;  advice  to  Ferdinand,  I.,  118; 
Church  preferment  of ,  I.,  279;  professor 
at  Salamanca,  I..  420 
Deza,  Pedro  dc,  Bishop  in  Espanola,  ITT., 

311 


Index 


716 


Dgezcrat  Alghanam  (Sheep  Island),  Ara¬ 
bian  name  for  one  of  Canary  Islands,  I., 

503 

Dgialidat,  \  akouti  s  name  for  Canaries, 

"I..  502 

Dialogue,  Vasari,  charaeters  in,  I.,  368 
Diana,  Landueci,  I.,  366 
Ditirio  do  la  Marina,  article  of  Gen.  Lupe- 
ron  in.  III.,  555 
Dias,  Lope  (de  Lemos),  I.,  404 
Diaz,  Bartholomew,  interview  with  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  664;  discovers  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  II.,  343,  III.,  475,  482 
Diaz,  Bernal,  de  Pisa,  on  Second  Voyage, 
cited,  I.,  31;  statement  regarding,  II., 
214;  rebellion  of,  II.,  309,  554;  ac¬ 
cused  of  murder.  III.,  370,  376 
Diaz,  Diniz,  Portuguese  explorer.  III.,  482 
Diaz,  Gonzalo,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  572 

Diaz,  Gonzola,  Spanish  artist,  III.,  8 
Diaz,  Joao,  Portuguese  explorer.  III.,  482 
Diaz,  Miguel,  discovers  site  of  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  II.,  287,  417,  III.,  339;  sent  to 
discover  mines,  II.,  352;  surrenders 
fort,  II.,  420,  III.,  341;  romance  of, 
IIP,  340,  341 

Diaz,  Pedro,  brother  of  Bartholomew, 
IIT.,  475 

Diaz,  Pero,  Dr.,  sent  as  Ambassador  to 
Spain,  II.,  1 19 

Dibdin,  Thomas  Frognall,  Bibliotheca 
Spenceriana,  Calendarium  cited  I.,  359 
Dictionnaire  Bibliographique,  Santander, 
citation  of  Imago  Mundi,  II.,  341 
Diego,  Master,  boatswain,  First  Voyage, 

1.,  470;  probable  salary.  First  Voyage, 
I-,  474 

Diluvio  Avvenuto  in  Roma  U Anno  144Q, 
Dati,  cited,  II.,  70 

Dineral,  Spanish  assayers’  standard,  I., 

485 

Diogenes,  name  assumed  by  Julius  Pom- 
ponius  Laetus,  I.,  5 

Dioscorides,  Anazarbaeus,  cited,  II.,  257, 
formation  of  pearls,  II.,  397 
Discorso  Historico  Circa  La  Nascita  di 
Christoforo  Colombo,  Campi,  Columbus 
bom  at  Pradello,  I.,  242 
Discovery,  title  by,  L,  177;  II.,  99 
Discovery  of  North  America,  Harrisse,  De 
la  Cosa  part  owner  Santa  Maria,  I.,  589 ; 
Hojeda’s  discoveries,  II.,  217 
Dissertazione  ond’k  chiarito,  etc.,  Isnardi, 
cited.  III.,  33 

Dissertazioni,  Cancellieri,  Edition  “O” 
Columbus  Letter  cited  in,  II.,  71 
Dixon  Hill,  Watling  Island,  I.,  602 
Djamkout,  meridian  established  at,  I., 

501 

Documenta  Selecta  .  .  Romanorum 

Pontificum,  etc.,  Heywood,  title-page, 

11.,  90;  Columbian  Bulls  photographed 
in,  II.,  91 

Do  Existen  Depositadas  Las  Cenizas  de 
Cristobal  Colon,  Echeverri,  III.,  582 
Dogs,  found  in  New  World:  peculiarities 
of,  I.,  194,  SSI,  S53-  561,  IL,  zsi,  319, 
498:  used  in  fighting  Indians,  II.,  316, 
348:  story  of  Becerillo,  II. ,  317 


Dolano,  Sebastian,  L,  431 
Domingo,  Francisco,  seaman.  Fourth 
Voyage,  IL,  370 

Dominguez,  Juan,  sailor,  believed  Cuba 
continental  land,  II. ,  330 
Dominica,  island  of,  discovery,  II, ,  216, 
248,  264 

Dominicans,  the,  monastery  at  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  I.,  13s;  founded  by,  I.,  136 
Dominico  de  Albaro,  Vincencii,  I.,  233 
Don,  river  (Tanais),  I.,  330 
Don  Christopher’s  Cove,porton  Jamaica, 

11.,  623 

Don  Ferdinand  Columbus,  Historiador  de 
su  Padre,  Harrisse,  III.,  463 
Donati,  Giovanni  Battista,  announced 
discovery  of  Toscanelli’s  manuscript, 

370 

Donato,  Anton,  boatswain.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II. ,  369 

Donato,  Jerome,  Venetian  Ambassador, 
sent  to  Portugal,  I.,  216,  218 
Donis,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voyage,  1 1.,  371 
Donis,  Nicolaus  de,  edited  1482  edition 
Ptolemy,  I.,  381;  prepared  geographi¬ 
cal  tables,  I.,  300 
Doria,  Andrea,  Prince,  I.,  204 
Doria,  Francisco,  Italian  banker.  III., 
356 

Doria,  Jerome,  Cardinal,  Bishopric  of 
Nebbio  given  to,  I.,  206 
Doria,  Tedisio,  commanded  Genoese  ex¬ 
pedition,  I.,  303 
Dorpius,  Martinus,  II. ,  64 
Dorset.  See  d’Arset 

Dos  Hermanos,  mentioned  by  Columbus 
as  if  seen  before,  I.,  614 
Doubon,  cave  of,  superstitions  regarding, 

1.,  82 

Douce,  Francis,  bequeathed  eopy  Cosco 
Latin  Letter  to  Bodleian  Library,  1 1., 
62 

Dragon’s  Mouth,  the.  See  Boca  del 
Drago 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  capture  of  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  III.,  329,  330 
Drogio,  country  of,  I.,  386 
Dubeda,  cave  of,  superstitions  regarding, 

I.,  82 

Ducat  (gold),  values  of,  I.,  482,  483 
Ducterius,  Gilbertus,  epigram  on  Julius 
IL,  I.,  93 

Duel  between  Miguel  Diaz  and  another, 

in..  340 

Duenas,  city  of,  Ferdinand’s  second  mar¬ 
riage  at,  I.,  24;  birthplace  Princess 
Isabella  of  Spain,  I.,  23 
Dunois,  Count,  advisor  Charles  VIII., 
King  of  France,  II. ,  344 
Duns  (Scotus),  Johannes,  Columbus  fa¬ 
miliar  with  works  of,  I.,  288 
Dupuy,  Le  Moyen-Age  Medical,  cited,  I., 

Duran,  Manuel,  Dr.,  report  of.  III.,  383- 

587 

Durango,  Vidal,  concerned  in  murder  of 
Arbu^s  I.,  460;  punishment  of,  I., 
461 

Durazzo,  Ip,  Marquis,  Elogi  Storici,  III., 

511 


Index 


717 


Duro,  Cesdreo  Ferndndez,  Colon  y  la  His- 
toria  Pdstuma,  I.,  401;  Nebulosa  de 
Colon,  publishes  document  regarding 
Muliar,  I.,  401;  Las  Joyas  dc  Isabel 
la  Catolica,  Jewels  of  Queen  Isabella, 

I.,  462;  Colon  y  la  Historia  Pdstuma, 
cited,  III.,  442 

E 

Eames,  Wilberforce,  Librarian  N.  Y. 
Public  Library,  detection  of  forged  ex¬ 
ample  Quarto  Letter  by,  II.,  41,  42; 
notes  on  Florentine  and  Providence 
Codices,  II.,  562-565 
Early  Printers  of  Spain  and  Portugal, 
Haebler,  contains  fac-simile  of  Libro  del 
Consolat,  II.,  10 

Earth,  area  of,  I.,  372;  the  circumference 
of,  II.,  592,  687 

Earthly  Paradise,  the,  location  cited  by 
Columbus,  I.,  661,  II.,  404,  407,  409- 
4 1 1 ,  687;  descriptions  of,  II.,  409-4 1 2  ; 
different  ideas  concerning,  II.,  413, 
414;  view  of  Columbus,  II.,  414,  415 
East  Indies,  distinguished  from  West 
Indies  by  Sabellicus,  II.,  521 
EcclesicB,  de  Captivitate  Babylonica,  by 
Luther,  I.,  1 01— 106 

Echeverri,  Jos6  Manuel  de,  Spanish  Con¬ 
sul,  assisted  at  identification  remains  of 
Columbus,  III.,  558,  560—566;  protest 
of.  III.,  574,  575:  instructed  to  demand 
second  examination  of  remains.  III., 
580,  581;  writes  Do  Existen  Deposita- 
das  Las  Cenizas  de  Cristobal  Colon,  III., 
582;  disgrace  of.  III.,  589 
Eckius,  Johannes,  carried  Bull  to  Luther, 

I.,  106 

Eclipse,  lunar,  fifteenth  century  books  on, 

I.,  289;  predicted  by  Columbus,  II.,  630 
Eden,  Richard,  translated  Decades  of 
Peter  Martyr,  I.,  39,  71;  translated 
Smnmario  of  Ovdedo’s  Historia  General, 

1.,  186;  mentions  gold  received  from 
Indies,  I.,  231;  careless  reading  of 
Oviedo,  I.,  241:  calls  Columbus  Geno¬ 
ese,  I.,  262;  calls  China  Cathay,  I.,  354; 
translated  juerint  for  fuerunt  in  Bull 

11.,  II.,  102;  mentions  pearls  taken  by 
Nino,  II.,  373 

Edrisi,  Arabian  geographer,  location  of 
Iceland,  I.,  381;  arrangement  of  his 
maps,  I.,  501 :  knew  Canary  Islands,  I., 
502 

Edward  III.,  King  of  England,  I.,  396; 

invaded  France,  I.,  506 
Edwards,  Bryan,  History  of  the  West 
Indies,  purported  letter  of  Columbus, 

II.,  633-635 

Effigies  Regum  et  Prtneipum,  Crispin  de 
Pass  portrait  Columbus,  III.,  29 
Egyptian  fleet  burned,  I.,  15 
El  Archivo  General  de  Indias  contains 
Gesio’s  report,  II.,  199 
El  Caracol,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  390 
El  Delfin,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  390 
El  Desastre,  river,  loss  of  men  at,  II.,  581, 
582,  601 

El  Desco  de  Gloria,  Valdes,  III.,  520 


El  Libro  de  Boccio  de  la  Consolacid  Philo¬ 
sophical,  cited,  I.,  37 
El  Martinet,  island  of,  discovery  and 
identification  of,  II.,  403 
El  Pato,  island  in  Boca  del  Drago,  II.,  401 
El  Porvenir,  a  Dominican  journal.  III., 
555 

El  Puerto  de  los  Hidalgos,  building  of,  II., 
310 

El  Realejo,  port  of,  I.,  138 
El  Rio  del  Oro.  See  Yaqui  River 
El  Romero,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II., 
402 

El  Soldado,  channel,,  formerly  Boca  del 
Sierpe,  II.,  389 
El  Viejo,  island  of,  I.,  589 
El  Zagal,  Moorish  Prince,  I.,  12 
Eleanor  of  Aragon,  marriage  of,  II.,  221 
Eleuthera  Island,  I.,  603 
Elizabeth  Bonaventure,  English  vessel.  III., 

5.29 

Ellis,  F.  S.,  London  bookseller,  II.,  42 
Ellsworth,  James  W.,  owns  Lotto-Colum- 
bus  portrait.  III.,  67 

Elogi  Storici,  Durazzo,  military  Will  of 
Columbus  mentioned  in.  III.,  51 1 
Elogia  Virorum  Bellica  Virtute  Illustrium, 
Jovius,  Sultan’s  portrait,  I.,  16;  Col¬ 
umbus’  portrait.  III.,  11-13;  Elogia 
Doctorum  Virorum,  Paulus  Jovius, 
sketch  and  portrait  of  Sabellicus,  II., 
5 1 5-517;  Elogia  Virorum  Literis  Pllus- 
Jovius, cited.  III.,  10 
Elzevier,  Daniel,  printer,  printed  1670 
edition  of  I.,  45,  46 ;  letter  to 

Lamoignon,  I.,  47 

Emanuel  the  Great  of  Portugal,  mar¬ 
riage  of,  I.,  24;  treatment  of  Jews,  I., 
25;  succeeded  John  II.,  II.,  377 
Embronea,  island  of,  sovereignty  of,  I., 

S?5 

Emilia,  Bernardino  d’.  Papal  Secretary, 
assisted  at  identification  remains  of 
Columbus,  III.,  565;  delivered  dust  of 
remains  of  Columbus  to  University  of 
Pavia,  III.,  594,  595 

Encisco,  Martin  Fernandez  de,  Suma  de 
Geographia,  etc.,  first  printed  Spanish 
book  on  America,  I.,  43;  sketch  of,  I., 
84;  second  Adelantado,  I.,  84;  Suma 
de  Geographia  mentions  Saltes,  I.,  515 
England,  pretended  native  land  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  234,  247 

Engronelanda,  island  of,  discovery  of,  I., 

383.  385 

Enneades  ab  Orbe  Conddo,  etc.,  Sabellicus, 
victory  over  Venetian  galleys,  I.,  214; 
Enneades,  contents  of,  II.,  515,  516; 
account  of  discovery  in,  II.,  518-522 
Enriquez.  See  Henriquez 
Enriquez,  Beatriz  (de  Arana),  mother 
Ferdinand  Columbus,  I.,  271,  421;  re¬ 
lationship  with  Columbus,  I.,  421,  422, 
425,  426;  provision  in  Will  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  421,  422;  legacy  of  Diego 
Columbus,  I.,  422,  426;  family  of,  I., 
424,  425;  brother  left  at  La  Navidad, 
I  ;  633 

Enriquez,  Fadrique,  Admiral  of  Castile, 

III.,  223,  629 


7i8 


Index 


Eiisayo  Jc  uiia  Bibliotcca  Es^aiiola,  etc., 
Gallardo,  investigation  ot  Columbian 
Library,  I.,  48’ 

Enterprise,  the,  U.  S.  S.,  examination 
ruins  of  Isabella  by  officers  of,  II.,  283- 


287 

Ephenterides  Astrotiomica:,  Muller,  publi¬ 
cation,  1.,  35S,  360 

Epichemera,  Pollero,  tomb  of  Columbus  in 
Seffille,  I.,  237 

Epidetiiid  et  Peste  dc,  Taranta,  II.,  10 

Epigrannitata,  Ducterius,  on  Julius  II., 
1  .  93 

Epistolcc,  the,  Peter  Martyr,  cited,  I.,  7; 
importance  of,  I.,  45-71,  85;  reliability 
of,  I.,  104;  morbus  gallic  us,  I.,  86;  Pope 
Julius  II.  and  League  against  Venice, 

I.,  92,  93;  the  Vald6s  letter,  I.,  96-101; 
1530  edition,  I.,  45;  printing  of  1670 
edition,  I.,  46,  47;  comparison  of  edi¬ 
tions,  I.,  47-52;  first  mention  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  53,  54;  nativity  Columbus, 

I.,  78;  patrons  of  Columbus,  I.,  55,  56; 
the  discovery,  I.,  57-59;  cites  Colum¬ 
bus’s  letter  describing  voyage,  I.,  75, 
76;  title  of  Catholic  Kings,  I.,  413,  II., 
86;  mentions  attempted  assassination 
of  Ferdinand,  I.,  54;  massacre  at  Na- 
vidad,  I.,  68;  Second  Voyage,  I.,  60, 
61;  the  New  World,  I.,  62;  cannibals, 

I.,  62,  II.,  248;  first  use  of  term.  The 
Western  Hemisphere,  I.,  65,  66;  city  of 
Isabella,  I.,  39 ;  products  of  New  World, 

I.,  66,  72;  customs  of  natives,  I.,  67; 
description  of  Cuba,  I.,  76;  conversion 
of  Indians,  I.,  74;  description  of  Paria, 

I.,  77;  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  I.,  78; 
letters  written  in  1506,  III.,  504,  505; 
Ramon  Pane,  I.,  80;  native  super¬ 
stitions,  I.,  81;  Balboa  discovers  the 
Pacific,  I.,  84;  declares  Decades  read 
by  Leo  X.,  I.,  40;  coronation  of  Charles 
V.,  I.,  107,  108;  Martyr’s  church,  L, 


29.  30 

EpistolcB,  Horace,  cited,  II.,  516 

EpistolcB  ad  Familiares,  Cicero,  printing 
of,  I.,  168 

Epist.  familiarium  libri  XVII.,  Siculo, 
home  of  Martyr,  I.,  32 

Epodes,  Horace,  the  Elysian  regions,  I., 
49.4,  495 

Equicola,  Mario,  Paulus  Jovius  asked 
favour  of.  III.,  n 

Equipment,  the  (First  Voyage),  share  fur¬ 
nished  by  Columbus,  1.,  452,  453;  see 
also  First  Voyage;  .share  claimed  to 
have  been  furnished  by  Pinzons,  I., 
454,  455,  457,  630;  Pinzon  claims 
denied  by  Las  Casas,  I.,  456;  loans  for, 
I.,  457-459,  463;  two  contributors 
for,  I.,  464,  473,  476,  480;  probable 
cost,  I.,  474,  475 ;  partial  expense  table, 
I.,  477-479;  cost  in  money  of  to-day, 
I.,  490 

Erasmus,  Desiderius,  letter  to  Juan  de 
Valdes,  I.,  95;  composed  epitaph  of 
Thierry  Martens,  II.,  64;  Mendez  be¬ 
quest  of  writings  of,  II.,  666;  meeting 
with  Ferdinand  Columbus,  III.,  432, 
433 


Eratosthenes,  quoted  by  Strabo,  1.,  170, 
171;  cited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  197-199;  be¬ 
lieved  in  southern  continent,  II.,  414 
Erfurt,  Christian  d’,  Muller  praised  Tos- 
canelli  in  letter  to,  1.,  360 
Erlanda,  island  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  383 
Escala  Spiritual,  printing  of,  I.,  37 
Escalante,  Juan  de,  mentioned  tomb  of 
Columbus,  III.,  526 

Escarraman,  Alonso,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  571 
Escarrana,  Lorenzo  de,  I.,  468 
Escobar,  Diego,  messenger  to  Columbus, 
n.,  633,  634 

Escobar,  Rodrigo  de,  member  First  Voy¬ 
age,  I.,  470 

Escobar,  Rodrigo  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  572;  companion  of  Men¬ 
dez,  II.,  658 

Escobedo,  Rodrigo  de,  member  First 
Voyage,  I.,  471;  wages  of,  I.,  474; 
third  in  command  at  La  Navidad,  I., 
632,  633;  murdered  at  La  Navidad,  I., 
471,  note 

Escribano  de  Racion,  office  of,  II.,  14 
Escribanos,  harbour  of,  discovery  of,  II., 
597.  645 

Esdras,  cited  by  Columbus,  II.,  404,  III., 
486 

Eskimos,  Cromagnon  type  of  skull,  I.,  494 
Espada  y  Landa,  Jos6  Diaz,  gave  Co¬ 
lumbus  monument  to  Havana,  III., 
81 

Espanola  (Hispaniola,  Santo  Domingo), 
island  of,  reported  to  Columbus,  I.,  547 ; 
first  seen  by  Columbus,  I.,  580,  II.,  21, 
486;  Columbus  holograph  map  of.  III., 
89 ;  first  engraved  map  of,  II.,5oIli.,9i; 
first  detailed  map,  II.,  626;  name  of,  I., 
586,  II.,  21,  80,  218,  278,  495,  III.,  90, 
555 ;  location,  shape,  and  soil  of,  I.,  70- 
73,  194,  201,  211,  212,  II.,  22,  24,  80, 

258,  278,  283,  496,  520;  provinces  of, 

I.,  124-126,  II.,  81,  271;  mentioned 
by  Martyr,  I.,  62,  65,  67,  69,  75, 

76,  80,  586;  believed  by  Columbus 
to  be  Cipango,  I.,  581,  635;  to  be 
Cathay,  II.,  80;  Bohio  identified  as,  I., 
623,  626,  633;  first  settlement,  see 
Navidad;  exploration  of, — First  Voy¬ 
age,  I.,  582-585,  604-623,  634-636,639- 
647,  II.,  486;  exploration  of,  Second 
Voyage,  II.,  21,  22,  24,  80,  81,  257- 

259,  271,  272,  275,  277,  278,493-503; 
appearance,  character,  and  customs  of 
inhabitants,  I.,  56,  58,  73, 122,  194,  200, 
211,  605-607,  609-614,  616-623,  625- 
627,  630,  631,  633,  643-646,  II.,  22-24, 
80, 81, 255, 260, 261, 271-280,  487—502, 
520;  .superstitions  and  religion  of  in¬ 
habitants,  I.,  80-82,  II.,  23,488,520; 
products  of,  I.,  56,  58,  67,  73,  194,  200, 
201,  211,  610,  ll.,  22,  25,  80,  8t,  257, 
258,  271,  279,  280,  488,  495,  498,  521; 
fortresses  built  by  Columbus  on,  II., 
351,  352,  499,  500,  503;  tribute  exacted 
of  inhabitants,  II.  353,  500,  502;  ex¬ 
termination  of  inhabitants,  I.,  122- 
126;  II.,  346,  348,  349,  353,  499,  500, 
506;  bishops  appointed  to.  III.,  311 


Index 


719 


Esperandeu,  Juan  de,  murdered  Asbu&, 

1.,  460;  punishment  of,  I.,  461 
Esperanza,  fortress  of,  II.,  351,  503 
Espindola,  Baptista,  legatee  of  Columbus, 

1.,  282 

Espindola,  Nicaloa,  de  Locoli  de  Ronco, 

1.,  282 

Espinosa,  riveted  chains  on  Columbus,  II., 
420 

Espinosa  de  los  Monteros,  Pablo,  III.,  450 
Essays,  Lord  Bacon,  passage  from  Medea 
quoted  in,  I.,  170 

Este,  Alfonso  I.,  Duke  d’,  mission  of  Man- 
fredi,  I.,  322 

Este,  Hercule  d',  Duke  of  Ferrara,  re¬ 
ceived  Januarius  letter,  II.,  8;  Can- 
tino  map  made  for,  II.,  200 
Estefano,  Nicolas,  believed  Cuba  was 
continental  land,  II.,  330 
Esteve,  D.  Rafael,  engraved  Columbus 
portrait,  III.,  61 

Estotilanda  (Estotiland),  island  of,  dis¬ 
covery  of,  I.,  383:  wreck  of  the  fisher¬ 
man  on,  I.,  386 

Estrada,  Bachelor,  executor  will  of  Men¬ 
dez,  II.,  665 

Estrada,  Francisco  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  569 
Ethiopia,  Andrea  d’,  1,351 
Ethiopia  encompassed  by  river  Gyon, 

11.,  410;  ancient  name  of,  II.,  412 
Eugene,  Eugenius,  saying  of.  III.,  432 
Eugene  IV.,  Pope  (Gabriel  Condelmeri- 

us)  ordered  Conti  to  write  his  travels,  I., 
295;  embassy  from  Great  Khan  to,  I., 
305.  311.  31S.  349;  sketch  of,  I.,  349; 
absolved  Conti  for  abjuration  of  faith, 

1.,  349;  Council  called  by,  I.,  350; 
mission  of  Sarteano,  I.,  351 ;  to  convert 
Pantheon  into  church,  I.,  360 

Euphrates,  river,  from  Earthly  Paradise, 

11.,  410;  ancient  name,  II.,  412 
Euro  pa,  British  vessel,  I.,  603 
Evangelista,  1’  (Isle  of  Pines),  in  Gallo,  I., 

195;  in  Giustiniano,  I.,  2 1 2 ;  discovery, 
I1-.  333 

Evelyn,  John,  description  of  the  Naseby 
by.  III.,  531 

Everett,  Alexander,  told  Irving  of  Navar- 
rete’s  work,  I.,  268 

Everett,  Edward,  bought  Florentine 
Codex,  II.,  562 

Everett,  William,  Dr.,  sold  Florentine 
Codex,  II.,  562 

Ex  quo  Vocabularii,  use  of  copia,  I.,  309 
Examen  Critique  de  I'histoire  de  la  Geo¬ 
graphic  du  Nouveau  Continent,  Paris, 
1836.  See  Humboldt 
Excelente  de  Granada,  Spanish  coin, 
value  of,  I.,  488,  489,  613 
Excerpta  Colomhiniana,  Harrisse,  cited, 

111.,  429,  434 

Exodus,  Book  of,  cited,  II..  412 
Ex  purge  Domine,  Papal  Bull,  date  of,  I., 
103;  contents  of,  I.,  108;  burning  of, 

1.,  109 

F 


Fabri,  Giovanni,  engraving  by,  I.,  104 
Fabricius  de  Vagad,  Gaubert,  Coronica  de 


Aragon  refers  to  otro  mundo,  II.,  74, 
76 

Facio,  Dominico  de,  I.,  252 
Factory  Island,  I.,  408 
Fagiardus,  Petrus,  I.,  3 
Fair  Island,  Isabella,  discovery  of,  II.,  21 
Falconets  de  jruslera,  pieces  of  ordnance, 
II.,  659 

Farias,  Francisco  de,  on  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  570 

Famiar,  Maria,  Mrs.,  gave  Columbus  por¬ 
trait  to  New  York  State,  III.,  71,  73 
Farnese,  Alexander,  Cardinal,  Parmigiano- 
Cohimbus  portrait.  III.,  57 
Faroe  (Feroe,  Faroerne)  islands,  believed 
to  be  Frislanda,  I.,  384 
Faust  (Fust),  Johannes,  invention  of 
printing,  I.,  168 

Fava,  supposed  Indian  name  for  city  of 
Great  Khan,  I.,  554 
Faxones,  vegetables  of  Indians,  I.,  558 
Faye,  M.,  on  earth’s  circumference,  I.,  372 
Fdijoo  y  Montenegro,  Teatro  Critico  cited, 

1.,  518 

Felipe,  Marcus,  friend  of  Ferdinand  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  425 

Ferdinand  I.,  King  of  Aragon,  death  of, 
I-..397 

Ferdinand  I.  of  Germany  had  copy  of 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  15,  37 
Ferdinand,  King  of  Sicily,  capture  of  his 
ships,  I.,  225 

Ferdinand,  the  Catholic,  King  of  Spain, 
parents  of,  II.,  221:  education,  I.,  8; 
personal  appearance.  III.,  7:  first  mar¬ 
riage  of,  ill.,  503;  court  of,  I.,  7;  his 
children,!.,  25;  illegitimate  son  of  I., 
425;  banishment  of  Jews,  I.,  53;  cam¬ 
paign  against  the  Moors,  I.,  281;  at¬ 
tempted  assassination  of,  I.,  54;  makes 
Capitulation  with  Columbus,  I.,  441; 
title  “The  Catholic,”  conferred  by 
Pope,  I.,  413;  Regent  of  Castile,  I.,  23, 
24;  Treaty  of  Blois,  I.,  24;  second 
marriage,  I.,  22-24,  HL,  622:  secret 
declaration  at  Benavente,  III.,  312, 
313;  concession  to  Columbus  for  use 
of  mule,  I.,  272;  thanks  Diego  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  312;  conversation  with, 

111.,  312;  death  of,  I.,  118;  sepulchre 
of,  I.,  22 

Ferdinand,  Archduke,  Count  of  Tyrol, 
III-,  37 

Ferdinand,  Franciscus,  I.,  138 

Ferensis.  See  Frislanda 

Feria,  Juan  de  la,  on  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 

570  ' 

Fernandes,  Francisco,  notary  public  of 
Palos,  I.,  468 

Fernandes,  Garcia,  on  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  478 

Fernandez,  Francisco,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  471 

Fernandez,  Franciscus  (de  Cordova), 
Spanish  explorer,  achievements  of,  I., 

31 

Fernandez,  Gonzalo,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

Fernandez,  Juan,  notary  public,  helped 
make  copy  Majorat,  III.,  159 


720 


Index 


Fcmandez,  Lucas,  w-itnessed  Mendez’s 
will,  II.,  657 

Fcniandez  de  la  Cueva,  Isabel,  Duchess 
of  Najera,  udfe  Pedro  Nuno  I.  de 
Portujjal,  III.,  634 

Fernandina  (Cuba),  Cuba  so  called  by 
Velasquez,  I.,  115;  Royal  Cedula  II., 


Fernandina,  island  of,  discover}'  and 
circumnavigation  of,  I.,  540-543,  552, 
593,  II.,  21;  identification  of,  I.,  593, 
595.  79 

Fernando,  Don,  complained  of  the  Ad¬ 
miral,  I.,  400 

Ferrandes,  Franciseo,  carried  tobacco  to 
Spain,  I.,  561 

Ferrandes,  Luis,  on  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 
57^ 

Ferrandes,  Rui,  on  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 


571 

Ferrara,  Alberto  Dulcerto  di,  I.,  351 
Ferrara,  Duke  of,  letter  to  Manfredi,  I., 
321 

Ferrara.  Municipal  Library  of,  manu¬ 
script  of  early  voyages  in,  II.,  455 
Ferrari,  Giovan  Andrea,  III.,  34 
Ferrari,  Tomaso  del,  had  Columbus  por¬ 
trait,  III.,  36 

Ferrer,  Jaime  (i),  lived  in  1346,  II.,  365 
Ferrer,  Jaime  (2),  learning  of,  I.,  373;  on 
Line  of  Demarcation,  II.,  189,  191,  192; 
letter  of  Archbishop  to,  II.,  189,  190; 
letter  to  the  Sovereigns,  II.,  190,  191: 
opinion  of,  II.,  192-199,  202,  203  ;  letter 
to  Columbus,  II.,  365-369;  sketeh  of, 

n.,  36s 

Ferreros,  Pedro  de,  on  Third  Voyage, 
aeted  for  Columbus  in  taking  possession 
of  continental  land,  II.,  372 
Ferro  (see  also  Hierro,  Fierro) ,  island  of, 
visit  of  Cadamosto,  I.,  497;  meridian 
established  by  Ptolemy  at,  I.,  500; 
Freneh  meridian  at,  I.,  502 ;  location  of, 
I.,  534;  arrival  of  Columbus,  Second 
Voyage,  II.,  246,  264, 489 ;  water-supply 
on,  II.,  247;  Columbus  at,  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  643 

Ferro,  Juan,  on  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  572 
Ferula  glauca,  grew  on  Canary  Island: 

uses  of,  I.,  498,  499 
Fexoes,  vegetables  of  Indians,  I.,  562 
Ficino,  Marsilio,  portrait  in  Palazzo 
Vecehio,  I.,  368 

Fieschi,  Bartolom^  de.  Captain  Vizcaino, 
Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  569,  572;  various 
forms  of  name,  II.,  624:  went  with 
DIendez  to  San  Domingo,  II.,  624,  627 
Fiesehi,  Gian  Luigi  (Juan  Luis),  probable 
identity  of.  III.,  243,  362;  mentioned 
by  Columbus,  III.,  367 
Figueroa,  Luis  de,  member  of  Commission 
sent  to  New  World,  I.,  119 
Filiberto,  Cavalier,  donation  of  Columbus 
portrait.  III.,  30 
Filum,  unit  of  measure,  I.,  372 
Filza,  letter-file.  III.,  252 
Finale  (Finalmarina),  town  of,  pretended 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  I.,  234,  246 
First  Voyage,  the,  Palos  to  equip  vessels 
for,  I.,  464—468,  472;  suspension  of 


sentences  of  criminals  going  on,  I.,  468; 
the  fleet,  I.,  468,  469,  472,  473,  II.,  486; 
the  crew,  I.,  469—472,  478,  479;  the 
departure,  I.,  490,  512,  515,  II.,  486, 
520;  accident  to  Pinta,  I.,  516;  at 
Canaries,  I.,  517-519,  II.,  486,  520; 
attempted  eapture  by  Portuguese, 
I.,  518,  519;  variation  of  magnetic 
needle,  I.,  520,  526;  falling  stars,  I., 
520;  discontent  of  sailors,  I.,  520- 
524,  527,  529;  Sargasso  Sea,  I., 

521,  523;  Pilot’s  reckoning,  I.,  522, 
652,  653,  658;  the  course  first  changed, 

1.,  525;  second  change  of  course,  I., 
528;  the  discovery,  or  landfall,  I.,  530- 
532,  603,  II.,  21,  486,  520;  would  not 
have  landed  on  eoast  of  Florida,  I., 
602,  603;  at  San  Salvador,  I.,  531-538, 

11.,  21;  at  Santa  Maria  de  la  Concep¬ 
cion,  L,  539-541,  596,  II.,  21;  at  Fer¬ 
nandina,  I.,  540-543,  595,  II.,  21;  at 
Isabella,  I.,  544-548,594,  II.,  21;  dis- 
eoveryof  Las  Islas  de  Arena,  I.,  550, 
593:  diseovery  of  Cuba  and  search  for 
Babeque,  I.,  550-580,  II.,  21,  486,  520, 
522;  Columbus  abandoned  by  Pinz6n, 

1.,  570;  hostility  of  Indians,  I.,  579, 
644;  first  sight  of  Espanola,  I.,  580, 

11.,  21;  exploration  of  Espanola,  I., 
582-585,  604-623,  634-637,  639-647, 
II.,  21-24,  486-488,  520,  521;  expedi¬ 
tion  to  Tortuga,  I.,  608;  messengers 
of  Guacanagari,  I.,  619;  wreck  of 
Santa  Maria,  I.,  624,  II.,  486;  friend¬ 
ship  of  Guacanagari,  I.,  625,  626,  628— 
630,  II.,  488,  489;  construction  of  La 
Navidad,  I.,  627,  629,  II.,  24;  pre¬ 
parations  for  return,  I.,  631,  632;  men 
left  on  Espanola,  I.,  471,  472,  632,  633, 
II.,  488;  the  start  from  La  Navidad,  I., 
634;  return  of  the  Pinta,  I.,  637;  seareh 
for  Carib  Island,  I.,  647;  return  voy¬ 
age,  I.,  648-668;  the  first  tempest  and 
vows  of  pilgrimages,  I.,  654-656;  ae- 
count  of  voyage  thrown  overboard,!., 
657,  II.,  3-6;  arrival -at  island  of  Santa 
Maria,  I.,  658;  part  of  crew  captured 
by  Portuguese,  I.,  659-661;  further 
tempests,  I.,  663;  arrival  at  Rastelo 
and  demands  of  Diaz,  I.,  664;  visit  of 
Columbus  to  King  and  Queen  of  Port¬ 
ugal,  I.,  665-667;  arrival  at  bar  of 
Saltes  and  end  of  voyage,  I.,  667, 
668.  See  also  Equipment,  the 

Fiscal  Inquiry,  the,  I.,  454,  455,  637; 
testimony  regarding  landing  of  Colum¬ 
bus  on  coast  of  Paria,  II.,  371,  372; 
testimony  of  Pedro  Mateos,  IL,  619; 
accounts  of,  III.,  623 

Fischer,  Prof.  Joseph,  I.,  500 

Fish,  diseovery  remora,  II.,  318;  hooded 
variety,  II.,  498 

Fisherman,  the,  shipwreck,  captivity,  and 
escape  of,  I.,  386,  389 

Fiske,  John,  birth  of  Columbus,  I.,  273 

Fitz- James  Stuart.  See  Berwick  y  Alba 

Fixlanda.  See  Frislanda 

Flamandes,  Venetian  vessels,  routes  and 
cargoes  of,  I.,  218,  219.  See  also  Gal¬ 
leys 


Index 


721 


Flamenco,  Gonzalo,  cabin  boy,  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  572 

Flamenco,  Juan,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Flandes,  Juan  de,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Flandes,  Pedro  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  571 

Fleet,  Egyptian,  burned  at  Calicut,  I.,  15 
Florence,  city  of,  Toscanelli’s  manuscript 
in  Biblioteca  Nazionale,  I.,  370;  Na¬ 
tional  Library,  II.,  527 
Florent,  Adriaan.  See  Adrian  VI.,  Pope 
Flores,  Francisco,  Bernaldez  manuscript 
preserved  by,  I.,  270 
Flores,  Frutos,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Flores,  island  of,  description  of,  II.,  104, 
105,  107;  colonisation  of,  II.,  106; 
legend  of  statue  on,  II.,  106 
Florida,  not  on  Columbus’s  course,  I.,  602 
Florin,  Genoese  and  Florentine,  value  of, 

1.,  464 

Flors  de  Vertuts  e  de  costums,  II.,  26 
Fogo,  island  of,  description  of,  II.,  202, 
203 

Foisseius,  Gasto,  IIP,  17 
Foix,  Gaston,  Count  of,  II.,  221 
Foix,  Germaine  de,  second  wife  of  King 
Ferdinand,  the  Catholic,  I..  22,  24 
Foix,  Jean  de,  of  Narbonne,  I.,  24 
Follini,  Abbe,  Librarian  of  Magliabecchi- 
ana,  II,,  527 

Foncerrada,  Melchor  de,  Don,  III.,  540 
Fonciale,  town  of,  Columbus  in,  II., 
374 

Fonseca,  Alonzo  de,  took  possession  of 
bishopric  for  nephew,  II.,  549,  IIP,  351 
Fonseca,  Juan  Rodriguez,  Bishop  of 
Palencia:  large  slave-holder,  L,  118; 
exempted  from  order  restricting  slave¬ 
holding,  I.,  414;  letter  of  Sovereigns 
regarding  deportation  of  Moorish  King, 

1.,  473;  instructions  of  Sovereigns  to, 

IP,  300,  301,  303—304,  306—308;  con¬ 
tract  for  Hojeda’s  expedition,  IP,  455; 
friendly  to  Columbus,  IP,  548-550, 
IIP,  159,  285,  290,  319,  323,  389, 

392 

Fontanabona,  Pasquale  di,  P,  252 
Fontanarossa,  Susanna,  wife  Domenico 
Colombo,  document  ratified  in  presence 
of,  P,  238;  daughter  of  Jacobus  Fon¬ 
tanarossa,  P,  239,  240;  document  giving 
consent  to  sale  of  property,  P,  251; 
document  giving  consent  to  sale  of 
house  in  Genoa,  P,  252,  277;  facts  es¬ 
tablished  by  Genoese  documents,  I., 
258;  relative  to  her  age,  P,  271 
Fontanarubea,  Jacobus,  P,  252 
Fonzio,  Bartholomeo,  Annali,  virtue  of 
Toscanelli,  P,  366 

Foresti  family,  Bergomas  belonged  to, 
IP,  77 

Former  Prophets,  the,  printing  of,  IP,  410 
Fomari,  Baliano  di,  supposed  receiver  of 
forged  Toscanelli  letters,  P,  347 
Foronda,  Pedro  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  P,  472 

Forteventura,  island  of,  infested  by  rav¬ 
ens,  IP,  245 

Fortune  Island,  identification  of,  P,  594 
Fortunate  Islands.  See  Canary  Islands 

46 


Forum,  article  in,  July,  1899,  Columbus 
a  paranoeic,  I. ,  175 

Foscarini,  Della  lettcratura  Veneziana  ed 
altri  scritti  iutorno  ad  essa,  cites  works 
of  Ramusio,  P,  267 

Fourth  Voyage,  fleet,  crew,  preparations, 
IP,  569-573;  the  Sovereigns’  in.'-truc- 
tions,  IP,  574,  575;  the  departure, 
IP,  576,  6-13,  683;  relief  of  Arzilla,  IP, 
577;  stop  at  Canaries;  arrival  at  San 
Domingo,  IP,  578;  Columbus  not  al¬ 
lowed  to  land  at  San  Domingo,  IP, 
578,  643,  684;  wreck  of  Spanish  fleet, 

II.,  579;  from  Azua  to  Cape  Gracias 
d  Dios,  IP,  581,  643,  644,  685;  loss  at 
El  Desastre,  IP,  581,  582;  landing  at 
Cariari  and  intercourse  with  Indians, 
IP,  582,583,  644,  685;  seizure  of  In¬ 
dians,  IP,  583-585,  644,  685;  from 
Cariari  to  Caravaro,  IP,  586,  644;  at 
Aburema,  IP,  587,  588,  645;  reports 
of  Ciguare,  IP,  589-591,  645,  686; 

from  Aburema  to  river  of  Catiba  and 
arrival  at  Puerto  Bello,  IP,  594,  595; 
from  Puerto  Bello  to  Bastimentos, 
IP,  597,  687;  from  Bastimentos  to 
Retrete,  IP,  597,  645,  688;  at  Re- 
trete,  the  lombard  shot,  IP,  598-600; 
La  Costa  de  los  Contrastos,  iP,  600— 
603,  688;  river  Belem,  IP,  604,  645, 
689:  intercourse  with  Quibia,  IP,  605, 
645,  689;  gold  mines  in  Veragua,  IP, 
606,  645,  689;  expedition  of  Ade- 
lantado,  IP,  607,  680;  first  continental 
settlement,  IP,  608,  689;  capture  and 
escape  of  Quibia,  IP,  610-612,  646,  690; 
death  of  Indian  captives,  IP,  614; 
abandonment  of  settlement,  IP,  615, 
691;  abandons  Gallego,  IP,  614,  615, 
6go;  along  the  coast  to  Puerto  Bello, 
IP,  616,  646;  Vizcaino  abandoned,  IP, 
614,  691 ;  vision  of  Columbus,  IP,  691 ; 
departure  from  continent,  IP,  617, 
692;  discovery  of  Las  Tortugas:  ar¬ 
rival  at  Cuba,  IP,  622,  646;  arrival  at 
Jamaica,  IP,  623,  646,660,  692;  Porras 
Narrative,  IP,  640-646;  Mendez  Narra¬ 
tive,  IP,  647-667;  Porras  rebellion, 
IP,  628,  629;  lunar  eclipse,  IP,  630— 
632;  second  rebellion,  IP,  633,  634; 
message  from  Ovando,  IP,  635;  con¬ 
flict  with  rebels,  IP,  635,  636;  de¬ 
parture  from  Jamaica,  IP,  637  ;  arrival 
at  San  Domingo,  IP,  638;  end  of,  IP, 
639,  646 

Fox,  G.  V.,  Captain,  identification  of 
Yaguna  (Atwood  Cay),  P,  589,  590; 
Methods  and  Results:  landfall  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  P,  590 

Fracastro,  Hieronymo,  Sr/^/n’/fs  Sive  Mor¬ 
bus  Galliciis,  cited,  P,  87;  letter  to 
Ramusio,  P,  267 

Frances,  Diego,  on  Fourth  Voyage,  IP, 

Frances,  Juan,  Fray  (el  Bermejo) ,  IIP,  136 

Francis  P,  King  of  France,  patron  of 
Giustiniano,  P,  204 

Francis,  Sir  Philip,  handwriting  of,  IIP, 
4,‘;q 

Francis,  the,  English  bark,  IIP,  529 


Index 


722 

Franciscans,  the,  monastery  at  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  1.,  136;  attachment  of  Colum- 
bns  to,  111.,  512,  513 
Frankl,  Ludwig  August,  copied  Vienna- 
Columbus  portrait,  111.,  37 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  early  chess  in  Amer¬ 
ica.  11.,  3S5 

Franzini  finished  Columbus  monument, 

111.,  Si 

Fratres  Minores,  convent  of,  on  Canary 
Islands,  II.,  246 

Freccia  worked  on  Columbus  monument, 

111.,  Si 

Frederick,  Duke  of  Saxony,  seized  moneys 
from  sale  of  indulgences,  I.,  99;  excom¬ 
munication  of,  I.,  100 
Fregoso,  Ottaviano,  Doge  of  Genoa,  III., 

Freherus,  Paul,  Theatrum  Virorum,  vision 
of  Sabellicus,  II.,  516 
Fresco,  Bartolomd.  See  Fieschi 
Freycinet,  M.  de,  French  Minister,  opened 
French  archives  to  scholars,  II.,  533 
Friday  an  American  day,  I.,  514,  515 
Frigate-pelican,  manner  of  feeding,  I., 
526;  habits  of,  II.,  270 
Frislanda  (Lislandeh,  Itshlandeh,  Fix- 
landa,  Frixlanda),  island  of,  voyage  of 
Columbus  beyond,  I.,  300,  381,  383; 
discovery  of,  I.,  383,  385  ;  identification 
of,  I.,  384 

Frixlanda.  See  Frislanda 
Frizzoni,  Gustavo,  Dr.,  cited.  III.,  67 
Froben,  Johannes,  probably  printed 
edition  “D”  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II., 
50;  printed  at  Bale,  II.,  54 
Frobisher,  Martin,  Vice-Admiral  of  expe¬ 
dition  to  San  Domingo,  III.,  529 
Frontinus,  Sextus  Julius,  De  Aquceducti- 
bus,  use  of  transverscE,  I.,  372 
Fructuoso,  Gaspar,  Saudades  da  Terra, 
etc.,  colonisation  of  Madeira  Islands,  I., 
397:  Perestrello  family,  I.,  399,  401; 
nativity  of  Columbus,  I.,  404 
Fucus  Natans,  seaweed  composing  Sar¬ 
gasso  Sea,  II.,  381 

Fuego  (Huego) ,  island  of  (Cape  Verde), 
land  seen  south-west  of,  II.,  379;  de¬ 
scription:  Columbus  at,  11, ,  380 
Fuenmayor,  Alonzo  de,  Archbishop  of 
San  Domingo,  manuscript  of,  III.,  525 
Fuensanta  del  Valle,  Marquis  de,  uncle  of 
Rafael  Ramirez  de  Arellano,  I.,  424 
Fuenterrabia,  Martin  de,  on  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  372;  death  of,  II.,  581 
Fuenterrabia,  city  of,  location  of,  II., 
589—592,  686 

Fulgosus,  Baptista,  Doge  of  Genoa,  on 
mal  frangese,!.,  ?>q,  qo\  bibliographical 
description  of  his  Historia,  II.,  524;  on 
discovery  of  New  World,  11.,  525 
Fuma,  supposed  island,  I.,  629 
Furtada,  Beatriz  (de  Mendopa),  wife  of 
Bartholomeu  Perestrello,  I.,  399,  401 
Furtada,  Beatriz,  daughter  of  Bartholo¬ 
meu  Perestrello,  I.,  399 
Furtada,  Catherine,  daughter  of  Bartho¬ 
lomeu  Perestrello,  I.,  399 
Furtado,  Diego  (de  Mendoga),  High  Ad¬ 
miral  of  Castile,  cited,  II.,  537 


Fust  (wrongly  written  Faust),  Johann, 
and  Peter  Schoffer  printed  Psalter,  1., 
16S:  II.,  525 

Fusta,  description  of,  II.,  556 
G 

Gades,  ancient  name  of  Cadiz,  I.,  498 
Gaetani,  Monseigneur,  III.,  51 1 
Gtetulian  purple,  kind  of  dye,  I.,  498 
Gaffarel,  Paul,  work  on  Martyr’s  Decades: 

burial-place  of  Velasquez,  I.,  115 
Gaillartbois,  house  of  Columbus  the  Cor¬ 
sair,  situated  near,  I.,  226 
Galdil,  Juan,  cabin  boy,  Fourth  Voyage, 

II.,  572 

Galeaceffi,  merchant  vessels,  description 
of,  I.,  14 

Galeote,  Gonzalo  Alonso,  sailor  on  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  continental 
land,  II.,  33 1 

Galindo,  Beatrix  (La  Latine),  instructress 
of  Queen  Isabella,  I.,  8 
Gallardo,  Bartolom6  Jos6,  Ensayo  de  una 
Biblioteca  Espanola,  etc.:  investigation 
of  Columbian  Library,  I.,  482 
Gallego,  Gonzalo,  seaman,  Fourth  Voy- 
a.?e,  II.,  572 

Gallego,  Juan,  sailor,  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 

569 

Gallego,  the,  purchase  of,  II.,  303;  crew 
of,  II.,  569,  571;  repairing  of,  II.,  603; 
abandonment  of,  II.,  614,  615 
Gallego,  Francisco  Garcia,  member  First 
Voyage,  I.,  471 

Gallego,  Gonzalo,  deserted  at  Espanola, 

11.,  627 

Gallego,  Rodrigo,  member  First  Voyage, 
I-,  479 

Galletus,  D.,  Apostolic  Notary,  signature 
appended  to  Bulls  II.,  and  III.,  II., 
94,  97,  151— 153,  159—161;  identifica¬ 
tion  of,  II.,  152 

Galleys,  Flanders  (Flamandes),  Venetian 
merchant  vessels,  capture  of  four  by 
Columbus,  Junior,  I.,  216,  217,  2 T9— 225, 
229;  cargoes  of,  I . ,  218,  219;  prey  of 
pirates,  I.,  219 

Galliega,  island  of,  vessel  of  Columbus’s 
fleet  took  refuge  at,  II.,  684 
Gallo,  rock  in  middle  of  Boca  del  Sierpe, 

11.,  389 

Gallo,  Ambrosio,  father  Antonio  Gallo,  I., 
190 

Gallo,  Antonio,  Chancellor  Bank  of  St. 
George,  record  concerning  Columbus, 

1.,  189—195,  II.,  453,  III.,  3;  his  ac¬ 
count  of  Coktmbus  followed  by  Sen- 
arega,  I.,  195;  De  Navigatione  Columbi, 
Bartholomew  Columbus  in  Lisbon  and 
influence  upon  the  Admiral,  II.,  340; 
filed  Columbus  letter,  III.,  251 

Gallo,  Bernardo,  son  of  Antonio  Gallo,  I., 
T90 

Gallo,  Giovanni,  notary  in  Savona,  I.,  238 
Galvano,  Antonio,  Tratados  dos  descobri- 
mentos,  ancient  map  showing  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  I.,  294;  Tratado  dos  Varios 
Caminhas  por  Onde,  source  of  Robert 
Machin  story,  I.,  396 


Index 


723 


Galve,  Donis  de,  cabin  boy,  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  11.,  569 

Galvez,  Pedro  de,  certificate  of.  III.,  536 
Gama,  Sancho  Ruiz  de,  pilot.  First  Voy¬ 
age,  wages  of,  I.,  478 
Gama,  Vasco  da,  voyages  contained  in 
Paesi,  I.,  36,  II.,  526;  rounding  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  I.,  78;  his  interpreters, 

I.,  184;  reference  to  Prester  John,  I., 
297 

Gamana,  Fernando  de,  witnessed  Treaty 
of  Tordesillas,  II.,  185 
Gambaro,  J.  G.,  notary  public  at  Genoa, 

in  .  S7I 

Gamboa,  Martin  de,  messenger  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  sketch  of.  III.,  302,  307,  323 
Gandolfi,  Signor,  had  Lotto-Columbus 
portrait  restored.  III.,  66 
Ganpu,  port  of,  seaport  of  Quinsay,  II., 
620 

Garay,  Francisco  de,  finds  Mines  of  St. 

Christopher,  II.,  352,  353 
Garces,  Johan,  on  San  Juan,  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  believed  Cuba  was  continental 
land,  II.,  330 

Garceto,  Juan  de,  Franciscan  Friar,  in¬ 
fluence  upon  Las  Casas,  I.,  134,  135; 
escape  of,  I.,  135 

Garcia,  Bartolome,  boatswain.  First  Voy¬ 
age,  I.,  470;  probable  salary  of,  I.,  474; 
sailor.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  569 
Garcia,  Diego,  murdered  at  La  Navidad, 

1.,  471 

Garcia,  Gil,  lawyer.  Second  Voyage,  1  , 47  5 
Garcia,  Gonzalo,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II'.  571 

Garcia,  Joaquin,  Don,  Captain-General  of 
Espanola,  III.,  538-543 
Garcia,  Jos6  Gabriel,  Memorias  para  la 
Historia  de  Quisqueya,  complaint  of, 
III',  55.S 

Garcia,  Juan,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  572  _ 

Garcia,  Ruiz,  member  First  Voyage,  I., 
470 

Garcllo,  Antonio,  I.,  252 

Garrido,  Juan,  cabin  boy,  Fourth  Voyage, 

II'.,  570  ’  .  ' 

Gar.sie,  Peter,  Ri.shop  of  Barcelona,  certi¬ 
fied  to  copy  of  Bull  IT  ,  II.,  94 
Gaspar,  Don,  conyerted  Indian  Chief,  I., 
144 

Gasjjar,  member  Second  Voyage,  II.,  304, 
308 

Gastaldo,  Jacopo,  his  longitude  of  Quin¬ 
say,  I.,  352 

Gatos  paulos  found  in  New  World,  II., 
3Q.I 

Gattinara,  Arborio  di.  Grand  Chancellor 
of  Spain,  I.,  13 1 

Gaudo,  port  of,  on  Canary  Island,  Colum¬ 
bus  at,  I  ,  516 

Ganlcta,  i.s]and  of,  sovereigpity  of,  I.,  505 
Gaiiric,  Lucas,  vision  of  Leo  X.  described 
by,  I.,  41 

Gaurus,  Campfo  (Quansou  Ghoury,  Sul¬ 
tan  of  Egypt),  I.,  14-17;  his  portrait, 

111. ,  17 

Gautier,  Pedro  M.,  government  Secretary, 
Santo  Domingo,  assisted  at  identifica¬ 


tion  remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  ;6o- 
566 

Gay,  Sidney  Howard,  History  of  America, 
Herrera-Columbus  portrait.  III.,  57 
Gaza,  Theodore,  proficient  in  Greek,  I., 
353;  taught  Greek  to  Muller,  I.,  358 
Gellius,  Aulus,  misquoted  by  Humboldt, 

1.,  54;  Nodes  Attica,  cited,  I.,  54; 

on  filial  duty,  I.,  257,  258 

Gemma  V ocabulorum  printed  by  Martens, 

11.,  64 

Genealogy  (Columbus),  ancestors,  I.,  249; 

chart,  opp.,  III.,  617 
Genesis,  Book  of,  description  of  Earthly 
Paradise  (St.  Jerome  version),  11.,  409, 
410;  Cain  lived  eastward  of  Eden  (St. 
Jerome  version),  II.,  411;  description 
of  Earthly  Paradise  (Hebrew  version), 

II.,  41 1 ;  Cain  lived  in  Land  of  Nod 
(modern  version),  II.,  412 
Genoa,  Academy  of  Science,  I.,  259 
Genoa,  city  of,  birthplace  of  Columbus,  1 . , 
234,  249-263;  documentary  proofs,  I., 
250,  256;  house  of  Columbus,  I.,  256, 
257,  262,  263;  Columbus  monuments 
at.  III.,  81;  Columbus  letters  in  ar¬ 
chives  of  Municipal  Palace  at.  III.,  244, 
245,  256,  257,  364,  365;  dust  of  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus  at.  III.,  567—571 
Genoa,  province  of,  part  of  Liguria,  I., 
231;  dependency  of  Milan,  I.,  232 
Gentil,  Pedro,  squire.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II.,  570 

Genuettsibus,  De  Rebus,  Commentaria, 
Senarega,  I.,  195 

Geographers,  dependent  on  reports  of 
travellers,  I.,  348,  352;  calculation  of 
latitude  and  longitude  by,  501,  502 
George,  Prince,  illegitimate  son  of  John 

II.,  King  of  Portugal,  II.,  377 
Georgica,  Virgil,  cited,  II.,  516 
Georgius,  Sir  Jerome  (Geronimo  Zorzi), 
Venetian  Ambassador,  letter  of  Senate 
to;  capture  of  Flanders  galleys,  I.,  219; 
letters  of  Senate  to;  corsairs  called 
Admirals  and  French  subjects,  I.,  221; 
special  mission  to  France,  I.,  221;  re¬ 
sult  of  embassy  to  France,  I.,  222;  re¬ 
covery  from  Venetian  galleys,  I.,  223, 
224 

Geraldini,  Alessandro,  sketch  of,  1.,  9; 
Itinerarium  ad  Regiones  sub  Mquinoc- 
tiali,  cited,  I.,  9;  present  at  second 
Junta,  1  ,  428 

Geraldini,  Antonio,  sketch  of,  I.,  9 
Geraldinus,  Onuphrius,  annotator,  1,9 
Germanada.  See  Communeros 
Gerson,  Johannes,  Columbus  familiar 
with  works  of,  I.,  288;  pupil  of  d’Ailly, 
II'.  .142 

Gcryon,  the  monster  of  Gades,  II.,  367 
Geschichte  dcr  Medecin,  Haser,  cited,  I.,  87 
Gesio,  Juan,  Bautista  de,  Don,  attempt  to 
fix  Line  of  Demarcation,  II.,  199 
Ge.sner,  Conr.,  Bibliotheca  Jnstitnta,  I.,  204 
Gestoso,  Tos6,  Don,  interpretation  motto 
of  Seville,  III.,  545 

Ghent,  city  of,  birthplace  Charles  V.,  I., 
25;  rebellion  of,  I.,  144 
Ghico,  riv'er  of.  See  Gihon 


724 


Index 


Gibaro,  Jibaro,  bay  of,  possible  landfall 
on  Cuba,  1.,  550 

Gibbs,  George,  Hon.,  thought  landfall  of 
Columbus  on  Turk  Island,  II.,  2S8 
Gigliotti,  Domenico,  printed  Ritratti  di 
Ccuto  Capitani,  III.,  27 
Gihon  (Gyon) ,  Second  Ri\'er  in  Eden — the 
Nile,  if  Cush  be  Ethiopia;  the  Oxus, 
Orontes,  or  Ganges,  if  it  be  in  Asia,  II., 
410-412 

Ginger,  discovery  of,  II.,  488 
Gingtiend,  in  Biographic  Universelle,  on 
u'oodcuts  in  Elogia,  III.,  15 
Ginoves,  Andrea,  squire,  Fomth  Voyage, 
n.,  570 

Ginoves,  Batista,  squire,  Fom'th  Voyage, 

II  -  570 

Ginoves,  Batista,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  572 

Ginoves,  Domingo,  on  Second  Voyage,  be¬ 
lieved  Cuba  continental  land,  IF,  329 
Ginoves,  Fenerin,  on  Second  Voyage,  be¬ 
lieved  Cuba  continental  land,  IF,  331 
Ginoves,  Francisco,  on  Second  Voyage 
believed  Cuba  continental  land,  IF,  329 
Ginoves,  Grigorio,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  IF,  570 

Ginoves,  Guillermo,  squire.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  569 

Giordani,  Enrico,  Milanese  penman,  made 
fac-simile  of  Spanish  Quarto  Letter,  IF, 

41  .  .  ^ 

Giovanni,  Bishop  of  Porto,  Cardinal,  exe¬ 
cutor  of  De  Cusa’s  will,  F,  361 
Giovio,  Alessandro,  father  Paolo  and  An¬ 
tonia,  III.,  23 

Giovio,  Antonia,  sister  Paolo  Giovio,  mar¬ 
riage  of.  III.,  23 

Giovio,  Francisco,  inherited  museum  at 
Como,  III.,  22 

Giovio,  Paolo,  descendant  Paulus  Jovius, 

III.,  23 

Giralda,  the,  bears  supposed  remains  of 
Columbus  to  Seville,  III.,  544 
Girardi,  Lorenzo  (Girardus,  Birardo), 
aided  Columbus  in  Toscanelli  Letter,  F, 
287,  301 

Girondenghi,  Francisco,  established  press 
with  Birretis,  IF,  216 
Giusti,  Maria ,  pretended  wife  of  Domenico 
Colombo,  F,  236 

Giustiniano,  Agostino,  sketch  of,  F,  203- 
206;  conterraneo  of  Columbus,  F,  234, 
261;  accused  of  falsehood,  F,  217; 
Annali,  lib.  quinto,  printing  of  Psalter, 
F,  205;  description  of  Psalter,  F,  202— 
206;  Polyglot  Psalter,  text,  F,  206-212; 
Polyglot  Psalter,  family  origin  Colum¬ 
bus,  F,  i8g,  IF,  453;  Annali,  lib. 
quinto,  biographical  sketch  of  Colum¬ 
bus  not  original,  F,  206;  relation  of 
discovery,  I.,  207;  did  not  mention 
Pilot  story,  I.,  328;  follows  Gallo  as  to 
Bartholomew  Columbus,  IF,  340 
Giustiniano,  Andreola,  father  of  Agostino 
Giustiniano,  I.,  203 
Giustiniano,  Michael,  Abbott,  F,  206 
Glaucus,  name  assumed  by  Marino,  F,  5 
Goanin,  Indian  name  for  poor  gold,  F,  644 
Goathanari.  See  Guacanagari 


Goats  on  island  of  Buenavista,  IF,  378 
Gobemario,  meaning  of,  I.,  516 
Godlevius,  cited,  I.,  108;  De  Abdicatione 
Caroli,  I’,,  III,,  629 

Godov,  Francisco  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  F,  472 
Goggi,  Gian  C.,  III.,  569,  571 
Gold,  loss  of  large  nugget,  F,  124;  first 
mention  by  Columbus  in  Journal,  F, 
535;  Indian  names  of,  F,  556,  643,  IF, 
489,  495;  proposed  use  by  Columbus, 

III.,  498-502 

Golden  Chersonese,  mentioned  by  Martyr, 
F,  58,  62,  76;  Columbus  believed  he 
had  found,  IF,  497 

Golfo  de  la  Ballena,  discovery  of,  IF,  386 
Golfo  de  las  Flechas,  discovery,  F,  647 
Golfo  de  las  Perlas,  discovery  of,  IF, 
398 

Gomara,  Francisco  Lopez,  Historia  Gen¬ 
eral,  story  of  the  Pilot,  F,  326,327,  331, 

III.,  470;  sailing  of  private  expedi¬ 
tions,  If,  523 

Gomera,  island  of,  visit  of  Cadamosto,  F, 
497;  land  seen  westward  of,  F,  517, 
518;  Columbus  at:  First  Voyage,  I., 
517-519;  Second  Voyage,  IF, 246, 264; 
ruler  of,  II.,  246;  visit  of  Columbus, 
Third  Voyage,  IF,  375 
Gomez,  Diego,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 
II-.  57° 

Gomez,  Diogo,  Portuguese  navigator  un¬ 
der  Prince  Henry,  I.,  298 
Gomez,  Juan,  sailor.  Fourth  Voyage,  IF, 

569 

Gomez,  Marcos  Antonio,  assisted  at  iden¬ 
tification  remains  of  Columbus,  III., 
560-566 

Gomez,  Pero,  boatswain,  Fourth  Voyage, 

II-.  57° 

Gomez,  Ruy  (de  Silva),  father  of  Leonora 
de  Sousa,  F,  403 

Gomez  de  Puerto,  Gonzalo,  III.,  370 
Gonzaga,  Ercole,  letter  of  Jovius  to,  III., 

Gonzaga,  Ferdinandus,  in  Elogia,  III.,  14 
Gonzaga,  Francesco,  Jovius  desired  por¬ 
trait  of,  IIF,  14 

Gonzaga,  Hippolyti,  Princess,  seeks  Co¬ 
lumbus  portrait,  IIF,  15 
Gonzales,  Francisco,  Treasurer  of  Spain, 
payment  to  Columbus,  F,  279 
Gonzales,  Jorge,  murdered  at  La  Navi¬ 
dad,  F,  472 

Gonzalez,  Francisco  Antonio,  cited,  IIF, 

27 

Gonzalez,  Gil,  Spanish  explorer,  expedi¬ 
tions  of,  F,  31 

Gonzalez,  Thomas,  copied  entry  for 
Navarrete,  F,  459;  copied  Columbus 
Letter  to  Santangel  from  original,  IF, 
45;  collated  will  of  Mendez,  IF,  667, 
IIF,  516;  strategy  of,  IIF,  54 
Gonzalus,  ^gidius,  strategy  of ,  IIF,  54 
Good  Hope,  Cape  of,  known  about  1400, 
F,  294;  Diaz’s  discovery,  F,  78,  IF, 
343,  IIF,  475,  first  called  by  Diaz  Cabo 
Tormentoso,  rechristened  Cabo  de  B6a 
Esperanpa,  IIF,  482;  called  Cavo  di 
Diab,  F,  295 


Index 


725 


Gorbalan,  Gines  de,  member  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  213;  discoveries  of,  II.,  217, 
259,  261,  280,  290,  291,  298,  495;  did 
not  return  to  Spain  with  De  Torres,  II., 
309 

Gorda,  Andres  Martin  de  la,  master  the 
Gorda,  III.,  136 

Gorda,  the,  Columbus  in  chains  carried  to 
Spain  on.  III.,  136 

Gorgodes,  ancient  name  Cape  Verde 
Islands,  IT,  376 

Gorgonas,  island  of,  sovereignty  of,  I.,  505 
Gorjon,  on  Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba 
was  continental  land,  II.,  331 
Gorricio,  sketch  of.  III.,  260;  publishes 
Contetn placiones  sobre  el  Rosario  de 
N.  S.,  III.,  260,  note 
Gorricio,  Francisco,  Columbus’s  brother 
Diego  died  in  house  of.  III.,  261 
Gorricio,  Father  Don  Gaspar  (de  la  Mise- 
ricordia),  Franciscan  monk,  letters  of 
Columbus  to,  II.,  576,  577,  III.,  125- 
129,  131-135,  153-157.  159-163.  165- 
169,  171-173,  175-177,  260-265,  267- 
271,  273-275,  385-387 
Gorricio,  Melchior,  patron  of  printing, 

111.,  261 

Gorvalan,  member  Third  Voyage,  II.,  217 
Gossampine.  See  Bombasine 
Gottingen  University  Library  contains 
copy  Edition  “G”  Cosco  Latin  Letter, 

11. , ‘58 

Graah,  Captain,  mentions  hot  springs  in 
Greenland,  I.,  385 

Gracias  d  Dios,  Cape,  Columbus  at,  II., 
581,  685;  discovery  of,  II.,  644 
Gradenigos,  the,  heirs  of  Francisco  Longo, 

111.,  66 

Granville-la-Teinturiere,  chapel  of,  B6- 
thencourt’s  tomb  at,  I.,  507-508 
Gramdtica  Castillana,  Lebrija,  published, 

1.,  38 

Gramme,  standard  of  weight,  I.,  484 
Granada,  ancient  name  of,  I.,  428; 

fall  of,  I.,  53,  428,  435;  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella  buried  at,  I.,  22;  Peter  Martyr 
buried  at,  I.,  33 

Grand,  Juan,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  57° 

Grand  Canary,  origin  of  name,  II.,  245; 
island,  inhabited  by  Guanches,  I.,  497; 
arrival  of  Columbus  at — First  Voyage, 

1.,  516.  517;  Second  Voyage,  II.,  245, 
263;  Third  Voyage,  IT,  376,  486;  Col¬ 
umbus  at.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  643 

Grand  Exuma,  island  of,  not  visited  by 
Columbus,  I.,  594 

Grand  Turk  Island,  not  San  Salvador,  I., 

590 

Grandezas  de  Espaiia,  Medina,  report  of 
Antila,  I.,  518 

Granellus,  Bernardus,  Inc|uisitor,  I.,  203 
Granville,  Cardinal  di.  III.,  302 
Grasse,  Count  de,  French  soldier.  III.,  80 
Gravier,  Gabriel,  translated  account  of 
B6thencourt’s  voyage,  I.,  510 
Great  Abaco  Island,  I.,  603 
Great  Britain  seized  port  of  Nicaragfua, 
IT,  84 

Great  Khan,  body-guard  of,  I.,  172; 


country  of,  I.,  305,  311,  314,  581; 
meaning  of  name,  I.,  305,  345,  513; 

capital  of ,  I . ,  3  5  2  ;  how  known  to  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  513;  Columbus  and  Martin 
Alonso  believed  themselves  in  country 
of,  I.,  555,  605 

Grecus,  Johannes  (Georgius),  Vice-Ad¬ 
miral  of  France,  second  in  command  of 
corsair  vessels  at  fight  of  Cape  St. 
Vincent,  1.,  221 ;  ordered  before  French 
King,  I.,  223,  225 

Greenland,  visited  by  Nicolb  Zeno,  I., 
385;  monastery  and  hot  springs  on,  I., 
385;  commerce  with  Estotiland,  I., 
386;  visited  by  Zichmni  and  Antonio 
Zeno,  I.,  387 

Gregory  XII.,  Pope  (Angelus  Corarius), 
not  acknowledged  by  King  of  France, 

II.,  342;  brother  of  Bariola  Coraria,  I., 
349 

Gregory  (Gregorio),  servant  of  Columbus, 
recognition  of  Puerto  Bello  by,  II., 
595,  596,  identified  by  some  as  Gonzalo 
Comancho,  III.,  352. 

Grenville  Library  (British  Museum),  con¬ 
tains  copy  Edition  “D”  Cosco  Latin 
Letter,  II.,  53;  possesses  copy  Edition 
“F”  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II.,  58; 
contains  copy  Edition  “K”  Cosco 
Latin  Letter,  IT,  66 

Gr6vy,  Jules,  President  of  France,  ap¬ 
proved  erection  of  Columbus  statue  m 
Corsica,  I.,  248 

Griego,  Johan,  on  Second  Voyage,  be¬ 
lieved  Cuba  continental  land,  IT,  331 
Griego,  Nic°.  See  Columbus,  Junior 
Grijalva,  juan  de,  nephew  of  Narvaez, 

IIP, 342 

Grimaldi,  Nicolao  de,  order  for  fafade  of 
house  of  Ferdinand  Columbus,  III.,  424 
Grimaldo,  Juan  Francisco  de,  Italian 
banker,  I'lI.,  343,  349 
Groom,  Raymond,  bought  Moro-Colum- 
bus  portrait.  III.,  70 
Gruninger,  Johann,  printed  Reisch’s 
Margarita  Philosophica,  IT,  454 
Grynaeus,  Simon,  Novus  Orhis,  Cadamos- 
to’s  visit  to  Madeiras,  I.,  398;  Pero 
Alonzo  Nino  called  II  Negro  in,  IT,  455 
Guacamayos,  Indian  name  of  parrots,  11., 

■5-5* 

Guacanagan,  Guadcananllus,  Guacean- 
arillo,  Guacamari,  Goathanari,  King  of 
Marien,  native  chief,  Spaniards  left  in 
his  care,  I.,  56,  69,  125,  II.,  254,  488, 
489;  sent  messengers  to  Columbus, 
First  Voyage,  I.,  619;  Second  Voyage, 

II.,  253,  254,  273;  friendship  for 

Spaniards,  I.,  625,  626,  628—630,  632, 
633,  II.,  254,  347,  487;  exchange  of 
visits  with  Spaniards,  Second  Voyage, 
TL,  255,  256,  275,  276,  494;  fled  before 
Columbus,  II._,  315,  495 
Guadaloupc  (Saint  Nlary  of),  Carachara, 
island  of,  discovery,  ll.,  216,  248.  249, 
251,  265-267,  405,  491,  521;  visit  of 
Columbus  in  returning  to  Spain,  II., 

358  ...  .  ^  . 

Guadalquivir, nver  in  Spain, ancient  name 

of,  II.,  54 


Index 


725 


Guadalqui\  ir,  river  in  America,  discovery 
of,  1.,  OoS;  visit  to.  Second  Voyage,  II., 

315 

Gnaiac,  a  wood,  I.,  87 
Guanahani,  Lucayan  island,  landfall  of 
Columbus  on:  identification  of.  I.,  531, 
588-51)1,  11.,  21;  landing  described  by 
Las  Casas,  1.,  534;  methods  of  identifi¬ 
cation,  1.,  587,  SQ2,  593.  See  also 

Vatling  Island  and  San  Salvador 
Guanaja  (.Bonacca),  island  of,  discovery 
of,  II.,  581,  643 
Guanatianico,  island  of,  I.,  331 
Guanches,  skulls  of,  I.,  494;  possession  of 
Canary  Islands  by,  I.,  497 
Guanin,  guani,  native  allo3'ed  metal,  II., 
380,  582,  644 

Guardians,  the  fJ  and  a  of  the  Constel¬ 
lation  Great  Bear,  commonly  called 
the  Poinlers,  1.,  526,  II..  406,  495 
Guarico  (Cape  Haitien),  discovery,  I., 
621 

Guarionex,  King  of  province  of  La  Vega, 
capture  and  death  of,  I.,  124,  II.,  579; 
province  of  Civao  belonged  to,  I.,  629; 
resolved  to  destroy  Spaniards,  II.,  347, 
503;  tells  of  gold  mines,  II.,  352;  Col¬ 
umbus  makes  friends  with,  II.,  499 
Guatemala,  Audiencia  of,  how  formed,  II., 
604 

Guatigana,  Cacique  of  Maddalena,  hos¬ 
tility  to  Spaniards,  II.,  347 
Guazzo,  Marco,  III.,  434 
Guerra,  Cristobal,  voyage  to  Pearl  Coast, 
II--. 37.3..  454.  617 
Guicciardini,  Franc.,  cited,  I.,  41 
Guidoni,  Aldobrandino,  Ambassador  from 
Ferrara,  I.,  322 

Guija,  Guigua,  discovery,  II.,  597 
Guilielmis,  Francisco  de,  I.,  255 
Guinea,  route  to,  I.,  303,  304,  309,  310, 
313;  Columbus  travelled  in,  I.,  616 
Guisavq  city  of.  See  Quinsay 
Gumiel,  Diego  de,  Spanish  printer,  II., 
26 

Gunther,  Charles  F.,  owns  Moro-Colum- 
bus  portrait.  III.,  70 
Guppy,  R.  J.  Lechmere,  on  tides  around 
Trinidad,  II.,  372 

Gurrea,  family  of,  intermarried  with  Sant- 
angels,  I.,  461 

Gutenberg,  Johann,  first  printer,  I.,  168; 

Fulgosus’s  sketch  of,  II.,  524 
Gutierrez,  Alonzo,  I.,  468;  bon  mot  of 
Zunega,  II.,  15,  III.,  87 
Gutierrez,  Julian,  Cura  de  la  Piedra,  III., 
261 

Gutierrez,  Pedro,  probable  wages  on  First 
Voj'age,  I.,  474;  saw  light  on  land,  I., 
530,  532,  632;  left  second  in  command 
at  La  Navidad,  I,,  632;  murdered  at 
La  Navidad,  I.,  471 

Guvga,  Guaigo,  river,  discovery,  II.,  587, 
645 

Guzman,  Dominic  (Domingo)  de,  founder 
Dominicans,  I.,  136 

Guzman,  Dona  Maria  de,  nurse  of  Prince 
Juan,  II.,  423 

Gyon,  river  issuing  from  Earthly  Para¬ 
dise,  II..  410.  See  Gihon 


H 

Haebler,  Conrado,  Tipografia  lb6rica  del 
Sigh  A'l-k,  gives  fac-simile  of  Libro  del 
Consolat,  II.,  10 

Hcec  Opera  ficnt  .  .  .  ductii  Johannis 

de  Jtlonteregio,  printed  by  Muller,  1.,  360 
Hage,  Indian  vegetable  food,  II.,  278 
Hagenbach,  Petrus,  works  printed  by, 

111.,  261 

Hagiographa,  the,  printing  of,  II.,  410 
Hahn,  Ulrie,  carlj'  printer,  books  cor¬ 
rected  b}'  Legnamine,  II.,  69 
Hain,  Ludovicus,  Repertorium  Biblio- 
graphicum,  cited,  I.,  36,  III.,  462;  mis¬ 
take  of,  I.,  37  ;  no  editions  of  Virgil,  I., 
349;  Calendarium  cited  by,  I.,  359; 
assigns  Carvajal’s  oration  to  press  of 
Plannck,  II.,  86;  classification  of 
Dati’s  Indian  poem,  II.,  71;  classifica¬ 
tion  of  Edition  “Q”  Columbus  Letter, 

11.,  71 

Hakluyt,  Richard,  The  Principal  Navi¬ 
gations,  quotes  Chapter  XL,  Historic,!., 
240;  story  of  Robert  Machin,  I.,  396 
Hakluyt  Society  printed  Major’s  transla¬ 
tion  of  Bethencourt’s  voyage,  I.,  510 
Hakon  VI.,  King  of  Norway,  created 
Henry  Sinelair  Earl  of  the  Orkneys  and 
Caithness,  I.,  384 

Hallam,  Henry,  Literature  of  Europe, 
charges  against  Martyr,  I.,  60,  86-110; 
charges  unfounded  and  his  own  inac¬ 
curacy,  I.,  no 

Halley  Comet,  the,  Toscanelli’s  observa¬ 
tions  on,  I.,  370 

Hammocks  used  by  Indians,  I.,  543 
Handwriting,  significance  of,  III.,  86 
Hang-Choo-Foo  (Quinsay),  location  of,  I., 
348,  II.,  620 

Hanging  Gardens,  location,  I.,  18 
Hanno,  Carthaginian  navigator,  voyage 
of,  II.,  243 

Happy  Island,  Espanola  so  called  by 
Syliacio,  II.,  257 

Hara,  Christopher  de,  encouraged  Magel¬ 
lan,  II.,  204;  related  to  Transylvanius, 

II.,  206 

Haro,  Bernaldo  de,  Ibarra  so  called  in 
Irving’s  copy  of  Fiscal  investigation, 

11.,  362 

Haro,  Lopez  de,  oration  before  Alexander 
VI.,  II.,  87 

Harold  Hardrede,  King,  voyage  to  the 
North,  I.,  394 

Harris,  William,  identified  for  Guillermo 
Ires,  I.,  472 

Harrisse,  Henry,  on  title  oi  First  Decade, 

1.,  34;  on  Madrid  copy  of  First  Decade, 

I.,  35 ;  advises  use  1670  edition 

I.,  48 ;  Christophe  Colomb  doubts  authen¬ 
ticity  of  Historic,  I.,  214;  on  Will  of  one 
Domenico  Colombo,  I.,  236;  searches 
Savona  archives,  I.,  238,  252;  criticism 
of  Bossi’s  work,  I.,  274;  no  writings  of 
Columbus  in  Italian,  I.,  287;  colonisa¬ 
tion  of  Porto  vSanto,  I.,  398;  quotes 
document  regarding  guardians  of  Bar- 
tholomeu  Perestrello,  I.,  403;  birth  of 
Ferdinand  Columbus,  I.,  425;  assigns 


Index 


Harrisse,  Henry — Cont’d 

Folio  Letter  to  Posa  press,  II.,  27; 
doubts  Behaim  discovery  related  in 
Nuremberg  Chronicle,  II.,  73;  bought 
example  of  Carvajal’s  oration,  II.,  86; 
on  oration  of  De  Haro,  II.,  87  ;  assump¬ 
tion  regarding  Portuguese  Ambassadors, 

11.,  1 13;  believes  Solorzano  translated 
Bull  IV.  into  Latin  from  Spanish,  II., 
121;  identifies  Amerinus,  II.,  152; 
named  Cantino  map,  II.,  200;  fixes 
date  Salviati  map,  II.,  209;  interprets 
note  in  hand  of  Columbus  on  Diaz,  II., 
344;  announced  discovery  Edition 
“L”  Columbus  Letter,  II.,  68;  inter¬ 
prets  picture  in  “Q”  edition  Columbus 
l^etter,  1 1 . ,  71;  identification  of  Simon 
Verde,  II.,  422;  Libretto  described  by, 

11. ,  439,  440;  noted  differences  in 

various  copies  of  Paesi,  II.,  526;  dis¬ 
covered  Paris  Codex — Book  of  Privi¬ 
leges,  II.,  533;  note  in  Providence 
Codex,  II.,  565;  discovery  forged  Co¬ 
lumbus  Letter,  IIP,  252,  253;  corrected 
hy  Raccolta,  III.,  313;  visits  Huerta  de 
Colon,  III.,  425;  discovered  plunder  of 
Bibliotheca  Columbina,  IIP,  452,  453; 
office  of  Adelantado,  IIP,  494;  on  his¬ 
torical  information  from  commercial 
ventures,  L,  219;  Les  Colombo, 
identifies  Coulon  with  Guillaume  de 
Casenove,  L,  226;  Bank  of  St.  George, 
on  Bills  of  Exchange,  IIP,  248;  dis¬ 
covers  forgery,  IIP,  252;  Christophe 
Colomb  et  la  Corse,  on  claim  of  Calvi  as 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  P,  248;  Dis¬ 
covery  of  North  America,  De  la  Cosa 
part  owner  of  Santa  Maria,  P,  580; — 
Hojeda’s discoveries,  IP,  217;  — error  re¬ 
garding  name  of  Cuba,  IP,  454;  Notes 
on  Columbus,  classification  of  Cosco 
Latin  editions,  IP,  47; — title  of  Marco 
Polo’s  book,  IIP,  461;  Christophe 
Colomb  et  les  Academiciens  Espagnols, 
bibliographical  account  Cosco  Latin 
editions,  IP,  47,  56;  Bibliographia 

Colombina,  bibliographical  account 
Cosco  Latin  editions,  IP,  47,  49,  54,  56, 
58;  Excerpta  Colombiniana,  thinks  Fer¬ 
dinand  Columbus  had  copy  of  Libretto, 
IP,  439;  Don  Ferdinand  Columbus 
Historiador  de  su  Padre,  IIP,  465.  See 
also  “Bibliotheca  Americana  Vetustis- 
sima” 

Harvard  College  Library  contains  copy 
Edition  “K”  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  IP, 
66 

Haser,  Geschichte  der  Medecin  cited,  P,  87 

Havana,  founding  of,  P,  115;  Columbus 
portrait  and  statues  at,  IIP,  63,  81; 
supposed  remains  of  Columbus  re¬ 
moved  to,  IIP,  342,  543 

Hawkins,  John,  coat-of-arms,  IP,  668 

Hayna,  river  of,  discovery  of,  IP,  332 

Hayti,  island  of,  native  name  of  Espanola, 
P,  347,  386,  IP,  271,  287 

Hazard,  Samuel,  Santo  Domingo,  Past 
and  Present,  description  of  Isabella,  IP, 
286,  287 

Headless  Horseman,  the,  P,  124 


727 


Heaven,  Indian  name  for,  IP,  279,  489 
Heaven  and  Earth,  Aristotle,  cited,  IP, 
488 

Heber,  Richard,  once  owned  Libri  copy 
Cosco  Latin  Letter,  IP,  53 
Hebrew  Sacred  Writings,  printing  of,  IP, 
410 

Hebrija.  See  Lebrija 
Hecatomphila.  See  “De  Amore  Liber" 
Hecla,  volcano  of,  eruptions  of,  P,  382 
Heimskringla,  introductioa  to,  Laing,  P, 
393 

Heliopolis,  Peter  Martyr’s  visit  to,  P,  19 
Helps,  Sir  Arthur,  Life  of  Las  Casas, 
father  of  Las  Casas,  P,  115; — curious 
fact  about  Las  Casas,  P,  119;  calls 
Cordova  Nueva,  Nueva  Toledo,  I.,  134; 
Las  Casas  received  by  Dominicans,  P, 
136;  Sepuh'eda’s  arguments,  P,  154 
Henao,  Francisco  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  P,  472 

Henriquez,  (Enriquez)  Alfonso,  High 
Admiral  of  Castile,  prerogatives  of,  I., 
438,  439  537-  538;  descendants  of, 

IP,  221 

Henriquez,  Frederic,  Don,  father  Joan 
Henriquez,  IP,  221 

Henriquez,  Henrique,  Don,  Spanish  Com¬ 
missioner,  negotiated  Treaty  of  Torde- 
sillas,  IP,  122,  176,  177,  184,  185 
Henriques,  Joan,  mother  Ferdinand  the 
Catholic,  IP,  221 

Henry  IIP,  King  of  Castile,  aided  Bdthen- 
court  and  received  from  him  Canary' 
Islands,  P,  507,  509;  birth,  succession, 
and  death  of,  IP,  537 
Henry  IV.,  King  of  Castile,  confirmed  pos¬ 
session  of  Canaries  to  Inez  Peraza,  P, 
318;  repudiated  his  wife  Blanche,  IP, 
221;  his  deposition  and  death,  P,  318; 
Henry  VIP  (Henry  Tudor),  King  of  Eng¬ 
land,  battle  of  Bosworth  Field,  P,  228; 
negotiations  with  Bartholomew  Co¬ 
lumbus,  P,  240,  IP,  344 
Henry  VHP,  King  of  England,  patronage 
of  Giustiniano,  I.,  204:  made  Defender 
of  the  Faith,  IP,  83;  Paulus  Jovius’s 
portrait  of,  IIP,  1 1 

Henry  the  Navigator,  Prince  of  Portugal, 
purpose  of,  P,  294,  296-298;  his 

mother,  P,  294;  maps  owned  by,  P, 
294-296;  letter  of  Monetarius,  P,  296; 
monument  to,  P,  298;  made  Bartholo- 
meu  Perestrcllo  Governor  of  Porto 
Santo,  P,  397;  appointed  Perestrello’s 
successor,  I.,  399 

Hercules,  cited  by  Ferrer,  IP,  367 
Hermandad,  the,  powers  of,  P,  437; 
money  returned  to  treasury  of,  HP, 
8'3 

Hernandez,  Garcia,  physician,  mentions 
sister-in-law  of  Columbus,  P,  399; 
despenscro  on  First  Voyage,  P,  399,  470 ; 
with  Columbus  at  La  Rabida,  P,  431- 
434;  probable  salary.  First  Voyage,  P, 
474 

Herodotus,  account  of  construction  Great 
Pyramid,  P,  18;  expedition  of  Satas- 
pes,  P,  293 

Heroes  and  heroism,  P,  163—165 


Index 


Hcrrara,  spelling  of  Cogoleto,  I.,  235 
Herrara,  Uiego  de,  husband  of  Inez 
Poraza.  1.,  270,  518 

Herrera,  Antonio  de,  cited,  I.,  loS,  13 1, 
150;  Historia  General  dc  los  Hechos  de 
las  Castellanos,  Columbus  fac-similes  of 
Cuccaro  and  Placentia  identical,  I.,  242 ; 
Historia  dc  las  Indias  Occidcnialcs, 
called  Seneca  bad  prophet,  I.,  170; 
— does  not  contain  Pilot  story,  I.,  328, 

111.,  471; — identification  of  Baracoa,  I., 
539;  on  transmission  of  news  of  dis¬ 
covery  to  the  Pope,  II.,  86,  87 ;  Line  of 
Demarcation,  II.,  205;  saj^s  Columbus 
encountered  Portuguese  fleet  on  Third 
Voyage,  1 1 . ,  3  7  5  ;  names  of  J amaica  and 
Cuba,  II.,  637;  portrait  Columbus, 

111.,  40,  37;  distinguishes  the  Cabreros, 

in.,  313' 

Herrera,  Juan  de,  Don,  III.,  542 
Herrera,  Lope  de,  Spanish  diplomatist, 
announces  to  Portugal  occupation  of 
New  World  by  Spaniards,  II.,  119 
Hesiod,  habitations  of  the  blest  in  distant 
islands,  I.,  494 

Hesnaut,  Le  Mai  Frangais,  etc.,  cited,  I., 

87 


Hespenda,  island  of,  sovereignty  of,  I.,  505 
Hesperides,  ancient  name  of  Cape  Verde 
Islands,  II.,  376 

Hevilath,  Chavilah.  land  of,  encompassed 
by  river  Pison,  II.,  410,  41 1 
Heylin,  Peter,  Cosmographia,  epitaph  of 
Columbus,  III.,  520,  521 
Heyw'ood,  J.  C.,  Papal  documents  printed 
by,  II.,  90 

Hidalgo,  meaning  of,  11. ,  310 
Hidalgo,  Josef  Francisco,  notary  public 
Havana,  III.,  543 

Hiddekel,  Dekel,  Diglaath,  ancient  desig¬ 
nation  of  Tigris,  II.,  413 
Hierro,  Fierro,  island  of,  land  seen  west¬ 
ward  of,  L,  518 

Hierro,  point,  discovery  of,  I.,  641 
Higuanama,  Indian  Princess,  hostile  to 
Spaniards,  II.,  347;  hanging  of,  I.,  126 
Higuera  y  Lara,  Josef  de  la.  General  Archi¬ 
vist  of  the  Indies,  certified  Hernandez 
testimony,  I.,  432,  III.,  623 
Higuey,  province  of,  I.,  126;  discovery, 
II.-  337 

Hinojedo,  Pedro  de,  cited,  II.,  624 
Hinojosa,  Francisco  de,  witnessed  Men¬ 
dez’s  will,  IT,  657 

Hinterland,  doctrine  defined,  II.,  122 
Hirschfield,  Bernhard  von,  sent  printed 
copy  De  Captivitate,  I.,  106 
Hispaniola,  incorrect  name  for  Espanola, 


L,  586 

Histoire  de  Vile  Espagnole,  Charlevoix, 
date  of  Columbus’s  birth,  I.,  264,  273; 
anecdote  of  Becerillo,  IT,  317 
Histoire  Generale  des  Voyages,  Provost 
d’Exiles,  date  of  Columbus’s  birth,  L, 


274  _ 

Historia  A  pologetica.  Las  Casas,  L,  154 
Historia  Augusta,  Tacitus,  King  Mithri- 
dates  captured  by  Colone,  I.,  213 
Historia  de  Canarias,  Viera,  land  seen  to 
west  of  Canaries,  I.,  518 


Historia  dc  Chiapa  y  Guatemala,  Remesal, 
hostile  reception  to  Las  Casas  in  Chia¬ 
pas,  L,  149 

Historia  dc  la  Nautica,  Navarrete,  cited, 

I  - 38  , 

Historia  de  la  Provincia  dc  S.  V inccnte  de 
Chiapa,  Remesal,  cited,  L,  ii,  139,  141, 
142;  hostile  reception  to  Las  Casas  in 
Chiapas,  L,  149;  first  mention  of 
Council  at  Salamanca,  L,  418 

Historia  de  las  Indias,  Bartolom6  de  las 
Casas,  birth  of,  L,  115;  his  father  and 
uncle,  II.,  214;  writing  of,  I.,  136,  157, 
321.  339.  342,  549.  643.  II..  360.  363. 
377,  III.,  5,  6;  printing  of,  I.,  157,  IL, 
361,  III.,  6;  nativity  of  Columbus,  I., 
232;  Columbus  enters  Spanish  service, 

1.,  280;  time  passed  by  Columbus  on 
sea,  I.,  283;  Columbus  in  Portugal,  L, 
293 ;  possessed  Toscanelli  Letter  and 
chart,  I.,  301,  302,  319,  340,  341,  548; 
text  of  Toscanelli  Letter,  I.,  302-308; 
source  of  Herrera’s  information,  I.,  328 ; 
the  Pilot  story,  I.,  332-335;  Columbus’s 
voyage  to  North,  I.,  391 ;  Columbus  on 
Porto  Santo,  L,  405;  refusal  of  Colum¬ 
bus  to  serve  other  Courts,  I.,  410; 
departure  of  Columbus  on  First  Voy¬ 
age,  I.,  512;  friendship  of  Marchena  for 
Columbus,  I.,  415 ;  Pinzdn’s  alleged  loan 
to  Columbus,  L,  454,  456;  number  of 
people  on  First  Voyage,  I.,  469;  pro¬ 
logue  to  Journal,!.,  513;  accident  to 
Pinta,  L,  516,  517;  attempted  capture 
of  Columbus  by  Portuguese,  L,  518, 
519;  discontent  of  sailors,  I.,  520-524, 
527,  529;  Sargasso  Sea,  L,  521,  523  ;  the 
discovery  and  reward  claimed  by  Co¬ 
lumbus,  L,  531,  532;  the  landfall,  I., 
534 ;  the  Indians  astonished  by  bearded 
men,  I.,  534;  justification  and  censure 
of  Columbus,  L,  535,  536,  538,  564,  637, 

11..  309.  393.  .  400,  583-586,  599; 

escape  of  captive  Indian,  I.,  539; 

native  dogs  and  stamped  gold  pieces, 
L,  543  ;  report  of  Cuba,  and  meaning  of 
Bohio,  I.,  547;  Cuba  believed  by  Co- 
Irunbus  to  be  Cipango,  I.,  547,  548; 
order  of  naming  islands,  I.,  552;  skulls 
of  Manatee,  I.,  553;  Columbus  and 
Martin  Alonso  believed  themselves  in 
country  of  Great  Khan,  L,  555,  605; 
native  use  of  tobacco,  I.,  561;  part¬ 
ridges  found  in  Cuba,  L,  561;  Colum¬ 
bus  wrote  imperfect  Spanish,  I.,  576, 
IL,  362,  397,  404;  purpose  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  576;  discovery  of  wax,  L,  576, 
577;  cedar  canoes,  I.,  577  ;  explanation 
of  Babeque,  I.,  581;  Toscanelli  con¬ 
founded  with  Marco  Polo,  I.,  581;  in¬ 
congruity  of  heavenly  visitors  seeking 
gold,  I.,  610;  treatment  of  Indians  by 
Spaniards,  I.,  610;  Columbus  showed 
excelente  to  Indian  Chief,  L,  613;  burn¬ 
ing  of  grass-lands  by  Indians,  I.,  615, 
617;  Civao  rich  in  gold,  I.,  622,  626; 
building  of  La  Navidad,  I.,  629;  Co¬ 
lumbus  misunderstood  Indians,  I., 
629;  silver  valued  by  Indians,  L,  630; 
instructions  to  men  left  on  Espanola, 


Index 


729 


H istoria  dc  las  Indias — Cant’d 

1.,  632;  Indians  captured  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  634;  Columbus  believed  Es- 
panola  to  be  Cipango,  I.,  635;  Colum¬ 
bus  injured  by  Pinzons,  I.,  637;  nam¬ 
ing  of  Monte  de  Plata,  I.,  641;  names 
given  by  Columbus  not  preserved,  I., 
64 1 ;  Las  Casas  alone  did  not  make 
abridged  /owrna/,  1.,  643  ;  no  Caribs  on 
Espanola,  I.,  643;  different  tribes  on 
Espanola,  I.,  643;  no  tempests  on  out¬ 
ward  voyage  of  Columbus,  I.,  657; 
King  of  Portugal  intended  to  capture 
Columbus,  I.,  659;  Columbus  and  King 
of  Portugal,  I.,  666;  Columbus  received 
by  Sovereigns,  I.,  668,669;  Columbus 
honoured  by  Mendoza,  I.,  670;  Colum¬ 
bus  throws  account  of  discovery  into 
the  sea,  II.,  3-5;  Isabella  named  in 
honour  of  Queen  Isabella,  II.,  282; 
illness  of  Columbus  at  Isabella,  II., 
289,  290;  dates  in  printed  edition  un¬ 
trustworthy,  II.,  316;  sketch  of  Bar¬ 
tholomew  Columbus,  II.,  340;  note  in 
Imago  Mnndi,  II.,  342;  subjugation  of 
Espanola,  II.,  348;  religious  garb  worn 
by  Columbus,  II.,  356;  holograph 
document  and  Madrid  copy  of,  II.,  361 ; 
narrative  of  Third  Voyage,  II.,  374—408 ; 
Las  Casas  knew  Pedro  de  Arana,  II., 
375;  cure  of  lepers,  II.,  377;  massacre 
on  Trinidad,  II.,  386;  description  of 
Yuyapari  (Orinoco)  River,  II.,  386,  389; 
incident  related  by  Bernaldo  de  Ibarro, 

11.,  388;  see  Haro;  parrots,  II.,  389; 
Las  Casas  visits  lands  near  Gulf  of 
Paria,  II.,  388, 392 ;  Indians  drank  green 
wine,  II.,  392;  formation  of  pearls,  II., 
396,  397;  use  of  term  Another  World 
by  Columbus,  II.,  399;  description  of 
Margarita,  II.,  403;  regarding  Vespu- 
cius,  IT,  404;  Roldan  rebellion,  II., 
405,  406;  currents  between  Beata  and 
Espanola,  II.,  407;  Columbus  and 
Villejo:  placing  of  chains  on  Columbus, 

11.,  420,  421;  Columbus’s  Letter  to 
Nurse  in,  II.,  423  ;  Briviesca  punished 
by  Columbus,  II.,  558;  description  of 
Ciguare,  II.,  589;  first  continental 
settlement,  II.,  608;  censure  of  Basti- 
das  and  Guerra,  II.,  617;  Porras  rebel¬ 
lion,  murder  of  Indians,  II.,  629;  per¬ 
sonal  appearance  Columbus,  III.,  4; 
obligations  of  Columbus  to  Deza  and 
Cabrero,  III.,  311;  Ferdinand  Colum¬ 
bus  knew  little  of  the  rights  of  Indians, 

111.,  432;  authorship  of  note  in  hnago 
Mundi,  III.,  483;  death  of  Columbus, 

111.,  325;  conversation  of  King  Ferd¬ 
inand  and  Diego  Columbus,  III.,  624 

H istoria  de  las  Indias  Occidentales,  Her¬ 
rera,  comment  on  Seneca,  I.,  170 

H istoria  de  L’ Indie  Occidentali,  Oviedo 
and  Martvr,  Columbus  called  Genoese, 

1.,  39;  first  appearance  worf)a5 

I.,  87,  88 

Historia  de  los  Reyes  Caiolicos,  Bemaldez, 
Columbus  and  the  Sovereigns,  I.,  173; 
nativity  of  Columbus,  I.,  232,  246,  lit., 
4;  date  of  Columbus’s  birth,  I.,  264, 


270,  271;  Bernaldez’s  acquaintance 
with  Columbus,  I.,  269,  III.,  6;  death 
of  Columbus  in  senectute  bona,  I.,  270, 

271,  III.,  5  ;  publication  of,  I.,  270,  III., 
6;  Columbus  a  bookseller,  I.,  378,  III., 
4;  number  people  on  Second  Voyage, 

II.,  213;  designation  of  Dr.  Chanca, 

II.,  217  ;  cause  of  trouble  at  Isabella, 

II.,  312;  dogs  used  to  frighten  Indians, 

11.,  316;  Columbus  wore  Franciscan 
robe.  III.,  s;  entry  of  Columbus  into 
Seville,  III.,  94 

Historia  del  Nuevo  Mundo,  Benzoni,  Pilot 
story  repeated  in,  I.,  328 

Historia  del  Nuevo  Alundo,  Munoz,  identi¬ 
fication  of  Guanahani,  I.,  587;  Colum¬ 
bus  portrait  in.  III.,  59 

Historia  Ecclesiastica  di  Piacenza,  Campi, 

1.,  242 

Historia  General  de  las  Indias,  Gomara, 
story  of  the  Pilot,  I.,  326,  327,  331, 

111.,  470;  sailing  of  private  expedi¬ 
tions,  II.,  523 

Historia  General  de  las  Indias,  Oviedo  y 
Vald6s,  fame  of  Columbus  (Summario) , 

1.,  186;  author’s  chief  work,  1.,  231; 
nativity  of  Columbus,  I.,  231—234,  241, 
262,  264;  story  of  mutiny  first  told 
by,  II.,  4;  story  of  the  Pilot,  I.,  325, 
326,  342,  518,  ill.,  470;  Columbus  on 
Porto  Santo,  1.,  405;  Columbus  pro¬ 
tected  by  Quintanilla,  I.,  413  ;  informa¬ 
tion  about  mines  of  St.  Christopher  at¬ 
tributed  to  Miguel  Diaz,  II.,  352; 
canoe  voyage  of  Mendez,  II.,  667  ;  de¬ 
scription  of  Columbus,  III.,  4;  publi¬ 
cation  of.  III.,  s;  motto  of  Columbus, 
III  ,Si8 

Historia  General  de  los  Hechos  de  los  Cas¬ 
tellanos,  Herrera,  Columbus  families  of 
Cuccaro  and  Placentia  identical,  I.,  242  ; 
does  not  contain  Pilot  story,  I.,  328; 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  40,  57 

Historia  Insulana,  Cordeyro,  Perestrello 
family,  I.,  399 

Historia  Rerum  Ubique  Gestarum,  Aineas 
Sylvius,  bibliographical  description  of: 
Toscanelli  Letter  copied  in,  I.,  302,  308, 
318,319,  III.,  460,461,  463-475;  note 
of  Columbus  about  Dr.  Josephus  in,  I., 

33 1. . 407 

Historie  del  S.  D.  Fernando  Colombo, 
publication  of,  II.,  453,  III.,  6;  refer¬ 
ence  to  Council  at  Salamanca,  I.,  ii, 
417;  nial  frangese,  I.,  89;  fidelity  of 
Columbus  to  Spain,  I.,  175,  410;  ac¬ 
count  of  discovery  written  on  shipboard 
by  Columbus,  I.,  176,  II.,  5,  6;  charges 
Giustiniano  with  falsehood,  I,,  206; 
nobility  of  Columbus,  I.,  202,  213— 217, 

111.,  6,  7;  Columbus  in  sea-fight,  I., 
215— 217,  220,  229;  birthplace  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  232,  234,  241,  261,  262; 
bad  translation  of,  I.,  232,  II.,  363,  III., 
6;  the  Columbi  brothers  in  Cugureo,  I., 
235;  Bartholomew’s  journey  to  Eng¬ 
land,  I.,  239,  240;  statement  re,garding 
Lettera,  I.,  276,  IT,  683;  departure  of 
Columbus  from  Portugal,  I.,  280;  Co¬ 
lumbus  at  Mine  of  St.  George,  I.,  282; 


730 


Index 


Historic  Jcl  S.  D.  FcntCDido  Colombo — 
Co>il\i 

time  passed  by  Columbus  on  sea,  I., 
2S3,  2S4;  education  and  acquirements 
of  Columbus,  1.,  2S6.  287,  II.,  221;  Let¬ 
ter  of  Columbus  to  Toscanelli,  1.,  287  ; 
serx’ice  of  Columbus  to  King  Ren^  and 
voyage  to  the  North,  I.,  299,  300,  390, 
391;  Toscanelli  letters,  I.,  301,  313- 
316,  319,  341;  wars  of  Castile,  I.,  317; 
copied  by  Historia,  I.,  321,  III.,  6;  note 
in  Sfera  regarding  origin  Toscanelli 
letters,  1.,  322;  dedication  of,  I.,  347; 
marriage  of  Columbus,  I.,  395,  404; 
proffered  loan  of  Santangel  to  Queen 
Isabella,  I.,  463;  number  of  people  on 
First  Voyage,  I.,  470;  accident  to 
Pinta,  I.,  517;  arrival  of  Columbus  at 
Azores  on  return  from  First  Voyage, 

II.,  II ;  confusion  of  La  Navidad  and 
Isabella,  II.,  339;  services  of  Bartholo¬ 
mew  Columbus,  II.,  345 ;  number  of 
Spanish  colonists  returned  to  Spain, 

11.,  357;  account  Third  Voyage  taken 
from  holograph  Journal,  II.,  363;  Co¬ 
lumbus  at  Fonciale,  IT,  374;  caravels 
on  Third  Vo3^age  and  illness  of  Colum¬ 
bus.  IT,  377,  387,  391 ;  lepers  cured  by 
turtles,  II.,  378;  description  island  of 
Fuego,  IT,  380;  astronomical  disser¬ 
tation,  IT.,  382;  Punta  de  la  Playa 
called  Della  Spiaggia,  IT,  385;  land¬ 
fall  on  South  America,  II.,  391;  Fon¬ 
seca’s  enmity,  IT,  549;  departure  on 
Fourth  Vo}'age,  IT,  576-578;  wreck  of 
Spanish  fleet  near  San  Domingo,  II., 
578,  579;  solid  edifice  discovered  at 
Catiba,  II.,  594;  person  of  Columbus, 

111.,  5;  handwriting  of  Columbus,  III., 
458;  authorities  acknowledged  by  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  485,  486;  death,  burial, 
and  epitaph  of  Columbus,  III.,  516, 

517 

Historic  de  VImprimerie,  Marchand,  early 
imprint  at  Barcelona,  IT,  10 
Historic  de  1’ Inquisition,  Llorente,  Jewish 
persecutions,  I.,  461 

Historic  Fiorentine,  Machiavelli,  Bank  of 
St.  George,  III.,  249 
History,  Casaus,  cited  bv  Munoz,  I.,  31 
History  of  America,  Bryant  and  Gay, 
Heirera-Columbus  portrait  in.  III.,  57 
History  of  America,  Robertson,  date  of 
Columbus’s  birth,  I.,  264,  274 
History  of  Charles  Y .,  Robertson,  cited,  I., 
107 

History  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  Pres¬ 
cott,  Columbus  portrait  in.  III.,  57 
History  of  Monferrato,  Conti,  claims  Cuc- 
caro  as  birthplace,  I.,  245 
History  of  Painting  in  Italy,  Lanzi,  cited, 

111.,  13 

History  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  Pallavicini, 
cited,  Leo  X.,  I.,  41 

History  of  the  Life  and  Voyages  of  Christo¬ 
pher  Columbus,  Irving,  publication  of: 
material  furnished  by  Navarrete,  I., 
268,  269;  identification  of  Guanahani, 

1.,  588:  Moro-Columbus  portrait  used 
in,  ill.,  68 


History  of  the  New  World,  Munoz,  cited, 

31 

History  of  the  United  States  or  Republic  of 
America,  Willard,  birth  of  Columbus, 

1.,  264,  275 

History  of  the  World,  Raleigh,  composed 
in  prison,  I.,  463 

History  of  Venice,  Sabellicus,  victoiw  over 
Venetian  galleys,  1.,  214 
Hock,  Wenderlin,  mal  frangese,  I.,  90 
Hoefer,  Dr.  Ferd.,  birth  of  Columbus,  I., 
'2.73 

Plojeda,  Alonzo  de,  (i)  member  Second 
Voyage,  IT,  213;  praised  by  Columbus, 

11.,  217;  exploration  of  Cibao  and  dis¬ 
covery  of  mines,  IT,  217,  258,  259,  280, 
290,  313,  495;  capture  of  Caonabo  and 
his  brother,  IT,  349-351;  checked  by 
Roldan,  II.,  419;  complained  of  by 
Columbus,  IT,  433;  expedition  visited 
Pearl  Coast,  II.,  455;  voyage  to  Vera- 
gua  and  Darien,  ll.,  595;  grants  to, 

111.,  203;  (died  1515)  sepulchre  of,  I., 

Hojeda,  Ojeda,  Alonzo  de  (2),  cruelty  and 
death,  I.,  132 

Hoi,  Leonardus,  printed  1482  Ptolemy,  I., 

. 

Holy  Bible,  the,  citations  from  Genesis 
(St.  Jerome  version),  II.,  410,  4 1 1 ;  dif¬ 
ferent  versions  and  printing  of,  IT,  410; 
citation  from  Genesis  (Hebrew  version), 

11.,  41 1 ;  St.  Jerome  version  followed 
Targum,  II.,  411;  citation  from  Gene¬ 
sis  (modem  version),  II.,  412 

Holy  Family,  legend  of  balsam  trees,  I., 
19;  legend  of  tree  of  Pharaoh,  I.,  20 
Holy  House,  legend  of  I.,  655 
Holy  Sepulchre,  preservation  of,  I.,  12, 
13,  17,  21;  purpose  of  Columbus,  177- 
180,  628 

Homenaje,  the  oldest  building  in  America 
erected  by  Europeans,  III.,  625 
Homer,  location  of  Elysian  Fields  by, 

1.,  494;  manuscript  copy  owned  by 
Petrarch,  II.,  439 

Homo,  province  in  Cuba,  IT,  660 
Honduras,  Tmxillo,  capital  of,  I.,  31 
Horace,  Epodes,  mentions  Elysium,  I., 
494,  49s;  Satires,  Epistolcs,  cited,  II., 
516 

Hostias.  See  Oysters 
House,  Indian  name  for,  IT,  489,  495 
Huarco,  Huareo,  Indian  cacique,  visited 
by  Mendez,  II.,  625,  661 
Huelva,  Francisco  de,  member  First 
Voyage,  I.,  470 

Huelva,  town  of,  home  of  Briolanje  Mu- 
liar,  I.,  399.  400,  sis_ 

Huerta  de  Colon,  location  of:  remains  of, 

111.,  424,  425 

Huerta  de  la  Regina.  See  Jardin  de  la 
Reina 

Huevos,  island  in  Boca  del  Drago,  IT, 
40 1 

Huict,  Isle  of  Wight,  III.,  224,  240 
Huiva,  port  of,  discovery  of;  native  huts 
at,  IT,  602 

Hull,  Esther,  Miss,  owns  Columbus  por¬ 
trait,  III.,  74 


Index 


731 


Humboldt,  Friedrich  Heinrich  Alexander, 
Baron  von:  Examen  Critique  de  I’His- 
toire  de  la  Geographic  du  Nouveau 
Continent,  St.  Ambrosius  cited  by  Co¬ 
lumbus,  II.,  404;  misquoted  Aulus 
Gellius,  I.,  54;  identifies  Cat  Island 
as  San  Salvador,  I.,  588;  date  of  birth 
of  Columbus,  I.,  273,  275;  intelligence 
of  Columbus,  I.,  289;  absolution  of 
Conti,  I.,  349;  discovered  De  la  Cosa 
map,  I.,  588;  counter  -  currents  in 
Gulf  Stream,  I.,  603;  use  of  dogs  in 
Cuba,  II.,  317;  Demarcation  Line  sug¬ 
gested  by  observations  of  Columbus, 

I.,  520,  II.,  108;  Las  Casas  not  mem¬ 
ber  Third  Voyage,  I.,  115;  comment 
on  Lebrija,  I.,  38;  mainland  seen 

from  Trinidad,  II.,  371;  praise  of 
Martyr  by,  I.,  85;  derivation  of  Mo¬ 
lucca,  I.,  631;  return  of  Nino,  II.,  455; 
on  Paesi,  II.,  527;  cites  Journal  of 
Ponce  de  Leon,  I.,  589,  590;  descrip¬ 
tion  of  Sargasso  Sea,  IT,  381 ;  eruption 
of  volcano  on  Tenerife,  I.,  517;  west¬ 
ward  advances,  I.,  164;  adopted  Abbe 
Xim^nes’s  reading  of  Toscanelli  Letter, 

I.,  318 

Huracan,  furacan,  Indian  name  for  tem¬ 
pest,  IT,  356 
Hureyos.  See  Turey 
Hurtado,  Dr.,  order  regarding  Majorat, 

I-.  243 

Huss,  John,  burning  of,  I.,  10 1 
Huth  Library  contains  copy  Edition 
“Q”  Columbus  Letter,  II.,  72 
Hutias,  Indian  name  for  rabbits,  killing 
of,  I.,  616 

Hyeres,  islands  of.  III.,  222,  233 
I 

I  RitraUi  di  Christoforo  Colombo,  Neri, 
cited.  III  ,  30 

lachem,  river  of  Espanola,  II.,  496 
landoli,  Eliseo,  assisted  at  identification 
remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  565 
lanna  Major,"^  name  given  Jamaica,  II., 
497 

Ibarra,  Pero  Ibanez  de,  repartimiento 
made  by.  III.,  302,  313 
Ibarro,  Bernaldez  de  (Bernaldo  de  Haro), 
Secretary  to  Columbus  on  Third  Voy¬ 
age,  quoted  by  Las  Casas,  II.,  362,  388 
Ibn  Haoukal,  Arabian  geographer,  ar¬ 
rangement  of  his  maps,  I.,  501 
Ibn-Rochid,  Arabian  philosopher,  I.,  288 
Ibn-Sina  (Avicenna) ,  Arabian  philoso¬ 
pher,  different  editions  of,  I.,  365 
Icacos,  point  of,  former  name  of,  ll.,  386 
Icari,  title  of  kings  of  Icaria,  I.,  386 
Icaria,  country  of,  identification  of,  I., 
386,387 

Iceland,  voyage  of  Columbus  to,  I.,  300, 
381,  382;  names  and  locations  on 
various  maps,  I.,  381;  commerce  and 
volcanic  mountains,  I.,  382 
Iguana,  yuana,  discovery  by  Columbus, 

I.,  546 

*  While  this  appears  as  lanna  Major  in  the  printed 
hiBRF.TTO,  it  is  Joanna  Major  in  the  original  manu¬ 
script. 


11  Corriero,  II  Correo  (the  Courier),  cara¬ 
vel  on  Third  Voyage,  II.,  363,  377,  391 
II  Philocolo  di  Boccacci  published  in 
Florence,  II.,  68 

II  Piombo.  See  Piombo,  Sebastiano  del 
II  Secondo  Cantare  dell’  India,  Dati,  publi¬ 
cation  of,  IT,  71 

Ilhas  do  Principe,  discovery  of,  I.,  320 
Iliad,  copy  owned  by  Petrarch,  li.,  439 
Iliberis,  ancient  name  of  Granada,  I., 
428 

Ilofe,  island  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  386 
Imago  Mundi,  d’Ailly,  influence  on  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  288,  II.,  60,  341,  342;  bib¬ 
liography,  II.,  341;  manuscript  notes 
of  Columbus  in  Biblioteca  Columbina 
copy,  IT,  342,  568,  III.,  461,  475,  480- 
4S7;  perhaps  written  at  St.  Die,  111., 
^3.  14 

In  gattone,  Italian  idiom,  meaning  of,  II., 
684 

In  Laudeni  Fcrdinandi  Regis,  Verardus, 
Edition  “  K”  Cosco  Latin  Letter  added 
to,  II.,  66 

Index  libroruni  prohibitorum,  cited,  I.,  104 
Index  to  Early  Printed  Books,  in  the 
British  Museum,  Proctor,  identifica¬ 
tion  of  type  of  Folio  Letter,  IT,  10; 
books  printed  by  Petrus  Michael,  II., 
26;  German  Edition  Columbus  Letter, 
IF,  72 

India,  ancient  geographical  division  of, 
n.,  52 

India,  the,  ve.ssel  built  by  Columbus  for 
return  to  Spain,  II.,  356 
Indians,  the,  appearance,  character,  and 
customs  of,  I.,  56,  58,  67,  70,  73,  76-78, 
122,  123,  194,  200,  211,  533-537,  539- 
543.  546-548,  551-553.  556.  558.  560- 
564.  570.  573-580,  605-633,  643-647, 
IT,  21—25,  80,  81,  250—252,  255,  260, 
261,  267-280,  317,  319,  328,  337,  387- 
395.  487-498,  502-510,  520,  522,  582, 
583.  597. .600-609,  623,  644,645;  be¬ 
lieved  white  men  immortal,  I.,  70,  537, 
560,  579,  IT,  23,  81;  superstitions  of, 

1.,  80-82,  127,  542,  563,  575,  579;  con¬ 
version,  I.,  74;  extermination  of,  I., 
116,  122—126,  128-130,  II.,  346,  348, 
349.3531  as  pearl-divers,  1,  132 ;  mon¬ 
asteries  destroyed  by,  I.,  132-135;  re¬ 
sisted  Spaniards  in  La  Tierra  de 
Guerra,  I.,  139;  tribute  exacted  of,  I., 
140,  II.,  353;  inclined  to  civilisation  in 
Chiapas,  I.,  150;  carried  torches,  I., 
530.  532;  without  beards,  I.,  534,  IT, 
269;  number  taken  to  Spain,  II.,  8; 
hostilities  in  Cibao,  IT,  313,  314;  wore 
tunics,  II.,  319,  499:  hostilities  in  Es¬ 
panola,  II.,  347  ;  reports  of  black  peo¬ 
ple  by,  II.,  380;  massacre  on  Trinidad, 

11.,  385,  386;  beverages  of,  II.,  392, 
395,  608,  609;  capture  of.  Third  Voy¬ 
age,  IT,  393,  501;  capture  of.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  583,  584;  hostilities  in 
Veragua,  II.,  610,  613,  646,  657—659; 
tragedy  on  Santiago  de  Palos,  II.,  614; 
intimidated  by  lunar  eclipse,  II.,  630, 
631,  664;  agreed  with  Mendez  to  fur¬ 
nish  food,  II.,  660,  661 


Index 


Indiarum  Jure,  dc,  Solorzano,  coiTect 
name  of  Espanola,  1.,  586;  publication 
of,  Columbian  Bulls  published  in,  11., 
S^-115;  text  of  Bull  IV.,  11.,  162-164 

Indias  Occiden tales,  lirst  use  of  term,  11., 
560, 561 

ludic  Occidental i,  dc  Oviedo,  cited,  1., 
87,88 

Infante,  Joao,  Portuguese  captain,  III., 


475  . 

Inghirami,  Petro,  Archbishop  of  Braga, 
student  of  Martyr,  I.,  6 
Ingles,  Jorge,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Innocent  VIII.,  Giovanni  Battista  Cibo, 
Pope,  cited,  I.,  41,  344 
Inquisitors,  the,  confiscation  of  property 
by,  I.,  401 

Institucion  del  Maj^orazgo.  See  Majorat 

Institutes,  Titius  Caius,  1.,  277 

Inter  Cetera,  Bulls  of  Alexander  VI.,  I., 


344;  II.,  86-89,  93  .  .  , 

Intercenali,  De  Alberti,  dedicated  to 
Toscanelli,  I.,  357 

Interiano  (Italian  family).  III.,  343 
Investigaciones  Histdricas,  Cladera,  de¬ 
fence  of  Columbus,  I.,  518 
Ireland,  division  into  countries,  I.,  387 
Ires,  Guillermo,  murdered  at  La  Navidad, 
L,  472 

Irving,  Washington,  on  Cotmcil  at  Sala¬ 
manca,  I.,  II ;  legend  about  Isabella, 

I.,  124;  date  of  birth  of  Columbus,  I., 
268;  Notes  and  Corrections,  the  Pilot 
Story,  I.,  328;  caused  copy  of  Fiscal 
investigation  to  be  made,  II.,  362; 
variations  from  authorities,  II.,  61 1, 
636;  quoted  Bemaldez’s  work,  III.,  6. 
See  also  “History  of  the  Life  and  Voy¬ 
ages  of  Columbus” 

Isabella,  Queen  of  Castile,  mother  of  Isa¬ 
bella  the  Catholic,  I.,  26 
Isabella  the  Catholic,  Queen  of  Spain, 
Court  of,  I.,  7;  education  of,  I.,  8; 
marriage  of.  III.,  503;  children,  I.,  25; 
birth  of  Catherine,  Dec.  16,  1485,  I., 
281;  reluctance  to  banish  Jews,  I.,  53; 
appointed  a  nurse  to  Prince  Juan,  II., 
423;  her  jewels  and  jewel-box,  I.,  462, 
463;  title  conferred  by  Pope,  I.,  413; 
letter  to  Columbus,  II.,  554;  death, 
burial,  and  sepulchre  of,  I.,  22,  23 
Isabella,  Princess,  daughter  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella,  birth,  I.,  25;  marriages, 

1.,  24 

Isabella,  wife  of  George  of  Portugal, 
daughter  of  Diego  Columbus,  I.,  244 
Isabella,  city  of  (Isabella  Vecchia),  loca¬ 
tion  and  building  of ,  1,39,  70,  195,  201, 
212,  639,  II.,  217,  218,  258,  278,  282, 
289,  495,  496;  legend  of,  I.,  123;  ex¬ 
amination  made  by  officers  of  U.S.S. 
Enterprise,  II.,  283-287;  plan  of  ruins, 

11.,  285;  description  of  ruins,  II.,  288; 
illness  of  colonists,  II.,  289,  290 

Isabella,  island  of  Saomete,  Crooked  and 
Fortune  Islands  of  to-day,  discovery  of, 

1.,  544,  545,  552,  594;  identification 
of,  I.,  594 

Isabella,  island,  Cuba  so  called  on  Wald- 
seemuller  map 


Isla  Beata,  discovery  of,  II,,  337 
Isla  de  Gracia,  II.,  389,  390 
Isla  de  Ratas,  identification  of,  I.,  623 
Islas  de  Los,  discovery  and  location  of,  I., 
408 

Isle  of  Pines,  description  of,.  II.,  333 
Isnardi,  Felice,  pretended  Will  of  Domen¬ 
ico  Columbus,  I.,  236;  Columbus 

genealogy,  I.,  249;  names  sister  of 
Columbus,  I.,  2 58;  Cogoleto  Columbus 
portrait.  III.,  33 

Isodorus  Isolanus,  Columbus  familiar 
with  works,  1.,  288 

Istakhri,  Arabian  geographer,  arrange¬ 
ment  of  his  maps,  I.,  501 
Italia  Marinara,  Ranieri, discovery  Lotto- 
Columbus  portrait,  III.,  64—66 
Italian,  Agostin,  Italian  banker.  III.,  343, 
.149 

Italian,  Pantaleon,  III.,  343 
Italy,  donated  by  Emperor  Constantine 
to  Sylvester  I.,  II.,  86;  publication  of 
Raccolta  by,  government  of.  III.,  460, 
488 

I tinerarium  ad  Regiones  sub  Mquinoctiali, 
Geraldini,  I.,  9;  second  Junta,  I.,  428 
Itinerarium  P ortugallensium ,  Pero  Alonzo 
Nino  called  II  Negro  in,  II.,  455 
Itshlandeh.  See  Iceland 
Ivaldi,  Emanuel,  III.,  571 
Ixtlilxochitl,  Mexican,  declared  native 
writings  unreadable,  II.,  584 
Izquierdo,  Josef  Miguel,  Don,  III.,  542, 

543 

J 

Jacmel,  Puerto  del  Brazil,  III.,  277 
Jacob,  Indian  with  Diego  Gomez,  I.,  298 
Jacobus  de  Ferrara,  printed  Work  of 
Fulgosus,  II.,  524 

Jacome,  Juan,  squire,  Fourth  Voyage,  11. , 

570  . 

Jaen,  Antonio  de  (perhaps  intended  for 
Andres  Yruenes) ,  murdered  at  La  Nav¬ 
idad,  I.,  471 

Jaggers,  William,  Hull  -  Columbus  por¬ 
trait,  III.,  75 

Jal,  A.,  Archeologie  Navale:  dimensions  of 
Santa  Maria,  I.,  469 ;  seal  of  Columbus, 
in.,  45.5 

Jamaica,  island  of,  Peter  Martyr’s  church 
on,  I.,  29,  30;  colonics  established  on, 

I.,  30;  extermination  of  inhabitants,  I., 
126;  reported  to  Columbus  as  Yamaye, 

I.,  638;  discovery  and  naming  of,  II., 
316,  327  (Joanna  Major),  497,  522;  ex¬ 
ploration  of,  II.,  335,  336;  arrival  of 
Columbus,  at  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  623, 
646,  660 ;  Porras  rebellion,  II.,  628,  629, 
636;  lunar  eclipse,  II.,  630-632,  664 
James  II.  of  England,  father  of  Duke  of 
Berwick,  III.,  618 

Januarius,  Hanibal,  Italian  gentleman, 
letter  of,  II.,  8,  9 

Jardin  (Huerta)  de  la  Reina,  islands  near 
Cuba,  discovery  of,  II.,  318,  581;  Co¬ 
lumbus  at.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  622, 
646,  684 

Jardines,  in  Paria,  discovered  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  II.,  393,  394 


Index 


733 


Jefferson,  Thomas,  caused  copy  Altissimo 
portrait  of  Columbus  to  be  made ;  com¬ 
ment  of.  III.,  18—20;  cited.  III.,  45 
Jenson,  Nicolas,  printed  first  edition  of 
Solinus,  I.,  499;  introduction  of  conso¬ 
nants  V  and  j  wrongly  attributed  to,  II., 
44 

Jeres,  Jerez,  Rodrigo  de,  on  First  Voyage, 

1.,  462,  470;  landed  on  Cuba,  I.,  557 
Jerez,  Juan  de,  on  First  Voyage,  I.,  470; 

on  Second  Voyage:  believed  Cuba  con¬ 
tinental  land,  II.,  331 
Jeronimo.  See  Aguero 
Jerusalem,  Sultan  granted  Christians 
right  to  rebuild  sacred  temples  at,  I.,  17; 
rebuilding  of,  II.,  696;  Sovereigns 
promised  Columbus  to  conquer,  I.,  179, 
628,  III.,  499,  652 
Jesu  Christ,  de  la  Imendio,  II.,  26 
Jesus  Christ,  legends  of,  II.,  220 
Jews,  the,  expulsion  from  Portugal,  I.,  25 ; 
persecutions  in  Spain,  I.,  459-462;  ex¬ 
pulsion  from  Spain,  I.,  53,  437,  462, 
514;  on  First  Voyage,  I.,  462;  money 
for  Second  Voyage  of  Columbus  taken 
from,  II.,  213.  See  Marranos 
Jimenez,  Francisco,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

Joachim  of  Calabria,  Abbot  of  Fiore, 
Columbus  familiar  with  works  of,  I., 
288;  cited  in  Lettera,  II.,  696 
Joanna  fjuana.  La  Folle),  daughter 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  birth  of,  I.,  25  ; 
education  of,  I.,  8;  marriage  of,  I.,  25, 

111.,  223;  mother  Charles  V.,  I.,  25; 
birth  of  Ferdinand,  I.,  26;  insanity  of, 

1.,  23-26,  43;  privilege  granted  Peter 
Martyr,  I.,  42,  II.,  451;  sometimes 
considered  sane,  I.,  26 

Joanna  Mela,  Cuba  so  called  in  Libretto, 

11.,  453.  454-  486 

Johannes  (de  Colombo)  de  Quin  to,  I., 
238,  242 

John,  King  of  England,  division  of  Ire¬ 
land  into  eountries  by,  I.,  387 
John  I.,  King  of  Aragon,  birth,  succession, 
and  death  of,  II.,  537 
John  II.,  King  of  Aragon,  father  of  Ferdi¬ 
nand  the  Catholic,  marriages  of,  child¬ 
ren  of,  II.,  221 

John  II.,  King  of  Castile,  father  of  Isa¬ 
bella,  birth,  succession,  and  death,  IF, 
537:  patron  of  Bethencourt,  I.,  507 
John  IF.  King  of  Portugal,  birth,  acces¬ 
sion,  and  death  of,  I.,  60,  293,  294,  IF, 
377;  assisted  Venetian  galleys,  I.,  216, 
218,  225:  granted  governorship  of  St. 
Brandon  to  De  Arco,  I.,  279;  built 
Mine  of  St.  George,  I.,  282;  expedition 
under  Dr.  Joseph,  I.,  407;  sends  Am¬ 
bassador  to  Rome,  IF,  113;  sends 
Ambassadors  to  Spain,  IF,  119;  signs 
Treaty  of  Tordcsillas,  IF,  188;  expe¬ 
dition  under  Diaz,  III.,  475 
John  of  Gaunt,  father  of  Queen  Philippa 
of  Portugal,  F,  294 

Jomard,  Edmond  Franpois,  Bulletin  dc  la 
SocUti  de  GSographie,  on  Versailles- 
Columbus  portrait.  III  ,  47-62 
Jones,  Paul,  LTnited  States  Consul  at  San 


Domingo,  assisted  at  identification  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus,  IIP,  560-566 
Jordanus,  Friar,  said  India  Tertia  was 
Zanzibar,  IF,  52 

Jorge,  Don,  converted  Indian  Chief,!.,  144 
Jorge,  Friar,  complained  of  Columbus,  F, 
400 

Joseph,  Dr.,  scientific  expedition  of,  F, 

330.  407.  408 

Josephus,  De  Bello  Judiaco  bequeathed  by 
Mendez  to  sons,  IF,  666;  De  Antiqui- 
tatibus,  riches  of  Solomon,  IF,  695,  III., 
301,  306 

Journal,  the,  rewritten  by  Las  Casas,  F, 
321 ;  in  possession  of  Las  Casas,  F,  339; 
abridgement,  publication,  and  transla¬ 
tion  of,  F,  512,  513,  549;  different 
copies  of,  F,  668;  Las  Casas’s  and 
Ferdinand’s  accoimts  Third  Voyage 
taken  from,  IF,  371,  373,  374;  illegi¬ 
bility  of,  F,  556,  557;  prologue  to,  F, 
342,  343.  435.  437.  513-515;  literal 
translation  of,  F,  515—668;  Columbus, 
use  of  terms  “Another  World”  and 
“Cannibals,”  F,  63 

Jovius,  Benedictus,  brother  of  Paulus, 
learned  man.  III.,  10 
Jovius,  Paulus  (Paolo  Giovio),  Elogia 
Virorum  lllustrimn:  portrait  Quansou 
Ghoury  in,  F,  16;  portrait  of  Barbarus, 
F,  218;  portrait  of  Sabellicus  in,  IF, 
317:  his  marble  statue  in  Florence, 

III.,  9;  sketch  of.  III.,  9,  10;  collector 
of  portraits.  III.,  10,  ii;  museum  at 
Como,  III.,  12;  earliest  known  portrait 
of  Columbus,  III.,  11-17 
Juan,  Don,  Indian  Chief,  conversion  and 
baptism,  F,  141-144 

Juan,  Martin,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voyage, 
IF,  569 

Juan,  Master  (Cirujano),  salary  on  First 
Voyage,  F,  474,  475 

Juan,  Prince  of  the  Asturias,  son  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  birth  of,  F,  25  ; 
education  of,  F,  8;  Cuba  named  for 
him,  F,  463,  552;  marriage  of.  III.,  223; 
death,  III  ,  120 

Juana,  Joanna  (Cuba),  attempted  cir¬ 
cumnavigation  of,  F,  195,  200,  201, 
212,  IF,  21,  24,  327,  367,486;  arrival 
of  Columbus  at,  I.,  462,  550,  551,  IF, 
21;  naming  of,  F,  552,  IF,  327;  error 
regarding,  IF,  453.  See  Cuba 
Juana  de  Toledo,  wife  of  Louis  de  la 
Cuera,  daughter  of  Diego  Columbus, 
F,  244 

Juanillo,  servant  of  Las  Casas,  I.,  151 
Juba  IF,  King  of  Mauritania,  sketch  of, 
F,  496:  purple  dye  on  Madeira  Islands, 
I,  498;  situation  of  Canary  Islands, 
IF,  246 

Julius  IF  (della  Rovere),  Pope,  created 
Giovanni  de’  Medici  Apostolic  Legate, 
F,  41 ;  League  against  Venice,  F,  90,  91 ; 
war-like  spirit,  I.,  91,  93;  story  of  Papal 
keys,  I  ,  93;  begins  erection  of  St, 
Peter’s  Church  at  Rome,  I.,  98;  ex¬ 
communicated  Carvajal,  II.,  85;  Co¬ 
lumbus  corresponded  with.  III.,  352, 
353.  369.  374 


734 


Index 


Jvilius  Caesar,  Columbus  familiar  with 
works  of,  1.,  28S;  cited  bv  Ferrer,  II., 

367 

Jtiinits,  authorship  of  letters.  III.,  459 
Junius,  Hadri,an,  cited,  1.,  18 
junonia,  island  of,  one  of  Canary  Islands: 
situation  of,  dwellings  on,  I.,  498; 
sovereignty  of,  I.,  505 
Junonia  tlte  Lesser,  one  of  Canary  Islands, 
temple  on,  I.,  498,  499 
Junta,  the,  I.,  417—420 
Junta,  Francesca  Lucrezia,  married  to 
Aldus.  I.,  267 

Junta.  Lucas  Antonius  (Giunta),  Vene¬ 
tian  printer,  printed  Ramusio’s  work. 


I.,  267 

Junteros.  See  Communeros 
Jupiter,  opposition  with  Moon,  I.,  642 
Justenian,  Isabel,  wife  Diego  Colon  y 
Toledo,  III.,  63S 

Juvenal,  Second  Satire  of,  iilartyr’s  oration 
on,  I.,  10;  use  of  ferula  glauca,  I.,  498 


K 

Kalender,  Muller,  printed  by  Muller,  I., 
360.  See  also  “  Calendarium” 
Kampion,  city  of.  See  Kan-Choo 
Kan-Choo  (Kan-Soo),  location  of,  I.,  351 
Kayserling,  M.,  Dr.,  names  Jews  burned 
by  Inquisition,  I.,  461 
Kelierman,  General,  took  documents 
from  archives  of  Simancas,  II.,  534 
Kemey,  Michel,  bibliographer,  translated 
Folio  Spanish  Letter,  II.,  21 
Kerry,  identified  as  Icaria,  I.,  386,  387 
Kettel,  Samuel,  translated /cMrria/,  I.,  536 
Khalidat,  Edrisi’s  name  for  Canary 
Islands,  I.,  502 

King,  called  Cazichio  (Cacique)  in  Indian 
tongue,  II.,  495 

Knollys,  Francis,  expedition  to  San 
Domingo,  III.,  529 

Kbnigsberg,  in  Franconia,  birth-place  of 
Muller,  I.,  358 

Koul{ou-Khoton,  Mongolian  town  (Tan- 
ducl,  location  of,  I.,  297 
Kramer,  Gustav,  I.,  171 
Kustler,  Barth.,  books  assigned  to,  II.,  72 


L 


La  Amiga,  island  of,  I.,  623;  rhubarb  on, 

’  ^31  .  . 

U authenticite  des  “  Historic,”  etc.,  Har- 
risse,  I.,  215 

La  Concepcion  de  la  Vega,  fortress  of,  II., 
351,  352,  500;  Will  of  ColumVjus  pro¬ 
vides  for  chapel.  III.,  507,  508 
La  Costa  de  los  Contrastes,  location,  II., 
603 

La  Decouverte  du  Nouveau  Monde,  Rous¬ 
seau’s  musical  composition,  burned  by 
Rousseau,  I.,  344 

La  Espana  Moderna  announced  discov¬ 
ery  of  earliest  known  Italian  Edition 
Columbus  Letter,  II.,  68 
La  Gucchia,  vessel  said  to  have  escaped 
wreck  near  San  Domingo,  II.,  579 
La  Huerta.  See  Quiribri 
La  Isla  de  la  Asuncion,  discovery  of,  II., 
402 


La  Isla  de  la  Concepcion,  discovery  of, 

11.,  402 

La  Lcttre  et  la  Carte  de  Toscanelli,  Vig- 
naud,  belief  that  Portuguese  were  not 
seeking  India,  I.,  298,  299;  the  Pilot 
story,  1.,  338 

La  Plata,  old  Roman  road,  IIP,  300,  307 
La  Rabida,  convent  of,  visit  of  Columbus 
to,  I.,  430-434 

La  Rabida,  ship  of  Ovando’s  fleet,  loss  of, 

11.,  450 

La  Sal,  island  of:  location  of,  arrival  of 
Columbus  at,  II.,  377 
La  Salle,  Gadiffer  de,  conquest  of  Canary 
Islands,  I.,  509,  510 

La  Seo,  Cathedral  of,  Arbues  killed  in,  I., 
460 

La  Sound,  Captain,  attacked  Puerto 
Bello,  II.,  597 

La  Syphilis  au  XV^  Siecle,  Renault,  cited, 

1.,  87 

La  Tierra  de  Guerra  (Tecolotlan,  Utatlan), 

F,  139 

La  Tramontana,  mainland  of  South 
America  so  called  bv  Columbus,  II., 
396 

La  Vacchma,  La  Vaquehos,  Columbus’s 
caravel  on  Third  Voyage,  II.,  377,  387, 
391,  III.,  136,  142 

La  Vega,  province  of.  King  of,  I.,  124 
La  Vie  de  Christophe  Colomb,  Cadoret, 
date  birth  Columbus,  I.,  268 
Ladrada,  Rodrigo  de,  Dominican  Friar, 
one  of  conquerors  of  La  Tierra  de 
Guerra,  I.,  141,  149;  sailed  to  New 
World  with  Las  Casas,  I.,  149 
Ladrones,  islands  of  the,  discovery,  II., 
204 

Laertius,  Diogenes,  Lives  of  the  Philoso¬ 
phers,  use  of  consonants  v  and  j,  II., 


44 

Laestrygonians,  cannibals  so  designated 
by  Martyr,  I.,  67 

Laetus,  Julius  Pomponius,  sketch  of,  I.,  5; 
correspondent  of  Martyr,  I.,  24;  Mar¬ 
tyr’s  letter  about  Court,  I.,  25;  gave 
Sabellicus  his  name,  II.,  516 

Laguna,  Cape,  discovered  by  Columbus, 
F,  594 

Laguna  de  Chiriqui  entered  by  Columbus, 

IF,  587 

Laing  Ed.  Introduction  to  Heimskringla, 
F.  393 

Lajes,  Tallarte  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

Lamartine,  1436  accepted  as  date  of 
Columbus’s  birth,  I.,  273 

Lambillonis,  Antonius,  printed  Seneca’s 
Tragedies,  I.,  169 

Lamoignon,  William,  First  President 
Parliament  of  Paris,  loaned  1530  edi¬ 
tion  Epistolce,  I.,  47 

Landfall,  the,  methods  of  identification, 

I.,  587-592;  the  course  marked  back¬ 
ward  from  Cuba  to  San  Salvador,  I., 
593-597;  on  Watling  Island,  I.,  598- 
603;  direct  course  would  not  land  on 
Florida,  I.,  602,  603;  daily  sailings 
after  change  of  course,  I.,  602 

Landino,  family  of,  residence  of,  I.,  353 


Index  . 


735 


Landino,  Cristoforo,  Florentine  scholar, 
published  Commentary  on  Virgil,  I., 
349  ;  says  Toscanelli  c|uestioned  all 
strangers  passing  through  Florence,  I., 
350;  translated  Pliny’s  Natural  History, 

III.,  462 

Landucci,  Lucca,  Diario,  Toscanelli  in 
list  of  famous  men,  I.,  366 
Lanfranco,  Genoese  notary.  III.,  248 
Lanzarote,  island  of,  name,  I.,  503;  con- 
(piered  lay  Spaniards,  I.,  507;  infested 
by  ravens,  II.,  245 

Lanzi,  History  of  Painting  in  Italy,  cited, 

111.,  13 

Lapis,  Dominicus  de,  printed  at  Bologna, 
L,  500 

Lappacci,  Bartholomew  de’  recorded  in 
Diario,  I.,  366 

Laredo,  Spanish  fleet  at.  III.,  223,  224 
Lariab,  northern  continental  land  dis¬ 
covered  by  Ve.spucius,  II.,  404 
Lariaga,  Miguel  de,  on  Fourth  Voyage, 
II  ,  572;  his  death,  11. ,  581 
Larmessin,  Nicolas  de,  reproduced  Thevet- 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  55 
Larreategui,  House  of.  III.,  617,  639-641 ; 
estates  of  Columbus  restored  to,  I.,  244, 

1 1 .,  608,  III.,  640 

Larreategui  y  La  Cerda- Palafox,  Cristoval 
de,  Duke  of  Veragua,  titles  of,  I.,  244, 

11.,  60S  ;  Columbus  holograph  letters  in 
archives  of,  I.,  406,  III.,  262,  263,  268, 
269,  274,  288,  289,  292,  293,  298,  304, 
30,=;.  3H1,  317,  320,  321,  324,  328,  330, 
331.  336,  337.  344,  345.  354,  35,3.  3^°. 
372,  373.  386,  390,  391,  396,  397,  402; 
his  coat-of-arms,  II.,  536 ;  pedigree  of, 

11.,  608,  III.,  617,  639—641;  original 
Majorat  in  archives  of.  III.,  159; 
present  motto.  III.,  517 

Las  Barbas,  islands  of,  discovery  and 
identifleation  of,  II.,  616 
Las  Casas,  Bartolom6  de,  birth  and  edu¬ 
cation,  I.,  1 15,  IL,  360;  arrival  in 
Espanola,  L,  79,  1 15,  II.,  450;  in  Cuba, 
L,  115,  1 1 6,  128,  129;  as  a  slave-holder, 

1.,  1 16,  1 17;  conver.sion  and  first  voy¬ 
age  to  Spain  as  defender  of  the  Indians, 

I.,  1 17  ;  life  purpose,  L,  114;  efforts  in 
Spain:  plan  of  emigration,  I.,  118,  119; 
named  Protector  of  the  Indians,  I., 

1 19:  plan  of  negro  slavery,  I.,  120; 
description  of  Espanola,  and  Spanish 
cruelties,  I.,  122-126,  IL,  348,  349; 
different  editions  Destruyrion  de  las 
Indias,  L,  121,  finished  writing,  L, 
145;  opposition  in  Spain,  I.,  130; 

Knights  of  the  Golden  Spur,  L,  13 1, 
132  ;  massacre  on  Pearl  Coast,  I., 
132;  return  to  Espanola  and  forma¬ 
tion  new  companv,  I.,  133  ;  colony 
on  Pearl  Coast  and  second  massacre, 

I.,  134,  T35;  a  Dominican  Friar,  I., 
•36,  137;  in  monastery  at  Leon,  I., 
138;  preparations  to  conquer  La  Tierra 
de  Guerra,  139— 141 ;  visit  to  La  Tierra 
de  Guerra,  I.,  142;  La  Tierra  de  la 
Vera  Paz,  I.,  143;  in  Spain,  I.,  144; 
his  thirty  propo.sitions,  L,  146-148; 
made  Bishop  of  Chiapas,  L,  149;  con-  | 


flicts  with  colonists,  I.,  150,  151;  final 
return  to  Spain,  I.,  152;  debate  with 
Sepulveda,  L,  153—136;  final  triumph 
and  death,  !.,  158,  IL,  360;  had  origi¬ 
nal  papers  of  Columbus,  II. ,  360,  362, 
381;  did  not  entirely  follow  Historic, 
IL,  586,  587;  directions  regarding /f 75- 
toria,  I.,  157,  158;  abridged  Journal  of 
Columbus,  I.,  512,  513;  literal  trans¬ 
lation  of  same,  L,  515—668;  first  wit¬ 
ness  in  Pilot  vs.  Toscanelli,  I.,  339-342; 
had  Toscanelli  Letter  and  chart,  I.,  301, 
302.  319.  340,  377.  524.  525;  did  not 
forge  Toscanelli  letters,  I.,  345;  de¬ 
scribed  scene  between  Columbus  and 
Villejo,  1 1.,  420;  Columbus  in  irons, 

II. ,  421 ;  authorities  other  than  Colum¬ 
bus  on  Third  Voyage,  II. ,  362.  See 
also  ‘  ‘  H istoria  de  las  Indias  ’ ’ 

Las  Casas,  Francisco  de,  Spanish  explorer, 
murder  of  Olid  and  achievements,  1., 

31 

Las  Casas,  Pedro  de,  father  of  Bartolom^, 
L,  1 15;  member  Second  Voyage,  1 1., 
214 

Las  Caymans,  modern  name  Las  Tortu- 
gas,  IL,  622 

Las  Cuevas  (Nuestra  Senora  Santo  Maria 
de),  founded,  I.,  237;  protocol  of.  III., 
515;  temporary  burial-place  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  237,  lil.,  513,  514;  papers  of 
Columbus  deposited  in,  I.,  261,  II. ,  530, 
532;  Diego  Columbus  provides  for 
masses.  III.,  513 

Las  Elegias  de  Varones  Illustres  de  Indias, 
Castellanos,  epitaph  of  Columbus,  III., 
520 

Las  Guardias,  islands  of,  discovery  of, 
II  ,  403 

Las  Indias  Remotas,  allusion  to,  II. ,  73 
Las  Islas  de  Arena  (Ragged  Islands),  dis¬ 
covery  of,  I.,  550,  593 
Las  Joyas  de  Isabel  la  Catdlica,  Duro, 
cited,  L,  462 

Las  Lomas  del  Bonao,  discovery  of,  1 1., 

352 

Las  Tortugas,  islands  of,  discovery  of, 
modern  name  of.  II  ,  622 
Las  ]'idas  de  Plutarco,  printing  of.  III., 
462 

Lascaris,  Constantine,  Greek  scholar,  1,4 
Lassalle,  M.,  painted  Seville-Columbus 
portrait.  III.,  78 
Lateen  sails,  shape  of,  I..  517 
Later  Prophets,  the,  printing  of,  1 1.,  410 
Lateran  Registers,  section  of  Papal  Regis¬ 
ters,  contents  of,  1 1.,  89 
Lauania,  Phili]5pus  de,  Italian  printer, 
printed  Speciacttla,  I.,  18 
Laud,  William,  Archbishop,  gave  copy 
Cosco  Latin  Letter  to  Bodleian  Library, 

II. ,  62 

Laurentian  Library,  Acaiuolus’s  letter 
preserved  in,  L,  226,  227;  Salviati  map, 

II. ,  209;  part  of  Paesi  removed  to,  II., 
5  2  7  ;  statue  of  Paulus  T ovius  at  approach 
to.  III.,  9 

Laitreta,  Holy  Hou.se  deposited  in  wood 
belonging  to,  I  ,  655 

Law  (Roman),  prevailed  in  Italy,  I.,  257 


Index 


/  0 


6 


Laws  (or  Larkins),  Arthur,  identihed  for 
Tallartc  de  Lajes,  1.,  472 
Le  Daini,  01i\’ier  (Olivier  le  Diable),  bar¬ 
ber  and  physician  of  Louis  XL,  1.,  7 
Lc  Mai  Fniu{ais,  Hesnaut,  cited,  I.,  87 
Lc  Moycii-Agc  ^I^c^ical,  Dupuv,  cited,  I., 

S7 

Lc  .Yolizic  AstroiWDUcIic,  Giovanni  Bat¬ 
tista  Donati,  announces  discovery  of 
Toscanelli  manuscript,  1.,  370 
Le  Plongeon,  Augustus,  Professor,  eth¬ 
nologist,  statue  of  Chacmool,  I.,  494 
Leal,  Diego,  on  Cardera,  Second  Voyage, 
believed  Cuba  was  continental  land. 


11.,  331 

Leardo,  Francesco,  Genoese  banker, 
owned  house  of  Ferdinand  Columbus, 

111.,  425 

Leardo,  Pedro  Juan,  sold  Ferdinand  Co¬ 
lumbus  property.  III.,  425 
Lcbrija,  Antonius  Nebrissensis,  edits 
Peter  Martyr’s  poems,  I.,  38;  publishes 
Gramdtica  Castillana,  I.,  38;  Introduc¬ 
tion  to  Cosmography  mentions  Anti¬ 
podes,  II.,  74;  visited  by  Ferdinand 
Columbus,  III.,  430 
Lecanda,  Don  Andres  de,  III.,  539 
Leda,  sons  of,  Greek  gods,  protectors  of 
mariners,  II.,  247 

Ledesma,  Pedro  de,  interpreter  for  Vasco 
da  Gama,  I.,  184;  on  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  572;  authority.  Fourth  Voyage, 
II.,  586;  brave  action  of,  II.,  614,  615; 
wounded  at  J amaica ;  assassinated  in 
Spain,  II.,  636 

Leeu,  Gerardus,  printed  Marco  Polo’s 


book.  III.,  462 

Legend  of  Sleep  Hollow,  Irving,  similar 
legend  about  Isabella,  I.,  124 
Legfnamine,  Gio  Filippo  dal,  corrected 
books  for  printers,  II.,  69 
Leibnitz,  Gottfried  Wilhelm,  Codex  Juris 
Centium  Diplomaticus,  letter  of  Ferdi¬ 
nand  of  Sicily  to  Louis  XL,  L,  225; 
corrected  by  Thoynard,  L,  225 
Leicester,  the,  English  vessel,  III.,  529 
Leisler,  Jacob,  refused  to  surrender  fort  in 
New  York,  IL,  420;  captain:  treason 
of;  sketch  of.  III.,  71,  73 
Lemos,  Gaspar  de,  companion  of  Cabral, 
IL,  203 

Lenox,  James,  bought  Libri  copy  Cosco 
Latin  Letter,  IL,  53;  reprinted  Sylla- 
cio  Letter,  IL,  215 

Lenox  Library.  See  New  York  Public 
Library 

Leo  X.,  Pope  (Giovanni  de’  Medici),  suc¬ 
ceeded  by  Adrian,  L,  28 ;  Peter  Martyr’s 
Decades  read  by,  I . ,  40 ;  peculiar  vision 
of,  L,  41 ;  mentioned  by  Valdes,  L,  98; 
Bull  excommunicating  Luther,  L,  ioq; 
favour  to  Giustiniano;  Polyglot  Psalter 
dedicated  to,  L,  204;  made  Henry 
VIII.  of  England  Fidei  Defensor,  IL,  83 
Leo  XIIL,  Pope,  opened  Vatican  records 
for  students,  IL,  89;  dust  of  remains  of 
Columbus  sent  to,  III.,  593,  612 
Leon,  Alonso  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IL,  570 

L^on,  city  of,  founding  of,  L,  31 


Leon,  Pero  de,  witnessed  Treaty  of  Torde- 
sillas,  IL,  185 

Lepe,  Diego  de,  explorations  of,  IL,  203 

Lepe,  Francisco  de,  sailor  on  Nina,  be¬ 
lieved  Cuba  was  continental  land,  11. , 

329 

Lepers  cured  on  island  of  Buenavista 
(Boavista),  IL,  378 

Leprija.  See  Lebrija 

Les  Colombo,  Harrisse,  historical  informa¬ 
tion,  L,  219;  identification  of  Coulon, 
L,  226 

Les  Singularites  de  la  France  Antartiqiie, 
Thevet,  publication  of.  III.,  55 

Les  Vrais  Pourtraits,  etc.,  Thevet  portrait 
Columbus,  III.,  55 

Letiera,  unique  copy  in  Biblioteca  Mar- 
ciana,  Venice,  called  Lettera  Rarissima 
by  Morelli;  Columbus  begins  Spanish 
service,  I.,  275;  sojourn  of  Columbus 
at  Spanish  Court,  L,  276;  publications 
of,  L,  276,  IL,  699;  departure  Colum¬ 
bus  on  Fourth  Voyage,  IL,  578;  de¬ 
scription  of  Ciguare  and  Veragua,  IL, 
590,  591 ;  fac-simile  and  translation  of, 
II.,  669—699;  dedication  of,  IL,  683; 
manuscript  text  of.  III.,  495;  Fourth 
Vo3'-age, — from  Cadiz  to  Espanola,  IL, 
683;  stop  at  Espaiiola;  letters  sent  to 
Sovereigns;  great  tempest,  IL,  684; 
escape  from  tempest;  to  Huerta  de  la 
Regina;  sailed  toward  mainland,  IL, 
684;  description  of  tempest;  distress  of 
crew;  bravery  of  Ferdinand  Columbus, 
IL,  685;  arrival  at  Cariai;  capture  of 
Indians;  arrival  at  Carambaru;  re¬ 
ports  of  gold  mines,  IL,  685,  686;  re¬ 
ports  of  Ciguare;  relative  locations  of 
Ciguare  and  Veragua,  IL,  686,  687; 
circumference  of  the  earth,  IL,  687; 
from  Carambaru  to  Bastim.entos;  to 
Retrete,  IL,  687,  688;  attempt  to 
reach  Veragua;  continued  hurricanes; 
wound  of  Columbus,  IL,  688;  return 
to  Porto  Grosso;  second  attempt  to 
reach  Veragua ;  continued  bad  weather, 
IL,  688,  689;  arrival  at  Veragua; 
river  Belem,  II.,  689;  expedition  in¬ 
land;  discover^' of  gold,  IL,  689 ;  build¬ 
ing  of  houses;  capture  and  escape  of 
Quibia,  IL,  689,  690;  vessels  taken 
out  of  river  Belem;  conflict  with  In¬ 
dians;  Spaniards  slain,  IL,  690;  despair 
of  Columbus;  a  prophetic  voice,  IL, 
691;  abandons  settlement  and  “Gal- 
lego,”  11. ,  691;  arrival  at  Mago;  at¬ 
tempt  to  reach  Espanola;  arrival  at 
Jamaica;  foundering  of  ships,  IL,  692; 
appeal  to  Sovereigns  for  aid ;  pilots 
ignorant  of  course;  caution  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  IL,  692,  693,  699;  navigation  in 
the  Indies;  mention  of  Historia  of  Pius 
IL,  IL,  693;  enchanters  in  Cariai;  girls 
sent  on  board  ships,  IL,  693;  Indian 
tombs;  strange  animals;  customs  of 
Indians,  IL,  694;  riches  of  Indies;  use 
of  gold;  Solomon’s  gold,  IL,  694,  695; 
citation  of  Josephus;  bequest  of 
David,  IL,  6g6;  rebuilding  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  III.,  501;  Sovereigns  entreated  to 


Index 


737 


Lettera — C  ant’d 

pay  crew,  II.,  696,  697;  offers  of  fur¬ 
ther  service;  condition  of  Espanola, 
Paria,  etc.,  II.,  697;  citation  of  privi¬ 
leges  and  services;  complaints  of  un¬ 
just  treatment,  II.,  698,  699;  passage 
proving  genuineness  of  Toscanelli  Let¬ 
ter,  III.,  SOI 

Lettera  di  Cristoforo  Colombo  Riprodotta  a 
Fac-Siniile  da  Vincenzo  Promis,  dalV 
esemplare  della  Biblioteca  di  S.  M. 
Stamperia  Reale  di  Torino,  reproduc¬ 
tion  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II.,  58 
Levante,  Francisco  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II .,  57 2 

Levilapide,  Hermanus,  printed  first  edi¬ 
tion  of  Ptolemy,  I.,  381 
Leyba,  Jose  Martin,  Dutch  Consul  at  San 
Domingo,  helped  identify  remains  of 
Columbus,  III.,  560-566 
Li  Albanesoli.  See  Vitalibus 
Liber  Facetiarum  {Facezie),  Bracciolini, 
Toscanelli  figures  in,  I.,  358 
Liber  Junioris  Philosophi,  division  of 
India  in,  II.,  52 

Library  of  Congress,  Washington,  D.  C., 
contains  Florentine  Codex,  II.,  562 
Libre  appellat  dels  Angels  que  tracta  de  lur 
altesa  e  natura,  printing  of,  II.,  26 
Libre  de  las  Transformaciones,  Ovidius, 
printing  of,  II.,  26 

Libretto,'^  the,  authorship,  contents,  publi¬ 
cation,  and  preservation,  I.,  36,  189, 

II.,  248,  439,  440,  454,  456;  first 

printed  record  of  Columbus’s  person¬ 
ality,  I.,  189,  II.,  486.,  III.,  3;  first  an¬ 
nounced  that  Columbus  was  Genoese,  I . , 
230,262;  Locinf rone,  site  of  Isabella,  II., 
282,  495;  earliest  published  account  of 
Third  Voyage,  II.,  360,  362,  421,  454; 
described  by  Harrisse,  II.,  439,  440; 
fac-simile  and  translation,  II.,  457-514; 
Columbus:  departure  on  First  Voyage; 
discovery  of  Espanola  and  Cuba,  II., 
486;  wreck  of  Santa  Maria;  inter¬ 
course  with  Indians;  customs  and  ap¬ 
pearance  of  Indians,  II.,  486-488;  re¬ 
ports  of  cannibals,  II.,  487,  488;  dis¬ 
covery  of  gold;  birds  and  animals,  II., 
488;  products  of  Espanola;  La  Navi- 
dad,  II.,  488,  489;  Columbus  honoured 
by  Sovereigns;  preparations  for 
Second  Voyage  and  departure,  IF,  489; 
discovery  of  cannibal  islands ;  customs ; 
island  of  Matinina  (Matinino),  II.,  490, 
4Qi;  fight  with  cannibals;  discovery 
of  the  Archipelago;  escape  of  captives, 

II.,  492,  493;  arrival  at  Espanola; 
destruction  of  La  Navidad;  visits  to 
King  Guacanagari,  IF,  493,  494;  ex¬ 
pedition  of  Melchior  Maldonado,  II., 
494;  expedition  of  Hojeda  and  Gor- 
balan,  II.,  495;  building  of  Isabella, 
called  Locinfrone,  II.,  495,  496;  De 
Torres’s  return  to  Spain ;  exploration  of 
Espanola:  discovery  of  gold;  building 
of  San  Tomas,  II.,  496,  497;  expedition 

^  The  original  manuscriot  from  which  the  Libretto 
was  printed,  is  now  (December,  1903)  in  the  au¬ 
thor’s  library. 

VOI..  III. — 47. 


to  Cuba  :  arrival  at  Jamaica  :  at¬ 
tempted  circumnavigation  of  Cuba, 

II.,  497—499;  hooded  fish  used  by 
Indians  in  fishing,  II.,  498;  white- 
robed  men  on  Cuba,  II.,  499;  return  to 
Espanola;  desertion  of  Margarite,  II., 
499;  greed  for  gold,  II.,  500;  loss  of 
caravels  and  building  of  new,  IT,  500; 
expedition  of  Adelantado;  return  of 
Columbus  to  Spain ;  building  of  Aurea, 

II.,  501 ;  building  of  San  Domingo,  II., 
SOI ;  second  expedition  of  Adelantado, 

II.,  502;  the  sick  at  Isabella,  II.,  502; 
chain  of  forts,  II.,  503;  Columbus  de¬ 
parts  on  Third  Voyage;  discovery  of 
Trinidad,  II.,  503;  Gulf  of  Paria;  first 
continental  landing  under  Columbus; 
intercourse  with  Indians,  II.,  504,  505; 
exploration  Gulf  of  Paria,  II.,  505; 
return  to  Espanola,  II.,  506;  Roldan 
rebellion:  Bobadilla  sent  to  Espanola, 
IT,  506;  return  of  Columbus  in  chains, 

11.,  507;  expedition  of  Nino,  IF,  507— 
509;  expedition  of  the  Pinzons,  II., 
510-512;  table  of  chapters,  IF,  512- 
514;  reproduced  in  Paesi,  IF,  526 

Libri,  Guglielmo,  bought  copy  Cosco 
Latin  Letter,  IF,  53 

Libro  de  las  Projecias.  See  “  Book  of  the 
Prophecies  ” 

Libro  de  los  Naufragios,  Oviedo,  III.,  625 
Libro  del  Consolat  (Boethius),  fac-simile 
given  by  Flaebler,  IF,  10 
Libro  Secondo  delle  Indie  Occidentali ,  de¬ 
scription,  F,  265 

Libro  Ultimo  del  Summario  delle  Indie 
Occidentali,  description  of,  F,  265 
Life  of  Columbus,  Roselly  de  Lorgues, 

111.,  30,  31 

Life  of  Columbus ,  Spotomo,  notarial 
documents  of  Savona,  F,  238;  disserta¬ 
tion  of  Dr.  Ravina,  F,  246;  claim  of 
Chiavari,  F,  246 

Life  of  Quintus  Sertorius,  Plutarch,  Ser- 
torius  heard  of  Fortunate  Islands,  F, 
495 

Liguria,  territory  of,  F,  231 
Lileo,  Zachary,  work  of,  reference  to  dis¬ 
covery,  IF,  73 

Lima,  Antonio  de,  Nobiliario,  genealogy 
of  Moniz  family,  F,  403 
Lingua  Erasmi,  bequeathed  by  Mendez  to 
sons,  IF,  666 

Linnjpus  (Carl  von  Linn6),  plan  to  aid 
formation  of  pearls,  IF,  397 
Lintra,  Pietro  di,  voyages  contained  in 
Paesi,  F,  36 

Lintres,  canoes  called,  by  Virgil,  IF,  250 
Lira,  Nicolatxs  de.  See  Lyra 
Lislandeh.  See  Iceland 
Literature  of  Europe,  Hallam,  charges 
against  Martvr,  F,  86 
LittercB,  use  and  meaning  of,  IF,  97,  98, 
1 18 

Little  Inagua,  identification  of,  F,  589 
Littrd,  course  from  Madeira  to  Fortunate 
Islands,  F,  498 

Lives  of  the  Doges  (Vitce  Ducorutn  Vene- 
torum),  Sanuto,  capture  of  Venetian 
galleys,  F,  223 


Index 


/O'' 


Lh'cs  of  the  Philosophers  {Vita  et  Sciitcu- 
ticc  Philosophoriiiii),  Laertius,  conso¬ 
nants  t’  and  j  do  not  first  occur  in  first 
edition  of,  11.,  44 

Lives  of  the  Popes  {Vita  Pontificuin), 
Platina,  sketch  of  Leo  X.,  I.,  41 
Lives  of  the  Saints  (Viola  Sanctonini),  leg¬ 
end  of  Christ  and  King  Abagarus,  11 . ,  2  2 1 
Livy,  Titus,  works  in  library  of  Queen 
Isabella,  I.,  S;  Sabellicus  compared 
with,  L,  216;  Paulus  Jovius  compared 
ufith.  III.,  9 

Lizards  found  in  New  World,  I.,  56;  II., 
251,  271 

Llandra,  to^^•Tl  of,  location  of,  I.,  667 
Llorente,  J.  A.,  on  father  of  Las  Casas, 

1.,  1 15;  Hist,  de  r Inquisition,  Jewish 
persecutions,  I.,  461 

Lloyds,  the  American,  the  Chief  Han  men¬ 
tioned  in,  II.,  6 

Lluveres,  F61ix  M.,  President  Legislative 
Chamber,  San  Domingo,  helped  iden¬ 
tify  remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  565 
Loaisa,  Juan  de,  report  regarding  Biblio- 
teca  Columbina,  III.,  450,  451 
Lobero,  Antonio,  found  in  archives  Co- 
liunbus’s  Letter  to  Bank  of  St.  George, 

111.,  252 

Locher,  Jacobus,  translated  Stidtifera 
Navis,  II.,  74 

Loches,  castle  of.  The  Moor  confined  in, 

11.,  216 

Locinfrone,  Isabella  so  called  in  Libretto, 

11. ,  282,  495 

Lograsan,  Martin  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

Logrono,  Juan  Alfonso  de,  translated 
Gorricio’s  book.  III.,  260 
Lok,  Michael,  prepared  1612  English 
edition  of  Martyr’s  Decades,  L,  241 
Lollis,  Cesare  d^,  Scritti  di  Cristoforo 
Colombo,  compared  text  of  Historia  by 
Las  Casas,  11. ,  316,  361;  Auto^rafi  di 
Cristoforo  Colombo,  III.,  88,  460 
Long  Island,  Femandina  identified  as,  I., 

593  .  .  , 

Longitude,  various  first  meridians  used, 

1.,  SOI,  502 

Longo,  Francisco,  inherited  property 
Ilalipiero,  III.,  66 

Lonnes,  Imbert  de,  Columbus  portrait 
owned  by.  III.,  50 
Lope,  portrait  of.  III.,  24 
Lopez,  Francisco,  Spanish  sailor,  voyage 
to  Canary  Islands  by,  I.,  506,  507 
Lopez,  Garcia,  arrival  at  Court,  I.,  82 
Lopez,  Hemand,  on  San  Jnan,  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  continental 
land,  II.,  330 

Lopez,  Inigo  (de  Zuniga),  on  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  witnessed  oath  of  sailors  regarding 
Cuba,  II.,  332 

Lopez,  Juan,  cited.  III.,  295,  307,  323; 

identity  of.  III.,  302,  303 
Lopez  de  Lazarraga,  Juan,  sketch  and 
anecdote  of.  III.,  303 
Lopez  de  Recalde,  Juan,  Sevillian  ac¬ 
countant,  III.,  303 

Lopez  de  Vergas,  Thomas,  made  geomet¬ 
ric  plan  of  Seville,  III.,  424 


Lorenzo,  Cristobal,  on  Second  Voyage,  be¬ 
lieved  Cuba  continental  land,  ll.,  331 
Los  Palacios,  village  of,  Bernaldez  curate 
of,  1.,  269 

Los  Reyes  Catolicos,  title  conferred  on 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  I.,  413 
Los  Restos,  Remains  of  Columbus  III., 
489-613 

Los  Restos  de  Colon,  report  of  Spanish 
Academy,  III.,  555 

Los  Testigos,  islands  of,  discovery  of,  II., 
402 

Los  Tratados  del  Doctor  Alonzo  Ortis, 
allusion  to  Discov'ery  in,  II.,  73 
Los  Ydolos,  island  of  (Islas  de  Los),  visit 
of  Dr.  Joseph  to,  I.,  407 
Lotrechius,  Odettus  Fusius,  portrait  in 
Elogia,  III.,  14 

Lotto,  Lorenzo,  Venetian  artist,  painted 
portrait  Columbus,  III.,  64-67 
Louis  XL,  King  of  France,  his  physicians, 
I.,  7;  complaint  of  King  Ferdinand  of 
Sicily  to,  I  ,  225;  friend  of  Coulon,  the 
corsair,  L,  226 

Louis  XII.,  King  of  France,  Martyr’s 
efforts  against,  I.,  14;  hostility  to 
Ferdinand  and  treaty  of  Blois,  I.,  24; 
war  with  Venice,  I.,  91 ;  met  in  Italy  by 
Manfredi,  I.,  322;  conquered  Ludoivco 
Sforza,  II.,  215 

Louis  XIII.,  King  of  France,  adopted 
Ptolemy’s  first  meridian,  I.,  501 
Louis  Philippe,  King  of  the  French, 
founded  Versailles  Historical  Museum, 

HI.,  45 

Lovere,  Simon  de,  printed  Lettera,  II.,  699 
Lucas,  Alonzo,  notary  public,  helped 
make  copy  Majorat,  III.,  159 
Lucubratiuncula  de  Morbo  Gallico,  etc., 
Schmaus,  cited,  I.,  87 
Luis,  Juan.  See  Fieschi 
Lullus,  Raymundus,  Liber  divinalis  vo- 
catus  Arbor  Scientia,  printing  of,  II., 
26 

Luna,  Peter  de.  See  Benedict  XIII.,  Pope 
Luperon,  General,  favoured  return  of 
remains  of  Columbus  to  San  Domingo, 


HI.,  555 

Luschner,  Luchner,  Johannes,  possessed 
initial  woodcut  Folio  Letter,  II.,  10 
Lusitanians,  the,  period  called  Sixty 
Years  of  Captivity  by,  IT,  200 
Luther,  Martin,  the  Vald6s  letter,  I.,  95, 
loi;  condemnation  of  indulgences  by, 
I.,  99;  appearance  at  Diet  of  Augs¬ 
burg,  I.,  100;  burning  of  Canon  Law 
and  Papal  Bull,  I.,  loi-iio;  issued 
De  Captivitate  Babylonica  Ecclesia,  I., 
loi,  105—107;  writes  Spalatin,  threat¬ 
ening  to  burn  Canon  Law,  I.,  101; 
Warum  des  Papstes,  etc.,  cited,  I.,  106; 
writes  Spalatin  of  arrival  of  Bull,  I., 
106;  Damnatio  Errorum,  Papal  Bull,  I., 
108:  Damnatio  et  Excommunicatio ,  I., 
109,  no 

Luxan,  Diego  de.  Prior  of  Las  Cuevas, 
built  Santa  Ana  chapel,  I.,  237,  III., 


Luxan,  Juan  de,  member  Council  for  gov¬ 
ernment  of  Isabella,  II.,  314 


Index 


739 


Lyra,  Nicholaus  de,  Glosses  in  Universa 
Biblia,  number  of  copies  in  average  pub¬ 
lication,  I.,  204;  Columbus  knew  his 
works,  I.,  288;  called  attention  to  loca¬ 
tion  of  Paradise  in  Genesis  toward  the 
East,  II.,  410 

M 


Macaca,  Indian  settlement  on  Cuba,  II., 
622 

Macana,  Indian  weapons,  I.,  644 
Machadasnas,  Indian  club,  II.,  659 
Machado,  Francisco  Xavier,  Legislative 
Deputy,  assisted  at  identification  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus,  III.,  560-566 
Machiavelli,  Niccolo,  Historie  Florentine, 
Bank  of  St.  George,  III.,  249 
Machin,  carpenter  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 


571 

^lachin  (Macham),  Robert,  romance  of, 
I-.  396.  397 

Mackenzie,  Alexander  Slidell,  Com¬ 
mander,  furnished  Irving  information, 

I  >  588 

Macorix,  province  of,  rich  in  gold,  I.,  629 
Macrobius,  Aurelius  Theodosius,  cited  by 
Ferrer,  II.,  197-199 

Madama  Beata,  island  of,  discovery  of, 

II.,  407 

Madeira  Islands,  the,  discovery  and 
colonisation  of,  I.,  396,  397;  Pliny’s 
reference  to,  I.,  497,  498;  earliest  name 
of,  L,  498;  arrival  of  Columbus  at, — 
Third  Voyage,  II.,  374,  503;  Fonciale 
capital  of  Madeira,  II.,  374 
Madrid,  Francisco  de,  Chancellor,  wit¬ 
nessed  Capitulation,  1.,  442,  447,451; 
signed  Royal  order,  I.,  466,  467 
Madrid,  city  of,  example  Martyr’s  First 
Decade  contained  in  Library  Dept. 
Public  Works  at,  I.,  34;  original 
manuscript  of  Bemaldez  in  Bihlioteca 
Real,  I.,  270;  example  of  Syllacio 
Letter  in  Royal  Library,  II.,  215;  por¬ 
trait  Columbus  in  Royal  Palace,  III., 
30-32;  Naval  Museum  Portrait,  III., 
40;  Columbus  holographs  in  National 
Archives,  III.,  98—113,  225—241;  Co¬ 
lumbus  holographs  in  archives  Royal 
Academy  of  History,  III.,  1 41— 151, 
405,  406;  climate  of.  III.,  626 
Madrigal,  Pedro,  printed  document  for 
Baldassare  Colombo,  I.,  243 
Madrigalejos,  King  Ferdinand  died  at,  I., 


1 18 

Maffeus  Raphael  Volaterranus,  Commen- 
tarioriim  Urbanorum  octo  ei  triginta 
Libri,  account  of  Discovery  in,  II.,  82; 
fac-simile  page  from,  II.,  83 
Magalhaes.  See  Magellan 
Maganza,  Giovanni  Thodesco  da,  name 
sometimes  subscribed  by  Johannes  Petri 
de  Moguntia,  II.,  68 
Magdalena,  fort  of,  location  of,  II.,  352 
Magellan,  Fernando  de,  birth  and  early 
voyages,  II.,  203;  serves  Spain,  II., 
204;  his  expedition  circumnavigates 
globe,  II.,  204;  his  death.  II.,  206; 
early  editions  of  voyages,  II.,  206 
Magho,  Mago — for  Mango — part  of  China 


designated  as;  riches  of,  I.,  306,  312, 
315,  II.,  617,  619,  620,  676,  677,692,693 
Magliabecchian  Library,  manuscript  let¬ 
ter  of  Simon  Verde  in,  II.,  422  ;  copy  of 
th.&  Paesi,  II.,  527 

Magnetic  needle,  variation  of,  1.,  520-522, 
526,  592 

Maguana,  province  of,  I.,  125 
Maguey  tree,  bark  used  by  early  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  Mexico  for  manuscript  books, 

11.,  584 

Maima,  Indian  name  Santa  Gloria,  II.,  624 
Maisonneuve,  J.,  published  fac-simile 
Folio  Letter,  II.,  10 

Major,  R.  H.,  identification  of  Zichmni, 

1.,  384;  identification  of  Icaria.  I.,  386; 
translated  B4thencourt’s  voyage,  I., 
510;  classification  Cosco  Latin  edi¬ 
tions  Quarto  Letter,  II.,  56 

Majorat,  institution,  object,  and  history 
of,  I.,  242,  243,  261;  order  of  Sove¬ 
reigns  for,  I.,  259,  271,  III.,  643;  com¬ 
plete  text.  III.,  646—654;  confirmation 
of.  III.,  654-656;  confirmed  in  last 
Will,  I.,  261;  preservation  of.  III.,  509; 
one  eighth  claimed  by  Columbus,  I., 
453,  III.,  647;  Line  of  Demarcation 
specified  in,  II.,  no.  III.,  647,  649; 
proposed  church  in  Espanola,  III.,  507, 
654 ;  Columbus,  conquest  of  Jerusalem, 

I.,  179,  III.,  499,  652;  Columbus  states 
birthplace  as  Genoa,  I.,  260,  261,  III., 
509,648;  monogram.  III.,  649 ;  bequest 
to  Genoa, IIP,  652 

Mai  Lara,  Juan  de;  Cieza  de  Leon,  Parte 
Primera  de  la  Chronica  del  Peru,  cited, 
IIP,  447 

Malaga,  city  of,  siege  of,  P,  419 
Malagueta.  See  Manegueta 
Maldonado,  Melchior  (Marchio),  Spanish 
captain,  sent  by  Columbus  to  explore 
Espanola,  IP,  275,  494 
Malipiero,  Domenico,  Venetian  historian, 
P,  64;  Annali  Vencti,  U Archivo  Storico 
Italiano,  capture  of  Venetian  galleys,  P, 
218,  221,  222;  Trivigiano  sent  manu¬ 
script  Libretto  to,  IP,  440;  Trivigiano’s 
letters  to,  IP,  441—450;  Annali  Veneti 
dair  Anno  14^7  al  i^oo,  publication  of, 
IP,  441;  said  to  hav’e  Lotto-Columbus 
portrait,  IIP,  66 

Malmsey  (Malvmsian),  kind  of  wine,  de¬ 
scription  of,  P,  219,  220 
Mambles,  Diego  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navddad,  P,  471 

Mamelukes,  the,  hostile  toward  Martyr, 

I-.  15-17 

Mames  (ajes,  batatas,  niames),  descrip¬ 
tion  of,  P,  558,  606,  617 
Mamfln,  Khalif  of  Egypt,  Great  Pyramid 
opened  by,  P,  19 

Manatee  (sea-cows)  found  in  New  World, 
P,  553 ;  called  sirens  by  Columbus,  P,64o 
Manchuria,  different  names  for,  IP,  619 
Mandevdlle,  Sir  John,  sketch  of,  P,  17 1; 

editions  of  his  travels,  P,  171 
Mandouel,  house  of,  IIP,  248 
Manegueta,  Malagueta  (Grain  coast  in  Li¬ 
beria,  from  Monrovia  to  Cape  Palmas), 
where  Columbus  saw  sirens,  P,  640 


740 


Index 


Manegueta  (malagxieta) ,  allspice,  I.,  631 
Manella,  Marian,  copied  Columbus  por¬ 
trait  for  Munoz,  111.,  61 
Manfredi,  Manfredo,  Ambassador  from 
Ferrara,  letter  from  Dulce  of  Ferrara, 

I- .  3-1.  32^ 

Mangels,  mangrove  so  called  in  Espanola, 

II- ,  396 

Mango,  proN'ince  of.  See  iilagho 
Jlangrove  tree,  description  of,  II.,  396 
Mangus,  Bishop,  residence  in  leeland,  I., 


Manicatex,  Manicaotex,  Indian  Chief, 
dogs  used  against,  II.,  317;  tribute 
paid  by,  II.,  353 

Manilius,  Marcus,  Astronomicon,  printed 
by  Muller,  1.,  360 

Manni,  Domenico  Maria,  wrote  life  of 
Petrus  Pema,  III.,  15 
Manso,  Alonso,  Bishop  of  Puerto  Rico, 

111..  311 

Mantua,  city  of.  Council  held  at,  I.,  356 
Manuega,  island  of,  passed  by  Ponce  de 
Leon,  I.,  589 

Manuscripts, on  testimony  of,  I.,  104;  con¬ 
tain  earliest  biographies  of  Columbus, 

1.,  189:  caution  in  dealing  with,  I.,  270; 
discovered  in  Mexico;  character  of; 
destruction  of,  II.,  584;  anecdote  of 
Spanish  judge  and  Indian,  II.,  584. 
See  Columbus — holographs 

Manzanedo,  Bernardino,  member  of 
commission  sent  to  New  World,  I.,  119 
Manzoli,  Michael,  printed  edition  of  Pliny, 

1.,  497 

Maps,  in  Monastery^  Alcobapa,  I.,  295; 
chart  of  Alfonso  V.  or  Fra  Mauro,  I., 
295;  anontnmous,  corrected  Marinus 
and  Ptolemy,  I.,  353;  Arabian,  peculi¬ 
arities  of,  I.,  501 ;  Cantino,  II.,  200 ;  Cas- 
tellani’s  Mappemonde,  I.,  354;  courses 
of  the  Four  Columbian  Voyages,  opp.  I., 
512;  chart  of  Bartholomew  Columbus, 

1.,  240;  De  la  Cosa  chart,  I.,  588,  III., 
78;  Herrera,  II.,  205;  Fischer,  Prof. 
Joseph,  discovered  Waldseemuller  map, 

1.,  500;  in  Marco  Polo’s  book,  I. ,294; 
Marinus  of  Tyre,  I.,  352;  in  Martyr’s 
Decade,  I.,  38;  first  manuscript  map 
of  New  World,  III.,  88,  89;  first  en¬ 
graved  map  of  New  World,  II.,  50,  III., 
91;  Ptolemy,  Map  of  the  World,  loca¬ 
tion  of  Lybia,  I.,  210;  Ruysch,  Map  of 
the  World,  legends  on,  I.,  166  ;  Salviati, 

11., ' 201,  209;  Toscanelli’s  chart,  I., 
302,  319,  341,  348,  374;  Toscanelli’s 
Outline  Map,  I.,  370;  Zeno  chart,  I., 
opp.  388;  Ferrer’s  mappemonde,  II.,  189 

Maranhao,  cited,  II.,  200 
Marassi,  Joseph,  III.,  569,  571 
^laravedi  (copper),  arbitrary  measure  of 
value,  I.,  484;  value  based  on  blanca, 

1.,  484-487;  value  based  on  real  de 
plata,  I.,  487,  488;  value  based,  on 
excelente,  I.,  488-490;  value  adopted 
by  author,  I.,  490 

Maravedi  (gold)  minted  in  twelfth  cent¬ 
ury,  I.,  484 

Marbly,  Abb^  de,  commended  Rousseau’s 
opera-tragedy,  I.,  344 


Marcel,  Gabriel,  on  family  of  Beatriz  En¬ 
riquez,  I.,  424 

Marchand,  Prosper,  Historic  de  1' Im pri¬ 
mer  ic,  early  imprint  at  Barcelona,  II., 
10 

Marchant,  Guyot,  Guy,  printed  editions 
of  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II.,  47,  58,  60, 
62;  other  imprints,  II.,  58,  60;  Latin¬ 
ised  form  of  name,  II.,  60;  typographi¬ 
cal  mark  of,  II.,  62 

IMarchena,  Antonio  de,  friendship  for  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  415;  member  Second  Voj^- 
age,  II.,  214 

Marchio.  See  Maldonado 
Marciana  Library  in  Venice,  part  of  Svajer 
library  went  into,  II.,  440  contains 
unique  example  of  LIBRETTO  and  also 
of  Lett  ERA,  I.,  vi 

Marco  Millioni,  Marco  Polo  so  called,  I., 
168 

Marco  Polo,  reports  brought  by,  I.,  168, 
169;  printing  of  book  of  travels,  I., 
168,  II.,  620;  Dom  Pedro  of  Portugal 
carried  back  manuscript,  I.,  294;  Pres- 
ter  John  mentioned  by,  I.,  297  ;  extent 
of  travels,  I.,  352;  confounded  with 
Toscanelli,  I.,  581 ;  discovered  rhubarb, 

1.,  630;  said  red  pearls  were  more 
valuable  than  white  ones,  II.,  406; 
manuscript  copies,  II.,  620;  title  of 
book,  III.,  461 ; 

Marco  (Dt)  Polo,  Zurla,  cited,  II.,  441 
Marcus,  Roman  scholar,  I.,  4 
Mare  Atlanticum,  I.,  165,  169 
Mare  Indicum,  II.,  52 
Mare  Occidental!.  See  Mare  Tenebrosum 
Mare  Tenebrosum  (Mare  Occidentali) , 
called  Mare  Atlanticum  in  Ptolemy’s 
first  engraved  map,  I.,  165;  imaginary 
horrors  of,  I.,  165 

Margaret  of  Austria,  Princess,  sketch  of: 

epitaph  composed  by.  III.,  224 
Margaret  of  Parma,  natural  daughter  of 
Charles  V.,  Moro  painted  Columbus 
portrait  for.  III.,  70 

Margarita,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II. 

372.  403 

Margarita  Philosophica,  Reisch,  northern 
continent  called  Zoana  Mela,  II.,  454 
Margaritas,  oysters  with  more  than  one 
pearl,  II.,  397 

Margarite,  Pedro  (Peter  Margarita), 
member  Second  Voj^age,  II.,  213;  saw 
cruelties  of  cannibals,  II.,  250;  salary 
awarded  to,  II.,  304,  308;  commander 
of  Sancto  Tomas;  Indian  hostilities, 

11.,  3 1 2-3 14;  hostility  to  Columbus 
and  return  to  Spain,  II.,  346,  354,  49Q 

Maria,  Princess,  daughter  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  birth  and  marriage  of,  I.,  25; 
iMaria,  Princess,  daughter  of  Joanna, 
Governess  in  Netherlands  for  her 
brother,  I.,  144 

Maria  Christina,  Oueen  Regent  of  Spain, 

HI.,  543 

Maria  de  Toledo,  wife  of  Diego  Columbus, 
cited,  II.,  637,  III.,  441,  448,  628; 
executrix  will  of  Mendez,  II.,  665; 
marriage  of.  III.,  516,  623;  death  of, 

111.,  628 


Index 


741 


Maria  de  Toledo,  Condesa  de  Guadaleste, 
daughter  of  Diego  Columbus,  I.,  244 
Maria-Gallante,  Marivolante,  island  of, 
discovery  of,  II.,  216,  248;  visit  of 
Columbus  to,  II.,  357 
Marian  Indian  cacique,  helped  destroy 
Spaniards  at  La  Navidad,  II.,  254 
Mariana,  Juan  de.  General  History  of 
Spain,  Embassy  of  Peter  Martyr,  I., 
20;  date  coronation  Charles  V.,  I.,  107  ; 
offices  held  by  Talavera,  I . ,  4 1 8 ;  siege  of 
Malaga,  I.,  419 ;  fall  of  Granada,  I.,  435  ; 
equipment  of  Columbus,  I.,  463,  464; 
personal  appearance  of  Sov'ereigns, 

111.,  7 

Marien,  province  of,  I.,  124 
Marigalante,  the,  De  Torres  Captain  of, 

11.,  297 

Mariguana,  island  of,  not  San  Salvador, 

1.,  590;  territory  of,  I.,  591 

Marin,  Carlo  Antonio,  cites  letter  of 
Columbus  offering  services  to  Venice, 

1.,  41 1 

Marinatambal,  province  of,  discovery  of, 
IT,  511 

Marineo,  Lucio.  See  Siculo,  Lucio 
Marineo 

Marino,  Venetian  scholar,  I.,  4 
Marinoni,  Italian  poet,  I.,  241 
Marinus,  Tomas,  Spanish  noble,  witnessed 
Mexican  exhibit  at  house  of  Martyr,  IT, 

585 

Marinus  of  Tyre,  on  size  of  globe,  I.,  352, 

11.,  687  ;  corrected  by  Ptolemy,  I.,  353, 

II.,  687;  location  of  Catigara,  II.,  592, 
687 

Maritimo  et  Naval i,  de  Jure,  Molloy,  birth¬ 
place  Columbus,  I.,  247 
Marivolante.  See  Maria-Gallante 
Mark  (Castile  and  Cologne),  weights  of,  I., 
485 

Marmita,  Gellius  Bernardinus,  commen¬ 
taries  on  Seneca’s  Tragedies,  I.,  170 
Marmora,  point  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  616 
Mamef,  Geoffry  de,  publisher  Stultifera 
Navis,  II.,  73 

Maroxello,  family  of,  I.,  503 
Maroxello,  Lanzarota,  Genoese  discoverer, 
voyage  to  Canaries  by,  I  .,  503 
Marquez,  Francisco,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  57i  .  . 

Marquina,  Adan  de,  citizen  of  Guemicaiz, 
witnessed  original  Capitulation,  I.,  442 
Marranos,  converted  Jews,  persecutions 
of,  I.,  459-461 

Marrocjuin,  Francisco  de.  Bishop,  taught 
Ouich6  to  Las  Casas,  I.,  140 
Marta,  city  of  Isabella  so  called  by  Dr. 

Chanca,  IT,  218,  278,  283 
Martens,  Thierry,  printed  edition  “J” 
Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II.,  47,  64;  sketch 
of:  epitaph  of,  II.,  64 
Martial,  Spectacula,  ciuotation  from;  dif¬ 
ferent  readings,  I.,  18:  use  of  ferula 
glauca,  I.,  498 

Martian,  cited  by  Adam  of  Bremen,  L,  394 
Martin,  King  of  Sicily,  first  husband 
Blanche  of  Navarre,  IT,  221 
Martin,  Alonso,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 
IT,  570 


Martin,  Diego,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

il-..  570 

Martin,  Julian,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  571;  death  of,  II.,  612,  613 
Martinez,  Franciscus,  printed  De  In- 

diarmn  Jure,  II.,  91 

Martinez,  Garcia,  document  found  in 
book  of  accounts  of,  I.,  458 
Martinique,  island  of,  identified  as  Mati- 
nino,  I.,  643,  II.,  578 
Martins,  Antonio,  probable  relative  of 
Fernam  Martins,  I.,  363 
Martins,  Fernam,  Canon  of  Lisbon,  Tos- 
canelli's  Letter  to,  I.,  303,  513;  identity 
with  Fernandas  de  Roritz,  I.,  362-365 
Martins,  Fernao,  interpreter  and  Veedor 
with  Vasco  da  Gama,  present  at  death 
of  Columbus,  I.,  184 

Martins,  Margarida,  wife  of  Bartholomeu 
Perestrello,  I.,  399 

Martinus  V.  (Ottone  Colonna),  Pope, 
Bulls  referred  to  by  Portuguese  writers, 

1.,  297;  proposed  to  make  church  of 
Pantheon  at  Rome,  I.,  360 

Martyr,  Peter,  Dominican  Inquisitor, 
assassination  of,  I.,  3 
Martyr,  Peter  (d’Angleria),  first  historian 
of  America,  birth  and  birthplace,  I.,  3, 
4;  education  and  friendship  with 
Laetus,  I.,  4,  5;  teacher  of  literature 
and  liberal  arts,  I.,  6,  8,  22;  meeting 
with  Count  Tendilla  and  removal  to 
Spain,  I.,  7;  University  of  Salamanca, 

1.,  9,  10;  spiritual  character,  I.,  9; 
military  life,  I.,  12;  Egyptian  Em¬ 
bassy,  I.,  12-21;  visit  to  Venice  and 
mission,  I.,  13;  audiences  with  Quan- 
sou  Ghoury  and  concessions  obtained, 

1.,  16,  17,  20;  visit  to  Pyramids,  I.,  18, 
19;  visit  to  Sphinx,  I.,  19;  visit  to 
Matariyyeh  and  Heliopolis,  I.,  19;  le¬ 
gends  of  Holy  Family,  I.,  19,  20; 
citation  from  Mariana,  I.,  20;  return  to 
Spain,  I.,  21;  with  Isabella’s  funeral 
cortege,  I.,  22,  23;  Court  life,  I.,  22—25  ; 
letter  to  Lastus  about  Spanish  Court,  I., 
2  5 ;  observer  mental  condition  of 
Princess  Joanna,  I.,  25,  26;  criticism 
on  Cardinal  Ximenes,  I.,  27;  services 
during  Spanish  Ci\  il  War,  I.,  28;  hon¬ 
ours  and  appointments,  I.,  29,  31;  his 
church  in  Jamaica,  I.,  29,  30;  his  home, 

1.. 31.32,  his  will,  I,  32,  33  ;  death  and 
epitaph,  I.,  33;  personally  acquainted 
with  Columbus,  I.,  39;  carelessness  as 
historian,  I.,  40;  rapidity  as  writer,  I., 
45;  Hallam’s  charges,  I.,  60,  86,  90,  95; 
vindication  of,  I.,  no;  commenced 
history  of  the  New  World,  L,  64;  Co¬ 
lumbus’s  belief  that  he  was  in  India,  I., 
74;  cited  Columbus’s  letter  to  him,  I., 
76;  corresponded  with  Luis  Mendofa, 

1.,  83;  Columbus’s  belief  in  a  new 
hemisphere,  I.,  174;  not  responsible  for 
Summario,  I.,  267;  did  not  mention 
Pilot  story,  I.,  328;  authority  regard¬ 
ing  Santa  Maria,  I.,  469;  people  on 
Second  Voyage,  II.,  213;  intimate 
with  Sebastian  Cabot,  II.,  219;  com¬ 
posed  matter  in  Libretto,  II.,  439-450; 


742 


Index 


Martyr,  Peter  (d’Angleria) — Cant’d 

charged  Cadamustus  with  plagiarism, 

II.,  451,  452;  called  Cuba  Joanna,  II., 
453:  describes  manuscript  books  in 
ilexico,  11.,  5S4:  declared  native  Mexi¬ 
cans  played  chess,  11.,  585;  Jovius 
failed  to  obtain  portrait  of.  III.,  14; 
anecdote  of  Gonzalus,  III.,  54:  letters 
written  in  1506,111.,  504,  505 ;  firstmen- 
tion  of  Columbus’s  death.  III.,  505. 
rice  also  “Decades”  and  “ Epistolce” 
Martyr,  Peter  (Vermigli),  pupil  of  Juan  de 
Valdes,  I  ,  96 

Maschar,  Persian  astronomer,  meridian 
established  by,  I.,  501 
Masks  (caratona),  found  on  Cuba,  I.,  553; 

found  on  Espanola,  I.,  619,  627,  630 
Mason,  Frank  H.,  U.  S.  Consul,  bought 
Lotto-Columbus  portrait.  III.,  67 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society  has 
Jefferson’s  copy  of  Altissimo  portrait  of 
Columbus,  III.,  20 

Massilia,  colony  of,  where  established,  I., 

23  ? 

Mastic,  discovered  bj'  Columbus,  I.,  559, 
563.  564.  566,  60s,  607.  636,  638,  II., 
25,  81,  488 

Matanzas  (Massacre),  town  of,  naming 
of,  I.,  115 

Matariyyeh,  legends  of  Holy  Family,  I., 

19 

Mateos,  Fsteban,  eabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  572 

Mateos,  Pedro,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II.,  571;  book  written  by,  II.,  619 
Mathan,  Mactan,  island  of,  death  of 
Magellan  on,  II.,  206 
Matienzo,  Tomas  de,  confessor  to  King 
Ferdinand,  I.,  118 

Matim,  Ferdinandus,  character  in  Tetra- 
logne,  I.,  365 

Matinino  (Matinina,  Matremonio,  Mate- 
niena,  Mugeres,  Martinique),  island  of, 
inhabited  by  women,  I.,  295,  638,  643, 
646,  647,  656,  II.,  25,  76,  81,  491,  521; 
inhabitants  banished  to  Fspafiola,  I., 
586;  probably  Martinique,  I.,  643;  Col¬ 
umbus  at:  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  578,  643 
Mauritania,  islands  of,  Madeiras  so  called 
by  Pliny,  I.,  497,  498 
Mauritania,  province  of,  Roman  conquest 
of,  I.,  496 

Mauro,  Fra,  Venetian  priest,  made  map 
for  Alfonso  V.,  I.,  295 
Maurus,  Cristoforo  (Christopher),  Doge  of 
Venice,  support  of  new  Crusade  by,  I., 
178,  361 

Maurus,  Hartman,  authority  for  date 
eoronation  Charles  V,,  I.,  108 
Maxani,  Indian  name  for  nothing,  II.,  489 
Maximilian  I.,  Emperor  of  Germany,  de¬ 
clared  King  of  the  Romans,  I.,  216,  218; 
marriage  of  his  children,  I.,  23,  25,  III., 
223:  patronage  of  Adrian  VI.,  I.,  28 
died  Jan.  12,  1519,  III.,  432 
Maya  (Magho,  Mango),  land  of,  II.,  618 
Maya,  Pedro  de,  sailor.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II.,  569;  death  of,  II  ,  61 2,  613 
Mayence,  citv  of,  Gutenberg  first  printed 
books  at,  II,,  524 


Mayonic,  understood  as  name  of  island  by 
Columbus,  I.,  629 

Mayorga,  Sebastian  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

MajTCni,  Indian  cacique,  helped  destroy 
Spaniards  at  La  Navidad,  II.,  274 
Mayrones,  Franeisco  de,  cited  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  11. ,  404 

Mai^si,  Cape,  identification  of,  II.,  316 
Mazata,  Spanish  measure  of  weight, 
value  of,  II.,  689 

Mazoriges,  Jndian  tribe  on  Espanola,  I., 

643 

McLean,  Walter,  Lieut.  U.  S.  N.,  ex¬ 
amined  ruins  of  Isabella,  II.,  287 
Mecca,  terrestrial  centre  on  Arabian  maps, 

I.,  501 

Medea,  Seneca,  Act.  II.,  last  nine  lines  of 
chorus,  cited,  I.,  169;  impression  on 
Columbus,  I.,  170;  generally  incor¬ 
rectly  quoted,  I.,  170;  comments  on,  I., 
170 

Medel,  Alonso,  Master  of  the  Nina,  Second 
Voyage, believed  Cuba  continental  land, 

II  >.329 

Medici,  Cosimo  de’  (the  Elder),  patron  of 
To.scanelli,  I.,  357;  recorded  in  Diario, 
I  ,  366 

Medici,  Francesco  de’, character  in  Vasari’s 
Dialogue,  I.,  368 

Medici,  Giovanni  de’.  See  Leo  X. 

Medici,  Giuliano  de’,  removed  by  con¬ 
spiracy,  I.,  357;  Jovian  portrait.  III., 
16 

Medici,  Lorenzo  de’,  daughter  married  son 
of  Innocent  VIIL,  I.,  41;  patron  of 
Toscanelli,  I.,  357  ;  formation  of  copper 
mining  company,  I.,  367 
Medici,  Maddalena  de’,  daughter  of  Lor¬ 
enzo,  I.,  41 

Medici,  Piero  de’,  I.,  357 
Medina,  Francisco,  on  Second  Voyage,  be¬ 
lieved  Cuba  continental  land,  II.,  331 ; 
on  Foirrth  Voyage,  II.,  372;  deserted 
at  Espanola,  II,,  627 
Medina,  Juan  de,  member  First  Voj^age, 
wages  of,  I.,  478 

Medina,  Pedro  de,  Grandezas  de  Espaiia, 
report  of  Antilia,  I.,  518 
Medina,  Ruiz  de,  Spanish  Ambassador, 
with  Carvajal  communicated  news  of 
discovery  to  Pope,  II.,  85 
Medina  del  Campo,  formerly  called  Me- 
thinna,  I.,  78 

Medinaceli.  See  Cerda,  Luis  de  la 
Meditationes  Vitce  Christi,  Bonaventura, 
printing  of,  II.,  26 

Mejorada,  convent  of,  Columbus  de¬ 
posited  papers  in,  II.,  217;  copy  of  Dr. 
Chanca’s  letter  in,  II.,  217,  281 
Mela,  Pomponius,  mention  of  Fortunate 
Islands,  I.,  496;  period  of  his  writing, 

I.,  496;  allusion  by  Nunez  to  discov- 
er}q  in  the  1498  edition  of  his  Cos¬ 
mography,  II.,  74;  believed  Nilus  rose 
in  the  Antichthones,  II.,  413 
Melanchthon,  Philip,  I.,  103:  gave  notice 
of  burning  of  Papal  Bull,  I.,  104 
Melik  El-Kamil,  attempted  destruction  of 
Third  Pyramid,  L,  19 


Index 


743 


Melilla,  province  in  Jamaica,  II.,  66 1 

Memorial  del  Pleyio,  etc.,  description  of, 

1.,  244,  III.,  628:  execution  of  1505 
Will  of  Columbus,  III.,  509;  succession 
of  Die^o  Colon  y  Pravia,  III.,  632 

Meniori<r  6  Registro  breve  dc  los  lugares 
donde  el  Rey  y  Reyna  Catdlicos  estuvi- 
eron  cada  ano  desde  el  dc MDCLX  VI II., 
cited,  I.,  1 1 

Memorials  of  Columbus,  Spotomo,  Book 
of  Privileges  contained  in,  II.,  533; 
De  Bry  portrait,  III.,  43,  44 

Memorias  de  la  Real  Academia  de  la  His- 
toria,  Carderera,  on  Parmigiano-Colum- 
bus  portrait,  IIP,  57,  58 

Memorias  para  la  Historia  de  Quisqueya, 
Garcia,  III.,  555 

Memorie  Dell’  Accademia  Delle  Scienze, 
etc.,  Serra,  III.,  33 

Alemoires  Pour  Servir  d  I’Histoire  dcs 
Hommes  Illustres,  etc.,  Nic6ron,  cited, 

1.,  4,  in.,  15 

Memphis,  citation  from  Spectacula,  L, 
18 

Mena,  Gonzalo  de.  Archbishop,  founded 
Monastery  of  Las  Cuevas,  I.,  237,  III., 
512 

Mendes,  Francisco,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  479 

Mendez,  Diego  (de  Segura),  Narrative 
cited,  I.,  289;  squire.  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  570;  knew  Master  Bernal,  II.,  571 ; 
canoe  voyage  from  Jamaica  to  San 
Domingo,  II.,  624—627;  treatment  by 
Ovando;  sent  supplies  to  Columbus; 
return  to  Spain,  II.,  627,  III.,  277;  text 
of  narrative,  II.,  647-667;  conflicts 
with  Indians  at  river  Belem,  II  ,  657- 
659;  made  Captain  Capitana,  II.,  660; 
voyage  to  Jamaica;  obtained  food 
from  Indians,  II.,  660,  661;  conversa¬ 
tion  with  Columbus  at  Jamaica,  II., 

661,  662;  attempted  voyage  to  Es- 
panola;  journey  to  San  Domingo,  II., 

662,  663;  sent  supply  ship  to  Colum¬ 
bus,  II.,  663,  664;  rewards  promised  by 
Columbus,  II.,  664;  unjust  treatment 
by  Don  Diego,  II.,  665;  executors  of 
will;  monument  and  epitaph  of,  II., 
665;  bequest  of  books,  II.,  666;  en¬ 
titled  to  bear  a  canoe  on  coat-of-arms, 

11.,  667,  III.,  301 

Mendigurrenus,  Johannes,  friend  of  Mar¬ 
tyr,  I.,  30. 

Mendoza,  Inigo  (Inarcho)  Lopez  de. 
Count  of  Tendilla,  patron  of  Peter 
Martyr,  I.,  7,  8,  56;  correspondent  of 
Martyr,  I.,  24;  Martyr  calls  him  Litter- 
arum  Cultor,  printed  in  Decades,  I.,  35; 
proposed  marriage  of  his  daughter  to 
Louis  Columbus,  I,  38;  declared  by 
Martyr  to  have  promoted  Columbus’s 
project,  I.,  55,  56 

Mendoza,  Inigo  Lopez  de.  Marquis  of 
Santillana,  patron  of  literature,  1.,  7 

Mendoca,  Luis  Hurtado  de,  son  of  Inigo 
de  Mendopa,  I.,  83;  Martyr’s  letter  to, 

1.,  84 

Merdopa,  Salazar  de,  Origen  de  las  Digni- 
dades,  office  of  Adelantado,  III.,  494 


Mendoza,  Alonso  Velez  de,  murdered  at 
La  Navidad,  I.,  471 

Mendoza,  Diego  de,  murdered  at  La  Navi¬ 
dad,  I.,  471 

Mendoza,  Diego  de,  cabin  boy,  Foiirth 
Voyage,  II.,  571 

Mendoza,  Diego  Hurtado  de.  Cardinal,  1., 
272;  catafalque  constructed  for.  III., 

314 

Mendoza,  Juan  de,  murdered  at  La  Navi¬ 
dad,  I.,  472 

Mendoza,  Pero  Gonzalez,  Cardinal  of  Spain 
and  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  sketch  of; 
Columbus  honoured  by,  I.,  670;  II., 
189,  190 

Menelaus,  reported  circumnavigation  of 
Africa,  I.,  295 

Mengs,  Raphael,  Columbus  portrait  by, 
IIP,  62 

Mercator,  Gerardus,  longjtude  of  Quin- 
say  and  Mangi,  L,  352;  use  of  America 
on  map  of.  III.,  606 

Mercator,  Guido,  Latinised  form  of  Guyot 
Marchant,  II.,  60 

Mercuri,  Paolo,  Roman  artist,  reproduced 
De  Bry  engraving.  III.,  47 
Merello,  Angel,  III.,  569,  571 
Meronis,  Franciscus  de,  cited  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  III.,  486 

Message t£B,  nation  described  in  Historia 
Rerum  Ubique  Gestarum,  IIP,  460 
Metals  (alloyed)  guanin,  used  by  aborigi¬ 
nes  for  weapons,  II.,  380,  381,  582,  644 
Metaphysica,  Bonetus,  printing  of,  II.,  26 
Methinna,  ancient  name  of  Medina  del 
Campo,  I.,  78 

Methods  and  Results,  Fox,  landfall  of 
Columbus,  I.,  590 
Metre,  measurement  of,  I.,  372 
Metropolitan  Museum,  New  York  Citv, 
Talleyrand-Colunibus  portrait  in.  III., 

50 

Aleum  and  tuum,  principle  among  In¬ 
dians,  I.,  58 

Meursius,  Johannes,  Glossarium  Grccco- 
Barbarum,  reference  to  morbus  gallicus, 

I.,  90 

Mexia,  Pedro,  Silva  de  Varia  Leccion, 
cited,  IIP,  447 

Mexico,  discovery  of  native  written  re¬ 
cords  at;  destruction  of,  IP,  584; 
native  inhabitants  declared  to  have 
been  chess-players,  IP,  585 
Mezeray,  Franpois  Eudesdc,  saying  about 
Charles  VIP,  I.,  226 

Michael,  Petrus,  works  printed  by,  IP, 
26 

Michele,  Prince  of  Portugal,  recognition 
of,  IIP,  312 

Michelozzi,  Michelozzo,  designed  tomb  of 
Martyr,  the  Inquisitor,  1.,  3 
Miguel,  Don,  converted  Indian  Chief,  I., 
144 

Miguel,  Vicente  Joseph,  Tablas  Chrono- 
logicas,  prayer  of  Columbus  on  taking 
possession  of  New  World,  I.,  532 
Mikkedem,  Hebrew  word,  double  mean¬ 
ing  of,  IP,  41 1 

Milan,  Bartolomd  de,  soldier.  Fourth 
Voyage,  IP,  571 


744 


Index 


Milan,  City  of,  revival  of  learning  at,  I., 
4;  pretended  birthplace  of  Columbus, 

1.,  ’34,  j:46;  Brcra  Library  once  con¬ 
tained  copy  Edition  "D"  Cosco  Latin 
Letter,  II.,  53;  unique  copy  Edition 
“O,”  Columbus  Letter  in  Bibliotheca 
Trivulziana,  II.,  71 

Minio,  Barthelemi,  Venetian  sea-captain, 
commanded  Venetian  galleys  at  light  of 
Cape  Saint  Vincent,  I.,  219,  224 
ilinos,  labyrinth  of,  visited  by  Martyr,  I., 

14 

iliranda,  Juan  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  570 

^liranda,  Juan  Diez  (de  la  Cuadra),  wit¬ 
nessed  Mendez’s  will,  II.,  657 
Mirandola,  town  of,  siege  and  surrender 
of,  I.,  91,  93 

Missalc  Tarracotiense,  printing  of,  II.,  10 
Jlithridates,  King,  taken  captive  to  Rome, 

1.,  213,  214 

Moa,  momitains  of,  probably  seen  by  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  565,  571 

Moccialis,  A.,  Bull  II.  attested  in  behalf 
of,  II.,  97 

Moconesi,  Cressio  de,  I.,  250 
Moconesi,  Giovanni  Colombo  de,  I.,  251 
Moconesi,  Paolo  de  (de  Monteghirpi) ,  I., 

250.  251 

Moconesi,  Simon  de,  L,  250 
Modena,  pretended  birthplace  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  234,  247 

Moguer,Juan  Nino  de,  master  Niiia,  First 
Voyage,  I.,  471,  478 

Moguer,  Tuan  de,  cabin  bov.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  371 

Moguntia,  Johannes  Petri  de,  Florentine 
printer;  Christian  name  of;  works 
printed  by,  II.,  68 

Mole  St.  Nicholas,  harbour  of,  entered  by 
Columbus;  description  of,  I.,  582 
Molina,  Argote  de,  Aparato  h  la  Historia 
de  Seville,  portrait  Ferdinand  Colum¬ 
bus,  III.,  443;  library  of  Ferdinand 
Columbus,  III.,  449 
Molina,  Juan  de,  deposition  of,  II.,  344 
Molinero,  Rodrigo,  sailor  on  Nina, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was 
continental  land,  II.,  329 
Molloy,  Charles,  De  Jure  Maritimo  et 
Navali,  English  nativity  of  Columbus, 
L,  247 

Molucca,  Molaga,  name  of  Spice  Islands; 
derivation  of,  I.,  631 

Moluccas,  the,  cession  of.  III.,  422, 

423 

Mona  (la),  island  of,  discovery,  situation, 
and  name  of,  II.,  338 
Monachio,  Monachium.  See  Munich 
Monaldo,  Alonzo,  Spanish  Governor, 
agreement  with  Las  Casas,  I.,  140 
Monarchia  Lusytana,  Brandao,  colonisa¬ 
tion  of  Madeira  Islands,  I.,  397;  com¬ 
pilation  of,  I.,  403 
Moncata,  Ugo,  in  Elogia,  IIP,  14 
Moneglia,  Tommaso,  notary  of  Savona,  I., 
2.S4 

Monetarius,  Hieronymus  (Munzer,  Munz- 
meister).  Doctor  of  Nuremberg,  letter 
to  King  John  of  Portugal,  I.,  296 


Money.  See  Coins 

Monferato,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  491 
Mongols,  military  strength  of,  I.,  172 
Moniz  (Muniz,  Nuniz),  Brigulaga,  Brio- 
lanje,  Violante,  wife  of  Miguel  Muliar, 
sister-in-law  of  Columbus,  I.,  400,  401, 
404;  legacy  of  Diego  Columbus  to,  I., 
400;  gift  of  the  Admiral  to,  I.,  400;  re¬ 
ceived  property  confiscated  by  In¬ 
quisition,  I.,  401 

Moniz,  Diogo  Gil,  son  of  Gil  Ayres,  I.,  403, 
404 

Moniz,  Garcia,  brother-in-law  of  Gil 
Ayres,  I.,  403 

Moniz,  Gil  Ayres,  Secretary  to  Pereira, 
Pereira  donated  chapel  to,  I.,  402; 
descendants  of,  I.,  403,  404 
Moniz,  Guiomar  Gil,  I.,  404 
Moniz,  Isabel,  wife  of  Bartholomeu  Peres- 
trello,  daughter  of  Gil  Ayres,  I.,  241, 
39,9.  403.  404 

Moniz,  Leonora  (de  1’ Algarve),  wife  of  Gil 
Ayres,  I.,  403,  404 

Moniz,  Leonora  de  Sousa,  wife  of  Diogo 
Gil,  I.,  403,  404 

Moniz,  Pedro  (Perestrello),  father-in-law 
of  Columbus,  reputed  discoverer  of 
Madeira  Islands,  I.,  395,  396,  404; 
probable  connection  with  Perestrello 
family,  I.,  403,  404 

Moniz  (Munoz,  Mogniz),  Philippa  (Fi- 
lippa),  possible  family  of,  I.,  396,  402, 
403 ;  genealogical  table,  I.,  404 ;  wife  of 
Columbus,  marriage  of,  L,  241,  395, 
404;  sister  of  Briolanje,  I.,  399-401; 
relatives  lived  at  Arzilla,  II.,  578; 
children  of,  I.,  406;  sepulchre  of,  I., 
402 

Moniz,  Ruy  Gil,  son  of  Gil  Ayres,  I.,  403, 
404 

Moniz,  Vasco  Gil,  son  of  Gil  Ayres,  I., 
403,  404 

Moniz,  Vasco  Martins,  brother-in-law  of 
Gil  Ayres,  I.,  403 

Monos,  island  in  Boca  del  Drago,  II.,  401 
Monoxylffi,  canoes  so  called,  II.,  250 
Montalban,  Diego  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  471 

Montalboddo,  Francanzo  da,  compiled 
Paesi,  II.,  528 

Montana,  Pero  Ruys,  Apostolic  Notary, 
Seville  copy  of  Bull  II.  made  by  au¬ 
thority  of,  II.,  94 

Montante,  upward  current,  II.,  385 
Montanus,  Amoldus,  De  Nienwe  en  Onbe- 
kende  Weereld,  Columbus  portrait.  III., 
55 

Monte,  Diego  del,  sailor  on  San  Juan, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  con¬ 
tinental  land,  II.,  330 
Monte  Caribata,  discovery  of,  I.,  615 
Monte  Carracas  cited  by  Columbus,  II., 
388 

Monte-Cristi,  bay  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  636; 
visit  to.  Second  Voyage,  II.,  272,  291, 
3^5 

Monte-Cristi,  mountain  of,  discovery  of, 

I.,  634,  636,  III.,  91;  visit  to.  Second 
Voyage,  IF,  253 

Monte  de  Plata,  discovery  of,  I.,  641 


Index 


745 


Montecatini,  copper  mines  at,  I.,  367 
Montecorvino,  Giovanni  da,  travelled  to 
India,  I.,  350;  route  followed  by,  I., 

351  .  ,  . 

Montemayor,  Pedro,  document  in  his 
Book  of  Accounts,  I.,  458 
Montemayor  de  Cuenca,  Francisco,  Signor 
Prieto,  manuscript  cited  by.  III.,  526 
Montero,  Peter  Ruys,  Alcalde  of  Seville, 
witnessed  compilation  of  Book  of  Privi¬ 
leges,  II.,  530 

Montesel,  Pedro  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  572 

Montesino,  Antonio,  Dominican  Friar, 
accompanied  Las  Casas  to  Spain,  I., 
1 17;  succeeded  Pedro  de  Cordova,  I., 

134 

Montesquieu,  Count  de,  said  to  have 
given  portrait  of  Columbus  to  Versailles 
Museum,  III.,  45 

Montfort,  Pedro,  conspired  for  murder  of 
Arbues,  I.,  461 

Montilla,  Pero  Sanches  de,  sailor.  First 
Voyage,  wages  of,  I.,  478 
Montolio,  Joaquin,  Minister  of  Justice 
Santo  Domingo,  assisted  at  identifica¬ 
tion  remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  560— 
566 ;  gave  dust  of  remains  to  Cambiaso, 

111.,  567,  568,  61 1 

Montolio,  Mariano,  notary  public,  San 
Domingo,  III.,  566,  368 
Monuments,  erected  by  aborigines  of 
South  America;  seen  by  Columbus,  II  , 

583.  584 

Mora,  Juan  de,  Don  Huelva  Illustrada, 
village  of  Saltes,  I.,  515 
Morales,  Alonzo  de.  Treasurer,  loved  sis¬ 
ter  of  Porras,  II.,  628;  letters  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  to.  III.,  179-183 
Morales,  Francisco  de,  citizen  of  Seville, 
witnessed  oath  of  sailors  regarding 
Cuba,  II.,  332 

Morales,  Garcia  de,  servant  of  Columbus, 
n.,  570 

Morales,  Juan  de,  heard  story  of  Machin 
in  Morocco,  I.,  396;  captivity  in 

Africa,  I.,  397 

Morales,  Mateo  de,  sailor  on  Hina,  be¬ 
lieved  Cuba  continental  land,  II.,  329 
Morbus  gallicus,  mentioned  by  Martyr, 

1.,  86;  origin  of  name,  1.,  86;  first  ap¬ 
pearance  of,  and  origin,  I.,  87-90 

Morcillo,  Juan,  murdered  at  La  Navidad, 

I.,  472 

More,  Sir  Thomas,  friend  of  Giustiniano, 

I.,  204 

Moreau  de  St.  M6ry,  Description  de  la 
Partie  Espagnole  de  Saint-Domingue, 
sepulchre  of  Bartholomew  Columbus, 

I.,  136;  tried  to  locate  tomb  of  Colum¬ 
bus;  description  of  cathedral.  III., 
5  3  4-7  .S3  7 

Morclli,  Jacopo,  Abb6,  reprinted  the 
Leitcra  in  18  lo  and  gave  it  the  title  of 
Lcttcra  Rarissima,  cited,  I.,  36 
IMorelli,  Giovanni,  cited.  III.,  67 
Moreno,  Lodovico,  notary  of  Savona,  I., 
238 

Moreri,  Louis,  cites  Paulus  Jovius,  III., 
9 


Morgan,  Henry,  buccaneer  chief,  capture 
of  Puerto  Bello  by,  II.,  595  *' 

Mor^ianis,  Laurentius  Matthaei  de, 
printed  with  Moguntia,  II.,  68 
Moriconi  family,  owned  Columbus  por¬ 
trait,  III.,  34 

Morillo,  Alonso  de,  Sevillian  merchant, 
witness  in  Fiscal,  III.,  277 
Morillo,  Francisco  de,  identity  of;  Co¬ 
lumbus  letters  to.  III.,  277-283 
Moro,  Sir  Anthony,  portrait  Columbus 
painted  by.  III.,  68 

Moron  of  Moguer,  sailor  on  Niiia,  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  continental 
land,  II.,  329 

Moron,  Francisco  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  570 

Moros,  Garcia  de,  conspired  for  murder  of 
Arbues,  I.,  461 

Morreno,  Juan,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II-.  572 

Morris,  Gouverneur,  caused  copy  of  Al- 
tissimo  portrait  of  Columbus  to  be 
made.  III.,  21 

Moscos.  See  Mosquito  nation 
Mosen,  ancient  Aragonese  term.  III.,  312 
Mosc|ucra,  Maria  de,  wife  Luis  Columbus, 

III.,  628 

Mosquito  Bay,  probable  discovery  of,  I., 

584  . 

Mosquito  Coast,  Columbus  at,  II.,  644 
Mosquito  nation,  Indian-Negro  tribe, 
possessed  title  to  territory  crossed  by 
canal,  II.,  84 

Mosto,  Ca  da,  II.,  451,  452 

Mota,  Pedro,  Alderman  San  Domingo, 

HI.,  565 

Motu  proprto,  etc.,  use  of  expression,  II., 

84,  85 

Mt.  Zion,  rebuilding  of,  II.,  696 
Muiscas,  the,  ancient  inhabitants  of 
Chiriqui,  monuments  of,  II.,  583 
Mules,  use  in  Spain  for  travel,  I.,  272, 

III.,  496 

Muley  Boabdil,  deportation  of,  I.,  410, 
473  . 

IMuliar  (Muliarte,  Mulierte),  Miguel, 
brother-in-law  of  Columbus,  I.,  399, 
400,  404;  complained  of  ill-treatment 
by  Columbus,  I.,  400;  received  pro- 
]5erty  confi.scated  by  Inquisition,  I., 
400,  401 

Mulicribus  Claris,  de,  Bergomas,  Brixia 
edition  contains  Supplcmentum  Chroni- 
carmn,  n.,  77 

Mtiller,  Johannes  (Regiomontanus),  Co¬ 
lumbus  carried  his  Almanac  on  Fourth 
Voyage,  I.,  288,  359;  friend  of  Toscan- 
elli,  1.,  358,  360;  birth,  family,  and 
education  of,  I.,  35S;  works  of,  I.,  358- 
360;  honoured  by  Pope,  death  and 
burial,  I.,  360;  established  printing- 
press  at  Nuremberg,  I.,  360;  Calen- 
darium,  description  of;  probably  used 
by  Columbus,  II.,  630;  Jovius  failed  to 
obtain  portrait  of.  III.,  14 
Mtiller,  Theobald,  edited  Muscei  Joviani 
Imagines;  eulogy  of  Columbus,  III.,  16, 

17 

Mullet  flisa),  found  in  Espanola,  I.,  585 


746 


Index 


Mulligan,  John,  Rev.,  translated  Syllacio- 
Coino  letter,  II,,  215,  244;  ealled  can¬ 
nibals  Caribs,  11.,  24S 
Mundus  XoN  us,  term  lirst  used  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  II.,  362,  400 

^lunich  Royal  Library,  contains  copy 
Edition  “D”  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II., 
53;  contains  copy  Edition  “Q”  Co¬ 
lumbus  Letter,  II.,  72;  TetraLogus  in 
Biblioteca  Reale  I.,  364 
Munoz,  Francisco  Javier,  Don,  III.,  542 
Munoz,  Juan  Baptista,  Historia  del 
Xitcvo  Slundo,  cited,  I.,  31;  birth  of 
Columbus,  L,  264;  list  of  people  left  on 
Espanola,  I.,  471;  identification  of 
Guanahani,  I.,  588;  comparison  of  dif¬ 
ferent  copies  of  Journal  by,  I.,  668; 
Spanish  historian,  portrait  Coltunbus 
used  by.  III.,  59 

!Munoz,  Pedro,  Jewish  conspirator,  pvm- 
ishment  of,  I.,  461 

Munzer  or  Mtmzmeister.  See  Monetarius 
Mura  tori,  Lud.  Ant.,  Rerum  Italicarum 
Scriptores,  contains  works  of  Gallo  and 
Senarega,  I.,  189,  III.,  3;  Gallo’s  ac¬ 
count  of  Columbus,  I.,  189—195;  Sena- 
rega’s  account  of  Columbus,  I.,  196-201 
Miorcia,  Juan  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  570 

Musai  Joviani  Imagines,  bibliographical 
description  of.  III.,  16,  17 
Museo-Borbonico,  Naples,  Columbus  por¬ 
trait  in.  III.,  57 

Musk  (almazique)  foimd  in  New  World, 

I-.  567 

Mussulmans,  massacre  related  by  Martyr, 

1.,  78 

Muzante,  Berthono  de,  I.,  251 
Myrobalans,  fo\md  in  New  World,  11. , 

279.  391.  401 

N 

Nabi.  See  Ajes 

Nacaras,  Indian  name  for  pearl  oysters, 

I-,  567  . 

Naiba,  Indian  King,  I.,  78;  legend  of  the 
gourd,  I.,  82 

Naiba,  river  of  Espanola,  discovery  of, 

11.,  496,  502 

Napione,  G.  F.  Galeani,  Della  Patria  di 
Christoforo  Colombo,  etc.,  claim  of  Cuc- 
caro  as  birthplace,  I.,  245;  birth  of 
Columbus,  I.,  264,  273;  portrait  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  29 

Napoleon  I.,  Emperor  of  France,  tried 
to  concentrate  European  archives  in 
Paris,  II.,  533,  534 

N  arrenschyff ,  German  title  Stultifera 
Navis,  II.,  74 

Narvaez,  Pdnfilo  de,  in  Cuba  with  Las 
Casas,  I.,  115,  116;  served  under  Velas¬ 
quez,  III.,  342 

Naseby,  the,  English  vessel,  description  of, 

,  III--  5.3.1 

Natale,  Pietro  di,  invented  glass  types,  I., 
t68 

Nativity,  bay  of,  location  of,  II.,  392 
Nalural  History  of  the  Canaries,  Barker 
and  Webb,  contains  Boccaccio’s  pam¬ 
phlet,  I.,  505 


Natural  History,  Pliny,  mention  of  Om- 
brios,  II.,  24^;  meaning  attached  to 
onyx-onychis  m,  II.,  411,  412;  Fortu¬ 
nate  Islands,  I.,  497;  printing  of;  an¬ 
notations  of  Columbus  in.  III.,  462 
Navarrete,  Martin  Fernandez  de,  Spanish 
historian,  Coleccion  de  los  Viages  y 
Descubrimientos:  criticism  of  Peter 
Mart.vr’s  writings  by,  1.,  39;  Columbus 
called  Indians  Canibales,  I.,  63;  Co- 
liunbus  loyal  to  Spain,  I.,  175,  410; 
the  Majorat,  I.,  242,  III.,  159;  text 
translated.  III.,  646-654;  age  of  Colum¬ 
bus  deduced  from  passage  in  Sum- 
wario,  I.,  267, 268  ;  publication  of ;  value 
of,  I.,  268,  269,  II.,  214;  publication  of 
Letter  a,  I.,  276;  payment  by  Spanish 
Treasurer  to  Columbus,  I.,  279,  280; 
time  passed  by  Columbus  on  sea,  I., 
283;  Columbus  in  Portugal,  I.,  293; 
testimony  of  Garcia  Hernandez,  I.,  399, 
432—434;  children  of  Columbus,  I., 
406;  service  of  Cabrero,  I.,  414;  testi¬ 
mony  of  Dr.  Maldonado,  I.,  419;  pro¬ 
logue  to  Journal  of  Columbus,  I.,  435; 
the  Capitulation,  I.,  442;  testimony  of 
Arias  Perez  Pinz6n,  I.,  454;  docu¬ 
ments  regarding  loan  for  equipment  of 
Coliunbus,  L,  458,  459;  list  of  people 
left  on  Espanola,  I.,  471;  Spanish  ex¬ 
pedition  to  Canary  Islands,  I.,  507; 
translation  abridged  Journal,  I.,  512- 
668;  origin  of  cigars,  I.,  561 ;  compari¬ 
son  of  different  copies  Journal,  I.,  668; 
the  Santangel  Letter,  II.,  7  ;  meaning  of 
anima,  II.,  12;  manuscript  copy  Co¬ 
lumbus  Letter  to  Santangel  made  for, 

II.,  45;  in  error  regarding  date  of 
translation  Spanish  Quarto  Letter, 

II.,  46;  Bulls  I.  and  II.  published  in, 

11.,  87,  91;  Spanish  translation  Bull 
IV.  published  in,  II.,  12 1;  French 
translation  alters  sense  of  Spanish  re¬ 
garding  Father  Boil,  II.,  214;  praise  of 
Hojeda  by  Columbus,  II.,  217;  publi¬ 
cation  of  Dr.  Chanca’s  letter  in,  II., 
217,  263-281;  Queen  Isabella  desired  a 
caravel  to  leave  eity  of  Isabella  each 
month,  II.,  219;  the  De  Torres  memor¬ 
andum,  II.,  297-308;  report  calling 
Cuba  continental  land,  II.,  327,  619; 
Relation  of  Third  Voyage,  II.,  374-407  ; 
Columbus’  letter  to  Nurse,  II.,  423— 
437;  deposition  of  Nicolas  Perez;  re¬ 
turn  of  Nino’s  expedition,  II.,  453; 
Cedula  ordering  arrest  of  Rivarol,  11. , 
531 ;  letter  of  Columbus  to  Gorricio  re¬ 
garding  departure  on  Fourth  Voyage, 
cited,  IT.,  576;  identification  of  Mati- 
nino,  II.,  578;  Capriolo  engraving  in 
French  edition :  advertisement  of.  III., 
27,  28;  Documentos  Diplomaticos,c\te([, 

111.,  1 14;  Cedilla  granting  general 
trade  in  Espanola,  HI.,  309;  removal 
remains  of  Columbus  to  Santo  Domingo, 

III.,  516;  rank  of  House  of  Veragua, 

III.,  617;  testimony  of  Cabezudo  at  Fis¬ 
cal  trial.  III.,  620;  account  Fiscal  trial, 

111.,  623  ;  Historia  de  la  Aaaiica,  cited, 

1.,  38;  Biblioteca  Maritima,  cited  I.,  4 


Index 


747 


Navarrete,  Rodrigo  de,  appointed  li¬ 
brarian  of  P'erdinand  Columbus’s  li¬ 
brary,  III.,  449,  451 

Navasa,  island  of,  location  of,  II.,  624; 

stop  of  Mendez  at,  II.,  626 
Navidad,  first  settlement  in  New  World, 
location  of ,  I . ,  124;  holograph  drawing 
by  Columbus,  I.,  477,  III.,  89;  con¬ 
struction  of,  I.,  627,  628,  II.,  24,  81, 

111.,  90;  men  left  by  Columbus  and 
instructions  to,  I.,  632,  633,  II.,  315, 
488,  489;  naming  of,  I.,  634;  massacre 
at,  I.,  69,  1 13,  1 14,  194,  201,  471,472, 

11.,  217,  254,  272,  273;  arrival  at. 
Second  Voyage,  II.,  253,  493;  visit  to. 
Second  Voyage,  II.,  315 

Navidad,  locality  near  Gulf  of  Paria, 
climate  of,  II.,  388 

N avigationi  et  Viaggi,  Ramusio,  printing 
of,  incorporated  Summario,  I.,  267 
Nebrissensis.  See  Lebrija,  Antonins  de 
Nebulosa  de  Colon,  Duro,  contains  Muliar 
document,  I.,  401 

Negrete,  Francisco,  Register  of  Palos,  I., 
468  _ 

Negri,  Antonio  and  Giovanni  de,  possess 
Columbus  portrait,  IIP,  34 
Negro,  Diego  el,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  569 

Negro,  Francesco,  Governor  of  Rome,  I., 
4 

Negro,  il.  See  Nino,  Pedro  Alonzo 
Neri,  Achille,  I  Ritratti  di  Christoforo 
Colombo,  cited,  IIP,  30;  criticism 
Padova-Colirmbus  portrait,  IIP,  40; 
Talleyrand-Columbus  portrait,  IIP,  48 
Nervi,  town  of,  pretended  birthplace  of 
Columbus,  P,  232—234;  location  and 
description  of,  P,  235 
New  Caledonia,  point  of,  Scotch  settle¬ 
ment  at,  IP,  610 

New  Granada,  city  of  (Nicaragua),  found¬ 
ing  of,  P,  31  _ 

New  Isabella,  city  of,  location  of;  monas¬ 
teries  at,  I.,  135,  IP,  376.  See  also 
San  Domingo 

New  Providence,  island  of,  seat  of  local 
government  Bahamas,  P,  601 
New  World,  new  lands  so  called  by  Peter 
Martyr,  P,  62;  so  called  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  IP,  362,  400.  See  also  Another 
World 

Newe  Wcldt,  German  translation  of  Paesi, 
visit  of  Cadamosto  to  Madeiras,  P,  398 
New  York  Historical  Society,  possesses 
Gouverneur  Morris’s  copy  of  Altissimo 
portrait  Columbus,  IIP,  21 
New  York  Public  Library  —  Lenox 
Branch,  courtesy  to  author,  L,  vi.; 
contains  unique  copy  Folio  Spanish 
Letter,  IP,  ii,  27;  editions  of  Ber- 
gomas’s  Chronicle,  IP,  77;  Syllacio 
Letter,  IP,  215;  forged  example  of 
Spanish  Quarto  Letter,  IL,  41,  42  ;  con¬ 
tains  Cosco  Latin  Editions  Letter,  IP, 
47.  'i.3.  56,  58,  60,  62,  66,  71 ;  fac-similes 
Italian  Editions  Columbus  Letter  in, 
II  ,69;  contains  copy  German  Edition 
“O”  Columbus  Letter,  IP,  yr;  ex¬ 
amples  Enneades  of  Sabellicus  in.  IP, 


516;  contains  copy  of  Paesi,  IP,  526; 
dust  of  remains  of  Columbus  deposited 
in,  IIP,  573,  612 

Newark,  the,  U.  S.  flagship,  escorted  new 
Pinta  and  Nina  to  Havana,  P,  469 
Newfoundland,  coast  explored  by  Corte 
Real,  IP,  203 

Newstead  Abbey,  Moro  painting  at,  IIP, 

70 

Niames.  See  Mames 
Nicaragua,  port  of,  seized  by  Great 
Britain,  IP,  84 

Nicaragua,  province  of,  Spanish  cities 
founded  in,  P,  31 

Niccoli,  Fierro,  Simon  Verde  wrote  about 
Second  Voyage  to,  IP,  422 
Niedron,  Memoires  Pour  Servir  h  I’His- 
ioire  des  Hommes  Illustres,  etc.,  P,  4; 
cited,  IIP,  15 

Nickel  occurs  in  meteoric  iron,  IP,  381 
Nicolas  V.  (Tommaso  Parentucelli) ,  Pope, 
recognised  purpose  of  Prince  Henry 
the  Navigator,  P,  297;  made  De  Cusa 
Cardinal,  P,  361 

Nicot,  Jean,  French  Ambassador,  Nico- 
tiana  named  from,  P,  561 
Nicotiana,  scientific  name  of  tobacco, 
origin  of,  P,  561 

Nicuesa,  Diego  de,  Spanish  Governor, 
driven  out  by  Balboa,  P,  84;  voyage, 
II-.  595 

Nieto,  Gomez,  notary  public  of  Seville, 
made  copies  Book  of  Privileges,  IP, 
53° 

Nieuwe  (de)  en  Onbekende  Weereld,  Mon- 
tanus-Columbus  portrait,  IIP,  55 
Nile,  see  Gihon;  ancient  theory  regarding, 

.II-,  413 

Nilis,  Johannes,  witnessed  Bull  IIP,  IP, 
T59,  161 

Nina,  the,  smallest  vessel  in  fleet  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  P,  469;  her  crew,  I.,  471; 
false  discovery  of  land  from,  P,  528; 
escape  of  captive  Indian  from,  P,  539; 
repairing  of,  P,  571 ;  first  to  enter  har¬ 
bour  of  Puerto  Maria,  P,  581 ;  flagship 
of  Columbus,  IP,  3,  13 
Nina,  the  {Santa  Clara),  vessel  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  used  in  exploration  of  Cuba,  IP, 
315.  356,  IIP,  136;  crew  declared  Cuba 
continental  land,  II.,  327,  329 
Nina,  the  (new),  reproduced  for  Chicago 
Exposition,  P,  469 

Ninguaria,  Nivaria,  Ningaria,  one  of 
Canary  Islands,  derivation  of  name,  P, 
498,  500;  sovereignty  of,  P,  505 
Nino,  Alonso  de,  on  Nina,  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  believed  Cuba  continental  land, 
N.,  329 

Nino,  Cristobal  Perez,  Master  of  Cardera, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was 
continental  land,  IP,  331 
Nino,  Francisco,  son  of  Pedro  Alonzo, 
member  First  Voyage,  P.  471 ;  pilot  of 
Nina,  Second  Voyage,  declared  Cuba 
was  continental  land,  IP,  329;  pay¬ 
ment  to,  IIP,  281 

Nino,  Francisco,  ship  boy  on  Cardc'-a, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  con¬ 
tinental  land,  IP.  331 


748 


Index 


Xino,  Jiian,  master  Xiila,  First  Voyage, 

1.,  471:  salary,  First  Voyage,  I.,  474 
Xino,  iVdro  Alonzo  (Pero  Alonzo),  pilot. 

First  Voyage,  1.,  469,  471,  II,,  507; 
salary  on  First  \'oyage,  1.,  474;  course 
reckoned  by,  I.,  653;  Captain  of  fleet 
sent  to  Espanola,  11,,  359;  voyage  to 
Pearl  Coast:  pearls  obtained  by,  II,, 
372,  373.  454-456,  507-509,  522,  617; 
called  il  Negro,  IF,  454,  455,  507; 
called  Schwartz,  IF,  455;  charged  with 
stealing  pearls,  IF,  455 
Nipe,  bay  of,  said  by  Navarrete  to  be 
landfall  of  Columbus  on  Cuba,  F,  550 
Xisicastes,  tidbe  of  .-Ethiopians,  significa¬ 
tion  of  name,  IF,  250 
Nisistse,  tribe  of  .Ethiopians,  signification 
of  name,  IF,  250 

Nisoo,  Nevbo,  Neyva,  river,  location  of, 

n.,  337' 

Nitajmo,  Indian  title,  meaning  of,  F,  621 
Niti,  Indian  village  on  Espanola  visited 
by  Gorbalan,  IF,  217;  gold  mines  at, 

11.,  279,  280 

Nizzardo,  Alonso  Perez.  See  Alonso 
Perez 

Nobiliario,  De  Lima,  genealogy  of  Moniz 
family,  F,  403 

Nodes  Atticce,  Aulus  Gellius,  cited,  I.,  54, 


Nod,  Land  of,  Cain  dwelt  in,  IF,  412 

Nombre  de  Dios,  port  of,  ancient  Atlantic 
terminus  of  road  to  Panama.  See 
Bastimentos 

Nones,  hour  of  three  o’clock  afternoon, 

n.,  384 

Nordenskjold,  A.  E.,  Baron,  Trots  Cartes, 
reproduced  Clavus’smap  of  Iceland,  F, 

381 

Normans,  the,  accustomed  to  sail  west 
and  south,  F,  509 

Norona,  Martin  de,  Don,  Portuguese  gen¬ 
tleman,  carried  letter  of  King  of  Portu¬ 
gal  to  Columbus,  F,  665 

North  American  Review,  article  on  Floren¬ 
tine  Codex,  IF,  562 

Notes  and  Correctiones,  Irving,  the  Pilot 
story,  F,  328 

Notes  on  Columbus,  Harrisse,  classification 
of  Cosco  Latin  Editions  Quarto  Letter 
in,  IF,  47,  56;  title  of  Marco  Polo’s 
book.  III.,  461 

Notes  on  Virginia,  Jefferson,  preparation 
of.  III.,  21 

Nothing,  Indian  name  for,  IF,  489 

Noticias  exactas  de  Amerigo  V espucio  y 
Reflexiones  Criticas,  Navarrete,  F,  414 

Notizie  Degli  Intagliotori,  De  Angelis, 
cited,  III.,  39 

Notizie  Storiche  e  Bibliografiche  di  Cristo- 
foro  Colombo,  di  Cuccaro  nel  Ad onf errata, 
Discopritore  dell'  America,  Cancellieri, 
birth  of  Columbus,  I.,  273;  portrait 
Columbus,  III.,  30 

Nouel,  Carlos,  Don,  Spanish  lawyer, 
secret  related  by,  III.,  553;  dust  of 
Columbus  given  to  daughter  of,  III., 
612 

Nova,  John  de,  letter  in  Libretto  concern¬ 
ing  voyage  of,  IF,  527 


Novara,  town  of,  pretended  birthplace  of 
Columbus,  F,  234,  246 

Novas  Orbis,  Grvnu'us,  Cadamosto’s  visit 
to  Madeiras,  I.,  39S 

Noj^a,  Juan  de,  cooper,  Fourth  Voyage, 
IF,  571;  escape  from  Indians,  IF,  612, 
613;  member  of  Nino’s  expedition  to 
Pearl  Coast,  IF,  617 

Nucay,  nozay,  Indian  name  for  gold,  F, 
556,  643 

Nuestra  Senora  (la  Mar  de),  discovery  of, 
I-.  566,  570 

Nuestra  Senora  de  Izamal,  Ramon  Pane, 
cited,  F,  80 

Nuestra  Senora  de  los  Dolores,  church  of, 
tomb  of  Velasquez  in,  I.,  115 

Nuestra  Senora  de  Saltes,  hermitage  of, 

I-.  515 


Nuestra  Senora  Santa  Maria  de  Las 
Cuevas.  See  Las  Cuevas 
Nuevitas  del  Principe,  probable  landfall 
of  Columbus  on  Cuba,  F,  550-552; 
Puerto  de  Mares  located  in,  F,  559 
Ntievos  Autdgrafos  de  Cristdbal  Colon, 
Duchess  of  Alba,  contains  holograph 
report  of  Columbus  regarding  people 
on  First  Voyage,  F,  477 
Nunez,  Juan,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Nunez,  Martin,  testimony  in  Fiscal  In¬ 
quiry,  F,  455 

Nunez  de  Arana,  Anne,  supposed  mother 
of  Beatriz  Enriquez,  F,  424 
Nunez  de  la  Yerva,  Franciscus,  edited 
Cosmography  of  Mela,  IL,  74 
Nuovi  Documenti,  Felice  Isnardi,  pre¬ 
tended  will  of  Domenico  Columbus,  F, 


236 

Nuremberg  Chronicle,  interest  of;  account 
of  alleged  discovery  in,  IF,  73 
Nussa,  Juan  de  la,  Spanish  lieutenant, 
communicated  the  Sovereigns’  com¬ 
mands  to  Jaime  Ferrer,  II.,  189,  190 


O 


Ober,  Frederick  A.,  identifies  Puerto  de 
Mares  with  Baracoa,  I.,  559:  gives  cor¬ 
rect  distance  Rio  del  Oro  to  Navidad, 
F,  639 :  believes  Oviedo  was  interred  in 
San  Domingo  Cathedral,  III.,  548 
Ocampo,  Florian  de,  Crdnica  General  de 
Espaha,  cited.  III.,  447 
Ocampo,  Gonzalvo  de,  expedition  com¬ 
manded  by,  F,  133,  134 
Oceano  Pacifico,  named  by  Magellan,  IF, 
204 

Ochinus,  Bernard,  influence  of  Valdis 
upon,  F,  96 

Ochre  (red),  found  on  Espanola,  IF,  261 
Oderigo,  Giovanni  Paolo,  son  of  Lorenzo, 
-i32 

Oderigo,  Lorenzo,  presented  two  copies 
Book  of  Privileges  to  Genoa,  IF,  532 
Oderigo,  Nicol6,  Genoese  Ambassador, 
Columbus  sent  two  copies  Book  of 
Privileges  to,  II.,  531,  532,  III.,  242; 
sketch  of;  letters  of  Columbus  to.  III., 
242—247,  362—366 

Odiel,  river,  near  La  Rabida,  I.,  430 
Odyssey,  copy  owned  by  Petrarch,  IF,  439 


Index 


749 


CEconomics,  Xenophon,  translated  by 
Giustiniano,  I.,  204 

Offira,  Ophira.name  applied  to  Espanola, 

I.,  7s;  II.,  495 

Ogilby,  America,  Columbus  portrait.  III., 


Ojeda,  Alonzo  de.  See  Hojeda 

Ojeda,  Alonzo  de,  raid  upon  Indians  by, 

I.,  132,  II.,  258 

Olano,  Sebastian  de,  signed  Royal  order, 

I.,  467 

Olanus,  Lupus,  Spanish  explorer,  voyage 
of,  11. ,  595 

Olaus,  King,  discovery  of  colony  founded 
by,  I.,  385 

Old  Harbour,  possible  discovery  of,  II., 
336 

Old  Mines,  Mines  of  St.  Christopher  so 
called,  II.,  353 

Olid,  Christopher,  death  of,  I.,  31 

Olivella  Gate  (Genoa),  situation  of,  I., 
25s,  262 

Olivieri  collection,  once  contained  exam¬ 
ple  of  Syllacio-Como  Letter,  II.,  215 

Olschki,  Leo  S.,  sold  copy  Syllacio  Como 
Letter;  made  fac-simile  of  same,  II., 

215  , 

Omar,  Khalif  of  Egypt,  Alexandrian 
library  destroyed  by,  I.,  15 

Ombrios,  Canary  Islands,  growth  of 
ferula  glauca  on,  I.,  498;  probably 
Ferro,  II.,  247 

Oneglia,  town  of,  pretended  birthplace  of 
Columbus,  L,  234,  246 

Onuphriiis-Panvinius,  Lives  of  the  Popes, 
career  of  Leo  X.,  I.,  41 

Onyx-onychis,  meaning  and  translation 
of,  II .,  41 0—41 2 

Oorghenj  (Kunya-Urgenj) ,  city  of,  loca¬ 
tion  of,  I.,  351 

Opera  Omnia,  Theodoretus,  difficulty  re¬ 
garding  Tigris  and  Euphrates  rivers, 

-3^3  .  . 

Opere  del  Cardinale  Pietro  Bempo,  cited, 

I.,  267 

Ophir,  Ophira,  Offira,  Espanola  so-called, 

I.,  75;  II.,  495 

Opus  Majus,  Bacon,  Imago  Mundi  partly 
taken  from,  II.,  341 

O puscidum  ad  Juuenes,  Basilius,  printing 
of,  I.,  360 

Opuscidum  tantum  quinque,  Cijar,  printing 
of,  II.,  26 

Oqiiina,  Juan  de,  payment  to.  III.,  312, 
37° 

Oran,  Africa,  exile  and  death  of  Luis  Co¬ 
lumbus  at,  I.,  243,  347,  III.,  528, 
630 

Oratory,  spontaneous  and  studied,  I., 
10 


Orbis,  De  Situ,  Ptolemy,  cited  by  Ferrer, 

11. ,  197,  198 
Orbis  Noviis,  I.,  398 

Orchando,  Seiior,  Captain-General  of 
Seville,  III.,  544 

Orchi,  Alessandro  de.  Dr.,  said  to  possess 
original  Jovian  portrait  of  Columbus, 

111.,  22,  23 

Orchi,  Flaminio  de,  married  Antonia  Gio- 
vio,  III.,  23 


Orchil,  kind  of  lichen,  yields  purple  dye, 

505 

Ordinances,  Spanish  municipal,  against 
Jews,  I.,  S3 

Orduna,  Martin  de,  witnessed  Mendez’s 
will,  II.,  657 

Origen  de  las  Dignidades,  Mendofa,  office 
of  Adelantado,  III.,  494 
Orinoco  River,  Yuyaparl  River,  II.,  386, 

389 

Oristiana,  city  of,  colony  on  Jamaica,  I., 
3° 

Orkney  islands,  supposed  to  be  Porlanda, 

f..  384 

Orozco,  Maria  de,  wife  Luis  Columbus, 

111.,  628 

Ortagan,  Ortegon,  Diego,  husband  Fran¬ 
cisco  Colon  y  Pravia,  descendants  of, 
HI.,  617,  639,  640 
Ortegar,  Diego,  II.,  608 
Ortelius,  Abraham,  his  longitude  of 
Quinsay,  I.,  352;  location  of  Icaria  by, 

1.,  387  ;  use  of  Zeno  map  in  his  atlas,  I., 

389 

Ortiz,  Juan,  member  First  Voyage,  I.,  471 
Ortus  vilibus  parentibus,  birth  of  Colum¬ 
bus  in  Polyglot  Psalter,  I.,  202 
Osorio,  Ah’ar  Perez,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  471 

Ossichavar,  Indian  Chief,  met  Columbus 
at  La  Navidad,  Second  Voyage,  II.,  253 
Otrar,  city  of,  location  of,  1.,  351 
Ounartok,  island  of,  hot  spring  on,  I.,  385 
Ovando,  Nicolds  de.  Governor  of  Es¬ 
panola;  Comendador  de  Lares,  I.,  115, 
125,  II.,  663  ;  hanged  Queen  Anacaona, 

1.,  125,  II.,  663  ;  expedition  of,  IL,  450 ; 
treatment  of  Mendez,  II. ,  627,  663; 
message  to  Columbus  at  Jamaica,  II., 
633,  634;  letter  of  Columbus  to,  II. , 
637;  treatment  of  Columbus,  IL,  639 

Ovidius,  Publius,  Libre  de  las  Trans- 
formaciortes,  printing  of,  II. ,  26 
Oviedo  y  Valdez,  Gonzalo  Fernandez  de, 
Historia  de  I’lndie  Occidentali,  Colum¬ 
bus  called  Genoese  in,  I.,  39;  morbus 
gallicus,  I.,  87,  88;  notice  of  Diego  Ve¬ 
lasquez,  I.,  115,  III.,  342;  sketch  of,  I., 

231.11.,  4  III.,  548,  621 ;  bibliographical 
description  Italian  translation  Sum- 
mario,  I.,  264,  265;  paragraph  inserted 
in  Summario  regarding  Coluhibus,  I., 
265,  266;  number  of  people  on  First 
Voyage,  I.,  470;  use  of  tobacco  by  In¬ 
dians,  I.,  561;  first  told  mutiny  story, 

1 1.,  4;  people  on  Second  Voyage,  1 1., 
213;  island  of  Navasa,  1 1.,  626;  first  en¬ 
graved  detailed  map  of  Espanola  in 
Summario,  II. ,  626;  Batallas  y  Quin- 
«(agcwa5,  Juan  Lopez,  III.,  303;  Juan 
Cabrero,  III.,  31 1;  Libro  de  los  Nau- 
fr agios.  III.,  625.  See  also  “Historia 
General,"  etc. 

Oyarzabal,  Juan  Baptista,  Don,  III., 
539 

Oysters,  discovered  in  New  World,  II. , 
389;  pearls  engendered  by,  II. ,  396, 
397.  401 

Ozama  river,  San  Domingo  situated  on, 

11. ,  417,  III.,  340 


750 


Index 


p 

Pablos,  Johannes,  printer,  thought  by 
some  to  have  introduced  printing  into 
Xcw  World,  I.,  37 

Pacheco,  Alonzo  Tellez,  Diego  Columbus 
died  in  house  of.  III.,  626 
Pacheco  de  Cordova,  Carlos,  s\iit  against 
Pedro  Xuno  I.  de  Portugal,  III.,  634 
Pacheco,  Marquis  of  Villena,  1,7 
Pacheco,  Modesto  Martinez,  possessed 
holograph  manuscript  of  Las  Casas’s 
Historia,  II.,  361 

Pacific  Ocean,  the,  discovery  related  by 
Martyr,  I.,  S4;  naming  of,  II.,  204 
Padilla,  Garcia  de.  Bishop  in  Espanola, 

111.,  311 

Pacsi  Xoiiamcnte Retroiiati,  title,  contents, 
and  publication  of,  I.,  36,  II.,  451,  525, 
526;  voyage  of  Cadamosto  contained 
in,  I.,  398,  II.,  452;  contents  of 
Libretto  reproduced  in,  II.,  452;  in¬ 
corporation  of  error  regarding  name  of 
Cuba,  II.,  454;  Pero  Alonzo  Nino 
called  der  Schwartz  in  German  transla¬ 
tion  of,  II.,  455;  differences  in  various 
copies  of,  II.,  526,  527:  title  and  colo¬ 
phon,  II.,  525;  contents,  II.,  526;  ac- 
coimt  of  discovery  of  New  World  and 
description  of  Columbus,  II.,  528,  529 
Pagina,  meaning  of,  II.,  88 
Palatina  Library,  forms  part  National 
Library  in  Florence,  II.,  527 
Palazzo  Vecchio  (Florence),  Toscanelli’s 
portrait  on  wall  of,  I.,  368 
Palencia,  Alfonso  de,  Spanish  historian, 
translated  Plutarch’s  Lives,  III.,  462 
Palencia,  Bishopric  of.  See  Deza,  Diego 
de,  and  Fonseca,  Juan  Rodriguez  de 
Palestrello,  Gabriello,  I.,  398 
Palestrello  (Perestrello),  Philippon,  father 
of  Bartholomeu  Perestrello,  I.,  398 
Pallavicini,  Pietro  Sforza,  Istoria  del  Con- 
cilio  di  Trcn/o, cited, Pope  Leo  X.,1.,41 
Palma,  island  of,  in  possession  Guanches, 

1.,  497:  Columbus  at.  Fourth  Voyage, 

IL,  578 

Palmart,  Lamberto,  first  printer  in  Spain, 

11.,  10 

Palmista,  point,  identification  of,  I.,  582 
Palos,  port  of,  obliged  to  furnish  vessels 
for  Columbios,  I.,  464-468,  472,  474; 
departure  of  Columbus  from,  I.,  512, 
5^4 

Panama,  first  name  and  founding  of,  II., 
604:  Audiencia  of,  how  formed,  II., 
604;  paved  route  across  Isthmus  to 
Puerto  Bello,  II.,  594 
Pange  lingua,  motto  of  Guyot  Marchant 
taken  from,  II.,  62 
Panizo,  meaning  of,  I.,  541 
Pannartz,  Arnold,  first  Roman  press,  L, 
204 

Pantheon  (Rome),  Johannes  Muller 
buried  in,  I.,  360 

Pantoja,  Pedro,  Don,  Commander  Descn- 
hridor.  III.,  542 

Panvinius-Onuphrius — ,Lives  of  thePopes, 
career  of  Leo  X.,  I.,  41 
Panzer,  A  nnales  T ypographici,  printing  of 


Dc  Captivitatc  Babylonica  Ecclesim,  I., 
106;  Calcndariunt  cited  by,  I.,  359; 
assigns  Carvajal's  oration  to  press  of 
Besicken  or  Silber,  II.,  86;  cited,  II., 

Papahigo  ma3’'or,  studding  sail,  I.,  654 
Papahigo  menor,  fore  sta3^-sail,  I.,  654 
Papal  Bulls,  date  of  Expurge  Domine,  I., 
103;  concessions  made  to  Portugal  b3q 

1.,  297;  Bull  of  Alexander  VI.  cited, 

11.,  87;  preservation  in  Papal  Regis¬ 
ters,  II.,  89 

Papal  Bulls  (the  Columbian),  issuing, 
preservation,  and  publication  of,  II., 
87—92,  1 16;  not  entered  in  chronologi¬ 
cal  order  on  Vatican  Registers,  II., 
11S-117 

Papal  Bulls  (No.  I.),  Inter  Cetera,  date 
and  publication  of,  II.,  86-91,  95;  re¬ 
cord  in  Vatican  Register,  II. ,  93;  r6- 
sum6  of,  II.,  95-99;  fac-simile,  trans¬ 
literation,  and  translation  of,  II.,  124- 
138 

Papal  Bulls  (No.  II.),  Inter  Cetera  (De¬ 
marcation  Bull),  designation  of  Sove¬ 
reigns  in,  II. ,  86;  date  and  publication 
of,  II.,  87—100;  recorded  in  Vatican 
Register,  II.,  93;  copied  in  Codex  or 
Book  of  Privileges,  II.,  93;  Codex  copy 
again  copied  in  Seville,  II.,  94;  reason 
for  introduction  into  Codex,  II.,  95; 
resumd  of,  II.,  100— 1 12;  fac-simile, 
transliteration,  and  translation  of,  II. , 

139-153 

Papal  Bulls  (No.  III.),  Eximice  Devo- 
tionis,  designation  of  Sovereigns  in,  II., 
86;  date  and  publication  of,  II.,  87-91, 
115,  1 17;  record  in  Vatican  Register, 

II.,  93,  115-117;  resumd  of,  II.,  114— 
1 18;  fac-simile,  transliteration,  and 
translation  of,  11.,  155-161 
Papal  Bulls  (No.  IV.),  Dudum  Siquidem, 
designation  of  Sovereigns  in,  II.,  86; 
date  and  publication  of,  II.,  89—92,  120; 
resume  of,  II.,  120;  preservation  and 
publication  of,  II.,  121 ;  Latin  text  and 
translation  of,  II.,  162—164 
Papillon,  Traite  de  la  Gravure  en  Bois, 
cited.  III.,  14 

Paradas,  Juan  B.,  Alderman  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  ill.,  565 

Paradise.  See  Earthl3'  Paradise 
Paradisus  Voluptatis,  term  for  Earthly 
Paradise,  II.,  41 1 

Paralipomenon  (Vulgate  designation,  of 
Chronicles),  Columbus  refers  to.  III., 
300,  304,  306 

Paravania,  Nicolaus  de,  I.,  255 
Paredes,  Philippo  de,  Spanish  Constil, 
visited  by  Martyr  at  Alexandria,  I.,  14 
Paria,  gulf  of,  description  of,  1 1.,  372 
Paria,  Martyr  says  Cuba  so  called,  I.,  77 
Paria  (South  America),  name  applied  to 
continental  lands  westward  of  Mouth 
of  the  Dragon,  II.,  361,  395;  landing  of 
Ferreros  as  representative  of  Columbus 
on,  II. ,  371,  372,  504;  confused  with 
the  land  called  Lariab  discovered  by 
Vespucius,  II.,  404;  visit  of  Pinzons 
to,  il.,  511,  522 


Index 


751 


Paris  National  Library  possesses  copy 
Edition  “H”  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II., 
60 

Parmigiano,  Francesco  Maria  Mazzola, 
painted  portrait  Columbus,  III.,  57 
Parodi,  E.,  III.,  569,  571 
Parra,  Juan  de  la,  intermediary  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  194 

Parrots  {guacamayas,  xaxaues),  discov¬ 
ered  in  Guadaloupe,  II.,  389;  different 
varieties  found  in  New  World,  II.,  389, 
488 

Partridges  found  in  Cuba,  I.,  561 
Pasau,  Juan,  squire.  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 


572 

Pasquaglio,  Lorenzo,  his  letters  contain 
earliest  account  of  John  Cabot’s  voy¬ 
ages,  IF,  527 

Pasquaglio,  Peter,  Venetian  Ambassador, 
letter  contained  in  Paesi,  II.,  526,  527 
Pass,  Crispin  de,  portrait  of  Columbus  by, 

111.,  28,  29 

Passano,  Gullielmo  de  (de  Romagna),  I., 

253 

Passeriano,  Mannm  di.  Counts,  part  of 
Svajer  library  obtained  by,  IF,  440 
Passus,  length  of,  I.,  18,  210,  498 
Patatas,  batatas,  description  of,  I.,  558 
Paternoy,  Sancho  de.  Chief  Treasurer  of 
Aragon,  conspired  for  murder  of 
Arbu^s,  I.,  460 

Patin,  Charles,  prepared  Elzevier  edition 
Epistola,  I.,  47;  sketch  of,  I.,  47 
Patin,  Guy,  French  scientist,  father  of 
Charles  Patin,  I.,  47 

Patino,  Tuan,  murdered  at  La  Navidad, 

1.,  472 

Patterson,  projector  of  Scotch  colony  at 
Acta,  II.,  617 

Paul  II.  (Pietro  Barbo),  Pope,  suspected 
heads  of  Academy  at  Rome,  I.,  5; 
grandson  of  Bariola  Coraria,  I.,  349 
Paul  III.  (Alessandro  Farnese),  Pope,  de¬ 
cree  in  favour  of  Indians,  I  ,  142;  did 
not  favour  Paulus  Jovius,  III.,  10,  12 
Paula  Juarez,  Francisco  de,  Spanish 
archivist,  cited,  IF,  565 
Paulus,  Johannes.  See  Pablos,  Johannes 
Pavesi,  Giambattista,  Savonese  scholar, 
location  house  of  Domenico  Colombo, 
I-;  257 

Pavia,  city  of,  called  Athens  of  Italy,  IF, 
221 

Pavia,  Domingo,  Don,  III.,  542 
Pavia,  university  of,  Columbus  said  to 
have  been  educated  at,  L,  286,  IF,  221 ; 
dust  of  remains  of  Columbus  presented 
to.  III.,  593—596,  612 
Paz,  Tosefa  de  (de  la  Serna  y  Ortegar),  IF, 
608 


Pearl  Coast,  the,  discovery  and  possession 
of,  IF,  372,  373,  455;  under  Ocampo, 
I.,  134:  different  names  of,  IF,  455; 
expedition  under  Nino,  IF,  617 
Pearls,  Columbus  hears  of  them,  I.,  563, 
IF,  394;  formation  of;  discovered  by 
Columbus,  IF,  396,  397,  401;  gatherecl 
by  Nino,  IF,  507,  509;  fishery  at 
Cubagua,  F,  132;  red  ones  taken  to 
Sovereigns  by  Columbus,  IF,  406 


Peccary,  found  in  New  World,  II  ,  694 
Pedro,  Dom,  brother  of  Prince  Henry  the 
Navigator,  brought  manuscript  of 
Marco  Polo’s  book  from  Venice,  I.,  294 
Pedro,  Father,  III.,  168 
Pegnizer  de  Nuremberg,  Johannes,  one  of 
Three  Associates,  IF,  53,  III.,  462 
Pego,  Lope  de,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

572 

Pellican,  Conrad,  Hebraist,  privilege 
granted  him  by  Giustiniano,  F,  204 
Pena,  Juan  de  la,  represented  Diego  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  516 

Pena,  Juan  Ruiz  de  la  (Ruiz  Garcia  of 
Santona),  member  First  Voyage,  wages 
of,  I.,  470,  478 

Pena  de  los  Enamorados  (Rock  of  the 
Lovers),  F,  554 

Penac,  Alonso,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  572 

Penalosa,  Diego  de,  Spanish  notary, 
copied  report  of  Fernand  Perez  calling 
Cuba  continental  land,  IF,  327,  332; 
believed  to  have  written  Providence 
Codex,  II.,  565;  Columbus  letter  writ¬ 
ten  by,  III.,  402 

Penalosa,  Francisco  de,  uncle  to  Las 
Casas,  I.,  1 15;  member  Second  Voyage, 
IF,  214 

Penn,  William,  Admiral,  attempted  cap¬ 
ture  of  San  Domingo,  III.,  531-533 
Pentateuch,  the,  printing  of,  IF,  410 
Pepper,  aji,  Indian,  F,  646,  IF,  81 
Peragallo,  Italian  numismatist,  wrote  on 
coinage,  F,  484 

Peralta,  Isidore,  Governor  Espanola,  III., 


534 

Perath,  Phrat,  Frat,  ancient  name  of 
Euphrates,  IF,  412 

Peraza,  Fcrnan,  Lord  of  the  Canaries, 
succession  of,  F,  279,  518 

Peraza,  Guillen,  first  Count  of  Gomera, 

T.  ^  '  517  .  ^  . 

Peraza,  Inez,  Lady,  heiress  to  Canaries, 
F,  279,  517,  518 

Pereira,  Nuno  Alvarez,  Constable  of 
Portugal,  donation  of  chapel  to  Moniz 
family,  F,  402 

Perestrello,  Bartholomeu,  family  of,  F, 
241,  399,  401 ;  first  Governor  of  Madeira 
Islands,  F,  397,  398;  death  of,  F,  399; 
guardians  of,  F,  403;  genealogical 
table,  L,  404 

Perestrello,  Bartholomeu  IF,  received 
Governorship  of  Porto  Santo,  F,  399, 
402;  birth  of,  F,  402;  genealogical 


table,  I  ,  404 

Perestrello,  Hizeu,  daughter  of  Bartholo¬ 
meu  Perestrello,  F,  399 
Perez,  Alonso  (Nizzardo),  sailor  on  Car- 
dera.  Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba 
continental  land,  IF,  331;  first  saw 
Trinidad,  Third  Voyage,  IF,  370,  383 
Perez,  Alvaro,  sailor,  First  Voyage,  wages 
of,  F,  478 

Perez,  Bartholomew,  Pilot  of  San  Juan, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  con¬ 
tinental  land,  IF,  329 
Perez,  Fernand  (de  Funa),  report  calling 
Cuba  continental  land,  IF,  321-332 


Index 


/D- 


Porcz,  Fernand,  testimony  at  Fiscal  In¬ 
quiry,  1 1 . ,  3  7 1 , 3 7  2  ;  witnessed  Mendez's 
will,  11.,  O36 

Perez,  Gil,  sailor,  F'irst  Voyage,  wages  of, 

1.,  47S 

Perez,  Gutierre,  member  First  Voj-age,  I., 

471 

Perez,  Juan,  Friar,  Prior  of  La  Rabida, 
friendship  for  Columbus  and  interces¬ 
sion  with  Isabella,  1.,  431-434,  633; 
witnesses  agreement,  I.,  468,  111.,  188; 
his  nephew  (Rodrigo  de  Escobedo),  left 
at  La  Navidad,  I,,  632 
Perez,  Juan  (died  Jamaica,  October  7, 
1503),  Master,  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  572 
Perez,  Juan,  librarian  of  Ferdinand  Co¬ 
lumbus,  Ill.,  450 

Perez,  Nicholas,  deposition  of,  II.,  455 
Perez,  Ramiro,  sailor  on  Nina,  believed 
Cuba  continental  land,  II.,  320 
Perez,  Rodrigo,  notary  public,  drew  up 
original  Capitulation,  I.,  442 
Perez  de  Almazan,  Miguel,  exempted 
from  order  restricting  slave-holding,  I  , 
414;  sig^ied  Cedula  issued  to  Bobadilla, 

11.,  41Q 

Perez  de  Oliva,  Fernand,  wrote  biography 
of  Columbus,  III.,  438 
Pergamino,  parchment  used  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  II.,  3 

Periplits,  Sebosus,  cited,  I.,  498 
Perna,  Petrus,  works  printed  by.  III.,  13, 
15 ;  life  of.  III.,  15 

Peru,  inhabitants  fought  Spaniards  from 
trees,  II.,  588;  named  Isola  de  Oro  by 
Guazzo,  III.,  434 

Perugia,  Andrea  da,  Franciscan  monk, 
travelled  in  East,  1.,  350;  route  fol¬ 
lowed  by,  I.,  351 

Pesaro,  Francesco,  Chevalier,  member 
Council  of  Ten,  said  to  have  fotxnd  letter 
of  Columbus  offering  services  to  Venice, 

1.,  41 1 

Pescara,  Marquis  de,  Zuniga’s  letter  to, 

111.,  87 

Peschel,  Oscar,  birth  of  Columbus,  I.,  264, 
275,  276 

Peschiera,  Frederico,  carved  Columbus 
bust  on  Custodia  at  Genoa.  III.,  81 
Peter  of  Candia.  See  Alexander  V., 
Pope 

Petisalazan,  husband  of  Isabel  Samba,  I., 
423 

Petrarch,  Francisco,  De  Vita  Sohtaria,  re¬ 
lates  (Genoese  occupation  of  Canaries, 

1.,  503,  504;  gave  his  books  to  San 
Marco,  II.,  439 

Peurbach,  George  von,  German  astrono¬ 
mer,  teacher  of  Muller;  death  of,  I., 
358;  Theorirce  Nouce  Planetarium, 
printed  by  Muller,  I.,  360 
Pharaoh,  tree  of,  legend  of,  I.,  20 
Phares,  Simon  de,  astrologer,  speaks  on 
Coulon,  I.,  226 

Philalethes,  Vegius,  printed  by  Muller, 

I.,  360 

Philelpho,  Francesco,  scholar,  1  ,  4 
Philip  I.,  Archduke  of  Burgundj^  (Le 
Beaul,  joint  ruler  of  Castile,  I.,  23,  24; 
marriage  of,  L,  25;  III.,  223,  father 


Charles  V.,  I.,  25  ;  visit  to  Spain,  death, 
and  burial,  I.,  26 

Philip  II.,  King  of  Spain,  birth  of.  III., 
503;  date  of  accession,  I.,  108;  sup¬ 
pressed  woi'k  of  Sepulveda,  I  ,  156; 
restored  Guatemalian  Audiencia,  1., 
15.8 

Philip  VI.,  King  of  France,  defended 
France  against  English  invasion,  I.,  506 
Philippa,  Queen  of  Portugal,  mother  of 
Henry  the  Navigator,  1.,  294 
Philippes,  Jean,  joint  publisher  Stuliifera 
Navis,  II.,  73 

Philippines,  the,  named  in  honour  of 
Prince  of  Asturias,  IF,  204 
Philoponus,  a  philosopher,  I.,  15 
Phison,  Pison  (thought  by  some  to  be  the 
Indus),  river  of,  river  issuing  from 
Earthly  Paradise,  II.,  410,  411 
Phocas,  Focas,  Roman  (Grammarian,  De 
principalibus  orationis  partibus,  II., 
26 

Phoenicians, the, colonized  Canary  Islands, 

I.,  494 

Piacenza  (Pradilla),  town  of,  pretended 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  I.,  234,  241, 

.-42. 

Piaggio,  Giuseppe,  present  owner  of  No. 

8  Via  del  Colombo  in  Quinta,  I.,  246 
Picanso  (the  Wren),  caravel  used  by 
Gomez,  I.,  298 

Piccinnius,  Nicolaus,  m  ELogia,  III.,  14 
Pidal,  Marquis  de,  friend  of  Duchess  of 
Alba,  I  ,  477 

Pierre  de  Beaujeu,  husband  Princess 
Anne  of  Bourbon,  I.,  173,  II.,  344; 
ruled  France  with  his  wife,  I.,  221; 
aided  Henry  Tudor,  I.,  228;  agreed  to 
indemnify  Venice  for  capture  of  gal¬ 
leys,  I.,  223;  neglect  to  indemnify 
Venice,  I.,  229 

Pigafetta,  Antoine,  wrote  aecount  of 
Magellan’s  voyage,  IT,  206 
Pilar,  Maria  del  (Alvarez  de  Toledo),  III., 
60 

Pilatus,  Leontius,  translated  Iliad  and 
Odyssey,  IT,  439 

Pilo,  Argiro,  Greek  scholar,  portrait  on 
wall  of  Palazzo  Vecchio,  I  ,  368 
Pilot,  story  of  the,  charge  of  De  la  Rosa 
and  Vignaud,  I.,  338;  improbability 
of,  L,  333-337>  .34i,  342,  323,  327; 
possible  origin  of,  I.,  318 ;  diverse  treat¬ 
ment  of,  I.,  323;  first  narrated  by 
Oviedo,  I  ,  326;  second  relation  by 
Gomara,  I.,  326,  327;  account  of  Las 
Casas,  I.,  331-335-  339.  34o;  repeated 
by  Eden,  I.,  241 ;  repeated  by  Benzoni, 
I  ,  328:  the  account  of  Garcilasso  de  la 
Vega,  I.,  328-331;  mention  by  Irving, 

I.,  328;  Las  Casas  the  first  witness,  I., 
339-341;  Columbus  the  second  wit¬ 
ness,'  I.,  342,  343;  testimony  of  Alex¬ 
ander  VI.,  I  ,  344 

Pimental,  Count  of  Benavente,  1,7 
Pma,  Ruy  de,  Portuguese  historian,  Am¬ 
bassadorship  of  Sylva  to  Rome,  IT, 
1 13;  went  as  Ambassador  to  Spain, 
IF,  1 19;  signed  Treaty  of  Tordesillas, 
IF, 180 


Index 


753 


Pindar,  Theban  poet,  sang  of  Elysian 
fields,  1.,  4Q4 

Pine  trees  discovered  by  Columbus  on 
Espanola,  I.,  571 

Pinelo,  Francisco,  Treasurer  of  Herman- 
dad,  return  of  loan  for  equipment  of 
Columbus,  I.,  457,  III.,  313;  sketch  of, 

111.,  313  ;  messenger  of  Colvunbus,  III., 
329 

Pineyro,  Pedro  Ma.,  Dr.,  physician,  San 
Domingo,  report  of.  III.,  585-587 
Pinos,  bridge  of,  story  of  Columbus  at,  I., 
429.  43°  ,  ^ 

Pins  used  as  exchange  in  New  World,  II,, 
4SS 

Pinia,  the,  second  largest  vessel  m  Co¬ 
lumbus’s  fleet,  I.,  469;  her  crew,  I., 
470;  accident  to.  First  Voyage,  1.,  516, 
517;  speed  of,  I.,  522,  532;  land  first 
seen  from,  I.,  530,  532;  deserted  the 
fleet,  I.,  569;  rejoins  the  Nina,  I.,  637; 
driven  away  by  storm,  I.,  654,  655, 

11.,  3 

Pinta,  the  (new),  construction  of,  I.,  469 
Pinzdn,  Arias  Perez,  son  of  Martin 
Alonzo,  testimony  in  Fiscal  Inquiry,  I., 
454:  voyage  and  discoveries  of,  II., 
510-512 

Pinzdn,  Francesco  Martinez,  Master  of 
Pinta,  First  Voyage,  I.,  469,  470; 
probable  salary.  First  Voyage,  I.,  474; 
account  money  received  for  First  Voy¬ 
age,  I.,  479 

Pinzdn,  Martin  Alonso,  share  in  equip¬ 
ment,  I.,  454-457;  commanded  Pm ^a, 
First  Voyage,  I.,  469,  470;  probable 
salary.  First  Voyage,  L,  474;  account 
money  received  for  himself  and  others. 
First  Voyage,  I.,  479;  accident  to 
Pinta,  I.,  516,  517;  sailed  ahead  of 
'  Columbus,  I.,  522;  studied  chart  with 
Columbus  on  Pinta,  I.,  377,  524;  false 
discovery  of  land  by,  I.,  525;  landed 
with  Columbus,  I.,  532;  at  Femandina, 

1.,  542;  believed  himself  in  country  of 
Great  Khan,  I,,  555;  discovered  cin- 

'namon,  I.,  558;  alDandoned  Columbus, 

I.,  569,  631,  634,  638;  return  to  Co¬ 
lumbus  and  conduct  of,  I  ,  637,  640, 
641;  effort  to  first  carry  news  of  dis¬ 
covery  to  Spain,  I.,  654,  655,  IT,  3 
Pinzdn,  Vicente  Yanez,  cited,  I.,  39;  share 
in  equipment,  I.,  455-457,  630;  cap¬ 
tain  of  Nina.  First  Voyage,  I.,  469,  471, 
630;  probable  salary.  First  Voyage,  I., 
474;  landed  with  Columbus,  I.,  532; 
thought  he  saw  rhubarb  on  Amiga,  I., 
630;  reckoning  of  course  by,  I.,  652, 
653;  explored  Brazilian  coast,  II.,  203; 
arrival  at  Espanola,  II.,  432;  forbidden 
to  visit  Pearl  Coast.  II.,  455;  voyage 
and  discoveries  of,  II.,  5 10-5 12;  grants 
to.  III.,  203 

Piombo,  Sebastiano  Venetis  del,  painted 
portrait  Columbus,  III.,  34,  35,  48-50 
Pipino,  Francisco,  prepared  Latin  version 
Marco  Polo’s  book  of  travels,  IT,  620 
Pirates,  Corsairs, in  the  fifteenth  century, 

I.,  219;  captured  on  Third  Voyage  by 
Columbus,  II.,  375 


Pisa,  city  of,  location  of,  IT,  591,  592,  686 
Pisani,  Domenico,  Venetian  Ambassador, 
advice  to  Martyr,  I.,  13;  Trivigiano 
Secretary  of,  II.,  441 
Pisano,  Nicolas  Francisco,  Spanish  artist, 

III.,  8 

Pisanus,  Guido,  three  Indias  shown  on 
map  made  by,  IT,  52 
Pisanus,  Petrus  Balbus,  character  in 
Tetralogus,  I.,  364 

Piscihus  {dc)  Romanis,  Jovius,  cited, 

111.,  10  . 

Pistacia  Lentiscus,  mastic  derived  from, 

1.,  SS9 

Pisurni,  Gaspar,  I.,  253 
Pitti  Palace,  Toscanelli's  street  included 
in,  I.,  355  ;  Genoese  Portolanoin,  I.,  381 
Pius  II.,  Pope  (.^Eneas  Sylvius  Piccolo- 
mini),  efforts  for  new  Crusade,  I.,  178; 
Columbus  familiar  with  works  of,  I., 
288,  II.,  693;  Historia  Rerum  Vbique 
Gestarum,  Toscanelli  Letter  and  other 
annotations  of  Columbus,  I.,  302,  308, 
318,  519,  III.,  460,  461,  465—479;  His- 
toria,  Columbus’s  note  regarding  Dr. 
Josephus,  L,  331;  encouragement  of 
mining,  I.,  367;  death  of,  L,  361 
Pius  III.  (Francesco  Todeschini),  Pope, 
III,  352 

Pius  IV.  (Giovanni  Angelo  de’  Medici), 
Pope,  uncle  of  Carlo  Borromeo,  I.,  3 
Placa,  Juan  de  la,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  478 

Placentia,  town  of,  church  of  San  Sisto  in, 

1.,  242  • 

Plaisance.  See  Piacenza 

Planasia,  one  of  Canary  Islands,  I.,  498 
Plannck,  Stephanus,  type  employed  by 
him  used  in  first  edition  Cosco  Latin 
translation  Letter,  IL,  47 
Plantes  Sociales,  seaweed  composing  Sar¬ 
gasso  Sea ,  so-called  by  Humboldt ,  1 1 . ,  3  8 1 
Plantinus,  Christopher,  printed  Hebrew 
version  Book  of  Genesis,  II. ,  41 1 
Plaon,  Peter,  voiced  decision  of  Uni¬ 
versity  of  Paris  against  Benedict  XIII., 

11.,  342 

Platina,  name. assumed  by  Bartolommeo 
de’  Sacchi,  I.,  5,  41 
Plazia,  Pelegri,  I.,  255 
Pliny  (elder),  Caius,  Secundus,  descrip¬ 
tion  of  Fortunate  Islands,  L,  496-499, 

11. ,  245;  editing  of  1479  edition,  L, 

497;  Natural  History — mentions  Om- 
brios,  IL,  247;  annotations  of  Colum¬ 
bus  in  his  printed  works,  in.  III.,  462  ; 
cited  by  Columbus,  HI.,  232;  Colum¬ 
bus  familiar  with  works  of,  L,  18,  288; 
formation  of  pearls,  II. ,  397,  401 ;  mean¬ 
ing  attached  to  onyx-onychis,  II. ,  41 1, 
4’^^  . 

Plutarch,  his  works  in  library  of  Queen 
Isabella,  I.,  8;  Aulus  Gellius’s  reference 
to,  I.,  54;  Sertorius  heard  of  Fortunate 
Islands,  L,  495;  Spanish  translation  of 
Lives,  III.,  462;  inscription  on  tomb  of 
Cyrus,  HI.,  491 

Pluvialia,  Pluviaria,  one  of  Canary 
Islands,  lack  of  water  on,  I.,  498; 
sovereignty  of,  L,  505 


754 


Index 


Pocorosa,  Indian  Chief,  domain  of,  11.,  | 
616 

Podochatarus,  L.,  Apostolic  Secretary, 
signature  on  margin  of  Bulls  1,11,  III., 

II.,  97,  124,  139,  155;  identiheation  of, 

II.,  15-’ 

Poggio  (Bracciolini),  Giovanni  Francesco, 
Papal  Secretary,  took  down  Di  Conti’s 
narrative,  I.,  349 

Point  Isabella  discovery  of,  I.,  639 
Point  Limbc^,  identification  of,  I.,  614 
Point  Macuris,  identification  of,  I.,  641 
Point  Margot,  discovery  of,  I.,  614 
Point  Morant,  discovery  of,  II.,  336 
Polanco,  Garcia,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  572 

Polanco,  Pedro  Nolasco,  notary  public, 
San  Domingo,  III.,  566 
Polilica  Indiana,  Solorzano,  preservation 
of  Bull  II.  mentioned  in,  II.,  88 
Polixena,  daughter  of  Bariola  Coraria,  I., 

349 

Poll,  Nicolas,  physician  to  Charles  V., 
cure  for  morbus  gallicus,  I.,  87 
Pollero,  Felipo  Alberto,  Epichemera, 
quoted  Spinola  regarding  tomb  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  in  Seville,  I.,  237 
Polono,  Stanislao  (Lanqalao) ,  printer, 
different  spellings  of  name,  I.,  36; 
printed  in  Spain,  II.,  53;  printed 
Marco  Polo,  III.,  426 
Polyglot  Psalter,  the,  Giustiniano,  first 
published  account  family  origin  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  189;  follows  Gallo  and 
Senarega,  ,1.,  189;  bibliographical  de¬ 
scription  of,  I.,  202,  203;  printing  of; 
lack  of  public  appreciation,  I.,  204-206; 
relation  of  discovery  in,  1.,  206-212; 
cited,  I.,  214 

Polyphemi,  cannibals  so  called  by  Martyr, 
L,  67 

Pomegue,  islet  of.  III.,  222,  233 
Pomponiani,  the,  Roman  students,  I.,  5 
Ponce  de  Leon,  Juan,  member  Second 
Voyage,  II.,  214;  expedition  of,  I.,  38, 
589,  590,  III.,  623;  used  Becerillo  in 
Puerto  Rico,  II.,  317 
Ponce  de  Leon,  Rodrigo,  Marquis  Duke  of 
Cadiz,  illegitimate  children  of,  I  ,  426 
Pontificum,  De  Vitis  (Platina)  Sacchi,  I., 

5 

Popes,  the:  powers  of,  II.,  86.  See  names 
individual  Popes 

Porcuna,  Hernando  de,  on  First  Voyage, 
murdered  at  La  Navidad,  I.,  472 
Pordenone,  Oderigo  de.  Eastern  traveller, 
commerce  of  Canton,  I  ,  350;  route  fol¬ 
lowed  by,  I.,  351 

Porlanda,  Podanda,  islands  of,  ruled  by 
Zichmni,  I.,  384 

Porras,  Diego  de,  departure.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  378:  duties  of,  II.,  576; 
notary  public.  Fourth  Voyage,  rebelled 
against  Columbus,  II.,  570,  572,  573, 
628-630,  III.,  286,  294,  323;  Narrative 
of,  11. ,  640-646 

Porras,  Francisco  de.  Captain  Santiago  de 
Palos,  Fourth  Voyage,  rebelled  against 
Columbus,  II.,  569—576,  628-630,  III  , 
286,  294,  323;  subjection  and  capture 


of,  II.,  635,  636,  III.,  294 ;  liberation  of, 

11.,  639,  III.,  294 

Port  de  Paix,  Puerto  de  Paz,  discovery 
of,  I.,  608;  Columbus  at.  Second  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  315 

Portilia,  Andres,  printed  edition  of  Soli- 
nus,  I.,  499 

Portillo  y  Torres,  Fernando,  Archbishop 
of  Cuba,  III.,  539,  540 
Porto  Grosso,  Columbus  at,  11. ,  688 
Porto  Reale,  harbour  of,  discovery  of,  II., 
494 

Porto  Santo,  discovery  of,  I.,  396,  397; 
colonisation  of,  I.,  397,  398;  overrun 
by  rabbits,  I.,  398;  governorship  of,  L, 
398,  399,  402;  home  of  Columbus,  I., 
229,  325,  326,  395:  arrival  of  Columbus 
at.  Third  Voyage,  II.,  374 
Portocarrero,  Aldonza,  wife  Nuno  de 
Portugal,  III.,  633 

Portogalete,  Diego,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  IT,  569 

Portolano,  the  Genoese,  in  Pitti  Palace, 

1.,  381.  See  Maps 

Portugal,  discoveries  by  its  explorers,  I., 
293-299,  396;  Columbus  in,  I.,  299— 
408 ;  diplomatic  relations  with  Spain 
regarding  New  World,  II.,  112,  119- 
123;  representatives  sent  to  Rome  by, 
IT,  1 1 3;  Treaty  of  Tordesillas,  11. , 
165-186 

Portugal,  Jorge  de,  pedigree  of.  III.,  618 
Portugal,  Pedro  Nuno  II.  de,  Duke  of 
Veragua,  son  Pedro  Manuel:  sketch  of, 

111.,  635,  636 

Portugal  y  Ayala,  Caterina  Ventura, 
Duchess  of  Liria,  daughter  Pedro 
Manuel:  sketch  of.  III.,  617,  618,  634, 

637 

Portugal  y  Cardona,  Jorge  Alberto  de,  son 
of  Alvaro  de  Portugal,  III.,  633 
Portugal  y  Castro,  Pedro  Nuno  I.,  Duke 
of  Veragua,  son  Alvaro-Jacinto  de 
Portugal,  sketch  of,  III.,  633,  634 
Portugal  y  Colon,  Alvaro,  father  Nuno  de 
Portugal,  Duke  of  Veragua,  III.,  633 
Portugal  y  Cordova,  Nuno  de,  Duke  of 
Veragua,  declared  heir  to  estates  of  Co¬ 
lumbus:  sketch  of.  I.,  244,  245,  III., 

63.3 

Portugal  y  la  Bastida,  Alvaro-Jacinto, 
Duke  of  Veragua,  son  Nuno  de  Portu¬ 
gal:  sketch  of.  III.,  633 
Portugal  y  la  Cueva,  Pedro  Manuel,  Duke 
of  Veragua,  son  Pedro  Nuno  I.:  sketch 
of.  III.,  634 

Portugal — Columbus,  House  of.  III.,  632- 
636 

Portulano  Mediceo,  Lancerote  appears  on, 
L,  503 

Posa,  Pierre  (Petrus),  Catalonian  priest, 
printed  with  Brun,  II.,  10;  works 
printed  by,  II.,  26 

Pou,  Gabriel,  printer,  printed  P.  Vergili 
Maronis  Aineis,  IT,  26 
Pou,  Miguel,  German  Consul  at  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  assisted  at  identification  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus,  TIL.  560-566 
Powell,  William,  published  Eden’s  trans¬ 
lation  of  Decades,  I.,  71 


Index 


755 


Pozzo  (well) ,  gave  title  to  various  families 
in  Florence,  I,,  355 

Pravia,  Ana  de,  wife  of  Cristoval  Colon  y 
Toledo,  II.,  608,  III.,  617 
Prescott,  William  H.,  History  of  Ferdi¬ 
nand  and  Isabella,  Columbus  portrait 
in,  IIP,  57 

Prester  or  Presbyter  John,  rumours  of,  I., 
297;  Embassy  of  the  Pope  to,  I  , 

351 

Priano,  Vincentio,  I.,  255 
Prieto,  Senor,  Alcalde  of  Palos,  cabled 
congratulations  August  3,  1892,  on 

400th  anniversary  departure  of  Colum¬ 
bus  fleet,  I.,  466 

Prieto,  Alonso  Rodriguez,  Register  of 
Palos,  I.,  468 

Prieto,  Diego,  of  Granada,  carried  money 
from  Isabella  to  Columbus,  I.,  432-434 
Prieto,  Diego  Rodriguez,  Alcalde  of  Palos, 
received  order  for  contribution  of  ships 
to  Columbus,  I.,  464-468 
Prieto,  Lopez,  possessed  Fuenmayor’s 
manuscript.  III  ,  525 
Prime,  hour  of,  six  o’clock  nioming,  II., 
3^4 

Primer  Volume  de  la  Vida  de  Nuestra 
Senor,  Xim6nes,  printing  of,  II.,  53 
Primera  Epistola  del  Almirante  Don 
Cristobal  Colon,  Varnhagen,  publica¬ 
tion  of,  II.,  45 

Primera  Parte  de  las  Diferencias  de  Libros, 
etc.,  Vanegas  de  Busto,  designation  new 
parts  of  America,  III.,  606 
Primera  Parte  de  los  Anales  de  Aragon, 
Argensola,  Columbus  equipped  by 
Aragon,  I.,  463 

Primera  Parte  de  los  Comentarios  Reales, 
De  la  Vega,  the  Pilot  story,  I.,  328-331, 

111.,  470,  471 

Primrose,  the,  English  vessel.  III.,  529 
Printing,  invention  of,  I.,  168;  introduc¬ 
tion  into  Spain,  II  ,  10;  introduction 
into  New  World,  III.,  442 
Probanzas  del  Almirante  contained  in 
Navarrete,  I.,  418 

Proceedings  American  Antiquarian  So¬ 
ciety,  cited.  III.,  59 

Process!  Verbal!  del  ConslgUo  Comunale 
d!  Genova,  cited.  III.,  52 
Proctor,  Robert,  Index  to  Early  Printed 
Books,  I.,  168.  III.,  462;  gives  a  list  of 
flfteenth-century  editions  of  Virgil,  I., 
349;  identification  of  woodcut  and 
type  of  Folio  Letter  by,  II.,  10;  books 
printed  by  Michael,  II.,  26;  assigns 
Carvajal’s  oration  to  press  of  Plannck, 

11.,  86;  classification  of  Edition  “M” 
Cfdumbus  Letter,  II.,  68;  classification 
of  German  Edition  Columbus  Letter, 
IT..  72 

Profecias,  De  Las.  See  "Book  of  the 
Prophecies" 

Provost  d’ Exiles,  Abb<5,  Histoire  Generale 
des  Voyages,  date  of  Columbus’s  birth, 

1.,  274 

Psalter,  first  book  printed  with  date; 
.second  edition  is  first  dated  printed 
book  owned  in  America,  II.,  525 
Psaltcrium.  See  "Polyglot  Psalter” 


Ptolema?us,  Claudius  (Ptolemy),  first  en¬ 
graved  map  of,  Mare  Atlanticum,  I., 
165;  Map  of  the  World,  location  of 
Lybia,  I.,  210;  Columbus  familiar  with 
works  of,  I.,  288;  first  engraved  map  of 
Geography  of,  I.,  296;  Cosmagraphia 
based  on  stories  of  travellers,  I.,  348, 
349;  corrected  Marinus  of  Tjue,  I., 
3S3,  II.,  687;  Cosmographia  translated 
into  Latin,  I.,  353;  different  editions 
of,  I..  381;  complete  sets,  I.,  500; 
legend  on  first  engraved  maps  of,  I., 
377;  first  engraved  map  showing  Ice¬ 
land,  I.,  381 ;  Greenland  called  Engron- 
elantin  1482  edition,  I.,  385;  Frislanda 
called  Ferensis  in  1482  edition,  I.,  384; 
first  definitely  located  Canary  Islands, 

1.,  500-502;  Canary  Islands  first  given 
modern  names  in  1513  edition,  I.,  510; 
meridian  established  by,  I.,  501,  502; 
division  of  India  by,  IL,  52;  De  Situ 
Orbis,  cited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  197,  198; 
Zeno  map  in  1561  edition,  I.,  389; 
Ruysch  map  calls  Espanola  Spagnola, 

11.,  495;  location  of  Catigara,  II.,  592 
687;  Cabo  de  Sant  Miguel  shown  in, 

II.,  626;  bibliographical  description 
1478  edition  ;  annotations  of  Columbus 
in.  III.,  405,  406,  463 

Puebla  Vieja,  Columbus’  fleet.  Fourth 
Voyage,  prepared  at,  II. ,  576;  III., 
261, 264 

Puerta  de  Goles,  gate  of  Seville,  III., 
424 

Puerto  Bello  (harbour),  discovery  of; 
history  of,  II. ,  594-596;  Columbus 
abandoned  ship  at,  II.,  691 
Puerto  Bueno  (Jamaica),  probable  dis¬ 
covery  of,  n. ,  316;  Columbus  at. 
Fourth  Voyage,  11. ,  623 
Puerto  de  Cibao,  discovery  of,  II.,  31 1 
Puerto  de  Gatos,  discovery  of,  II.,  400 
Puerto  de  la  Concepcion,  discovery  of,  I., 
584 

Puerto  de  la  Granja,  discovery  of,  I.,  614 
Puerto  de  la  Mar  de  Santo  'tomds,  dis¬ 
covery  of,  I.,  619;  entrance  to,  1.,  623 
Puerto  de  las  Cabanas,  discovery  of,  II., 
401 

Puerto  de  Mares,  identification  of,  I.,  559 
Puerto  de  Plata,  discovery  of,  I.,  641; 

confounded  with  Babueca,  II.,  394 
Puerto  de  San  Juan  de  Nicaragua,  proba¬ 
bly  Cariari;  landing  of  Columbus  at, 

II.,  582,  584 

Puerto  de  San  Nicolao,  description  of,  I., 
582,  583.  See  also  St.  Nicholas 
Puerto  del  Brasil  (Yaquimo),  location  of, 

II.,  407,  692,  III.,  277 
Puerto  del  Padre,  possible  landfall  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  on  Cuba,  I.,  550,  554,  593 
Puerto  del  Principe,  discovery  of,  I.,  566, 
568;  founded  under  Velasquez,  I.,  115 
Puerto  Escudo,  identification  of,  I.,  582 
Puerto  Grande,  discovery  of,  II.,  316 
Puerto  Hermoso,  Columbus  escaped 
wreck  in.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  579 
Puerto  Maria,  identification  of,  I.,  582 
Puerto  Plata,  nearest  port  to  site  of  Isa¬ 
bella,  II.,  283 


756 


I  ndex 


Puerto  Rico,  identified  as  island  of  Carib, 

1.,  046,  047;  (Burenquen,  San  Juan, 
Bautista),  discovery  of:  first  name  of, 

11.,  ’lO;  called  Burenquen — arrival  at. 
Second  Voyage,  II,,  270,  375;  settle¬ 
ment  of.  III.,  623;  anecdote  of  manner 
in  which  Indians  pro\’ed  Spaniards 
mortal,  I.,  537:  cession  to  United 
States,  III.,  617 

Puerto  Sacro,  discovery  of,  I.,  642 
Puerto  Santo,  discovery  of,  I.,  577 
Puffendorf,  spelling  of  Cogoleto,  I.,  235 
Puliti,  Professor,  discovered  Toscanelli 
manuscript,  I.,  370 
Punta  Aguda,  I.,  608 
Punta  de  Alcatraz,  situation  of,  II.,  385 
Punta  de  Caxinas,  discovery  of,  II.,  644 
Punta  de  I’Aguja,  discovered  by  Colum¬ 
bus;  identification  of,  II.,  393 
Punta  de  la  Dehesa,  island  of  Ferro, 
French  meridian  passed  through,  I., 
502 

Punta  de  la  Pena  (Cabo  de  Lapa),  II., 


390 

Punta  de  Pena  Blanca  (Cabo  Boto),  II., 
39° 

Punta  de  la  Playa,  confused  with  Cabo  de 
Lapa,  II.,  361,  395;  discovery  of,  II., 

371.  385  .  ,  .  , 

Punta  del  Arenal,  discovery  and  identifi¬ 
cation  of,  II.,  386,  504 
Punta  della  Spiaggia,  Italian  for  Punta 
de  la  Playa,  II.,  384,  385 
Punta  de  Prados.  See  Puerto  Bello 
Punta  Galeota,  called  by  Columbus  Punta 
Galera,  II.,  370,  384 

Punta  Galera,  name  wrongly  given  to 
point  on  Trinidad,  II.,  370 
Punta  Lanzada,  point  on  Tortugas,  dis¬ 
covery  of,  I.,  608 

Punta  Liana,  discovered  and  named  by 
Columbus,  II.,  397 

Punta  Morocoi,  landfall  on  South  Amer¬ 
ica  at,  II.,  391 

Punta  Mosquitas,  discovery  of,  II.,  616 
Punta  Piema,  point  on  Tortugas,  dis¬ 
covery  of,  I.,  608 
Punta  Roja,  discovery  of,  I.,  639 
Punta  Santa  mentioned  by  Columbus,  I., 
621 

Punta  Sara  discovered  and  named  by 
Columbus,  II.,  397 

Punta  Seca,  north-east  end  of  Espanola, 
I.,  641 

Punta  Seca,  Venezuelan  coast,  II.,  397, 

398 

Purpurarite,  the,  Madeiras  so  called  by 
Pliny,  I.,  497,  498 

Pyramids,  the,  Peter  Martyr’s  visit  to,  L, 
18,  19;  construction  and  opening  of,  I., 
18 

Pytheas,  Greek  geographer,  visit  to  Thule, 
I.,  382 

Q 


friendly  toward  Peter  Martyr,  I.,  14, 
15;  Martyr’s  sketch  of,  I,,  16;  audi¬ 
ences  to  Martyr,  16,  17,  20;  results  of 
Martyr's  Embassy  to,  1.,  21;  cited,  II., 
444 

Quaritch,  Bernard,  published  Valdes’s 
Hundred  and  Ten  Considerations,  I., 
95 ;  published  fac-simile  Spanish  Folio 
Letter,  II.,  10,  ii;  believed  Span¬ 
ish  Folio  Letter  was  printed  by  Posa 
press,  II.,  27;  purchased  forged  ex¬ 
ample  of  Spanish  Quarto  Letter,  II., 
42;  purchased  second  edition  of 
Psalter,  II.,  525 

Quarto,  town  of,  Domenico  Colombo  pur¬ 
chased  house  in,  I.,  250 
Quarto  Spanish  Letter,  Spanish  Quarto 
Letter 

Querido,  Alonso  Gutierrez,  member  First 
Voyage,  I.,  471 
Quevedo,  portrait  of.  III.,  24 
Quibia,  Qubian,  the,  Indian  Chief,  do¬ 
main  of,  II.,  604;  intercourse  with  Co¬ 
lumbus,  II.,  605,  645,  689;  capture  and 
escape  of,  II.,  610,  611,  646,  690;  at¬ 
tacked  Spaniards,  IT,  613,  646,  690 
Quiche,  Indian  nation,  I.,  139 
Quijo,  Juan  de,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 

>  57°  .  .  ^  . 

Qumsay,  Quisay,  Guisay,  Gumsay,  city 
of  (City  of  Heaven),  riches  of,  I.,  306, 
312,  315,  324,  350,  II.,  620;  modern 
name  and  location  of,  I,,  348,  IT,  620; 
briefly  mentioned  by  Di  Conti,  I.,  349; 
longitude  of,  I.,  352;  Columbus  sought 
for,  I.,  547,  556;  location  on  Toscanelli 
map,  I.,  556 

Quintana,  Manuel  Joseph,  Vidas  de  Es- 
panoles  Celebres,  mentions  father  of  Las 
Casas,  I.,  115;  Las  Casas’s  conquest  of 
La  Tierra  de  Guerra,  I.,  139 
Quintanilla,  Alonso  de,  order  for  pay¬ 
ment  to  Columbus,  I.,  279,  280,  413; 
Columbus  protected  by,  I.,  412,  413 
Quintero,  Anton,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy- 
""  age,  IT,  571 

Quintero,  Cristobal,  joint-owner  of  the 
Pinta,  I.,  469,  470,  472;  caused  acci¬ 
dent  to  Pinta,  I.,  516 
Quintero,  Juan,  member  First  Voyage,  I., 
471;  wages  of,  I,,  479;  testimony  at 
Fiscal  Inquiry,  II.,  372 
Quintero,  Juan,  master.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II-.  571 

Quintilian,  imperfect  copy  owned  by 
Petrarch,  II.,  439 

Quinto,  town  of,  pretended  birthplace  of 
Columbus,  I.,  234,  245 
Quiribri,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  582 
Quiroga,  Vasco  de,  money  paid  to,  I.,  459 
Quisqueya,  Quizqueia,  old  native  name  of 
Espanola,  I.,  586,  III.,  555 
Quondam,  notarial  use  of  adverb  in  Mid¬ 
dle  Ages,  I.,  250 


Quadrado,  Juan,  member  First  Voyage, 
salary  of,  I.,  479 

Quadrant  recorded  half  degrees,  I.,  557, 
569,  607 

Quansou  Ghoury,  Sultan  of  Egypt, 


R 

Raccolta  Di  Doewmenti  e  Studi,  published 
by  Italian  Columbian  Commission, 
cited.  III,,  48,  369.  The  original  Com- 


Index 


757 


Raccolta  Di  Documenti  e  Studi — Cant’d 
mission  appointed  by  King  Umberto  to 
gather  information  concerning  the  Dis¬ 
covery  and  publish  the  same  on  occa¬ 
sion  of  the  fourth  centenary,  organised 
June  15,  1888:  Cesare  Correnti,* 

Francesco  Nobili  Vitelleschi,  Giacomo 
Doria,  Luigi  Tommaso  Belgrano,* 
Michele  Amari,*  Anton  Gmlio  Barrili, 
Guglielmo  Berchet,*  Paolo  Boselli, 
Cesare  Cantu,  Bartolomeo  Capasso, 
Bartolomeo  Cecchetti,*  Giuseppe  Dallo 
Vedova,*  Enrico  Alberto  D’Albertis,* 
Giuseppe  De  Luca,  Cornelio  Desimoni,* 
Cesare  Guasti,*  Henry  Harrisse,  Luigi 
Hugues,*  Giacomo  Malvano,*  Vin¬ 
cenzo  Promis,*  Amadio  Ronchini,* 
Marcello  Staglieno,*  Marco  Tabarrini. 

Cesare  de  Lollis  became  editor-in- 
chief  and  associated  with  him  as  editors 
and  writers  were  the  Commissioners 
after  whose  names  is  an  asterisk  and 
Gustavo  Uzielli,  Umbcrti  Rossi,  Enrico 
and  Alberto  Salvagnini,  Vincenzo  Bel- 
lemo,  Andrea  Da  Mosto,  Marco  Allegri, 
Giovanni  Celoria,  Giuseppe  Fumagalli, 
P.  Timoteo  Bertelli,  Pietro  Aniat  di 
San  Filippo,  Vittore  Bellio,  Giuseppe 
Pennesi,  Achille  Neri,  Prosper©  Pera- 
gallo. 

Forgery  of  Spanish  Quarto  Letter 
admitted  to  editor  of,  II.,  41 :  published 
manuscript  Libretto  and  photograph  of 
title-page  published  in,  II.,  441 ;  Negri 
portrait,  IIP,  34:  Ambras  or  Vienna- 
Columbus  portrait,  III.,  ^7;  error  re¬ 
garding  Melchior  Gorricio,  III.,  261; 
identity  Juan  Lopez,  III.,  302,  303; 
Harrisse  corrected  by.  III.,  313;  value 
of.  III.,  487,  488 

Racconio,  Cantu,  records  death  and  age  of 
Columbus,  I.,  273 

Raffaele,  Bombrini,  III.,  569,  571 

Rafn,  Professor,  location  of  monastery  in 
Greenland  by,  I.,  385 

Ragged  Islands  (Las  Islas  de  Arena),  dis¬ 
covery  of,  I.,  550 

Rajna,  Pio,  Prof.,  gives  meaning  of  piaga, 

111.,  6oq 

Raki,  Turkish  liquors,  mastic  used  in,  I  , 
559 

Raleigh,  Walter,  Sir,  History  of  the  W  orld, 
composed  in  prison,  I.,  463 

Ram,  Mateo,  conspired  for  murder  of 
Arbu6s,  I.,  461 

Rama,  Sancho  de,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  479 

Ramirez,  Bartolom4,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  371 ;  death  of,  II.,  612,  613 

Ramirez,  Francisco,  husband  of  Beatrix 
Galindo,  I.,  8 

Ramirez,  Gonzalo,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II  ,  371 

Ramirez,  Juan,  Clerk  of  the  Council  of  the 
Sovereigns,  directed  printing  of  book 
containing  Bulls  and  Royal  orders, 

11.,  76 

Ramirez,  Juan  Sanchez,  sketch  of:  re¬ 
mains  found  in  Cathedral  of  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  III  ,  337 


Ramirez  de  Prado,  Lorenzo,  Don,  mem¬ 
ber  Council  of  the  Indies,  said  to 
possess  manuscript  copy  of  Lettera,  II.. 

Ramirez,  Ramiro,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  571 

Ramleh,  Sultan  granted  Christians  right 
to  rebuild  sacred  temples  at,  I . ,  17 
Ramon,  Alonso,  boatswain.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  371;  death  of,  II.,  612,  613 
Ramon  Pane,  Friar,  his  work  in  the  New 
World,  1  ,  79,  80;  Nnestra  Sehora  de 
Izamal,  cited,  I  ,  80 

Ramusio  (Rhamusio),  Gio  Battista,  first 
biographer  of  Marco  Polo,  I  ,  168;  in¬ 
corporated  Summario  in  Navigationi  et 
Viaggi,  I.,  267;  works  contain  account 
alleged  voyage  of  Verrazzano,  1  ,  267: 
went  to  Portugal  for  manuscript  of 
Conti’s  adventures,  I.,  293;  gives  date 
absolution  of  Di  Conti  by  Eugene  IV., 

I.,  349;  voyage  of  Magellan  in  book 
of,  II.,  204;  gave  Pero  Alonzo  Nino 
correct  name,  II.,  433 
Randoli,  Cornelia,  cited  in  Sfera,  I.,  322 
Ranicri,  Salvator,  discovery  Lotto-Co- 
lumbus  portrait.  III.,  64-66 
Raphaello.GiovaniSantid’Urbino,  painted 
his  masterpiece  for  church  of  .San  Sisto, 
I  ,  242 

Rascon,  Gomes,  joint  owner  of  the  Pinta, 

I.,  469,  470,  472;  caused  accident  to 
Pinta,  I  ,  316 

Rastelo,  arrival  of  Columbus  at,  I.,  664. 

n  .  13 

Ratoneau,  islet  of.  III.,  222,  233 
Ravina,  Dr.,  claim  of  Cosseria  as  birth¬ 
place  Columbus,  I  ,  246 
Read,  Harmon  Pumpclly,  Major,  Duke  of 
Veragua  presented  copy  coat-of-arms 
to,  II.,  336 

Real  de  plata,  Spanish  coin,  value  of,  I., 
487, 488 

Recco,  Nicoloso  de,  wrote  results  of 
Genoese  expedition  to  Canaries,  I.,  303 
Redondo,  cape,  discovery  of,  I.,  641 
Regina  Angelorum,  church  of,  San  Do¬ 
mingo,  remains  of  Columbus  deposited 
in.  III  ,  376,  377,  592;  remains  taken 
from.  III.,  397 

Regiomontanus.  See  Muller,  Johannes 
Regida  Christina,  printed  by  Pablos,  I., 
37 

Reisch,  Gregory,  Margarita  Phtlosophica, 
northern  continent  called  Zoana  Mela, 
IF, 454 

Remesal,  Antonio  de,  Spanish  historian, 
Historia  de  la  Provincia  de  S.  Vincente 
de  Chiapa,  cited,  I.,  ii,  139,  141,  142; 
hostile  reception  to  Las  Casas  in  Chia¬ 
pas,  I.,  149;  first  mention  of  Council 
being  held  at  Salamanca,  I.,  418 
Renault,  E.,  La  Syphilis  au  XV‘  SiScle, 
cited,  I.,  87 

Ren6  d’Anjou,  King,  Comte  de  Provence, 
service  of  Columbus  to,  I.,  300 
Rentera,  Pedro  de  la,  friend  and  partner 
of  Las  Casas,  I.,  1 1 7 
Repartimiento,  system  of  slavery,  I. 

117 


Index 


/o‘ 


Ri'pcrtorimn  Bibliograp]iicit»i,  Hain.Ludo- 
vicus,  CaloiJariiiJii  cited  in,  1.,  359; 
description  Edition  “Q”  Columbus 
Letter,  11.,  71.  See  Hain 
Reposteria,  office  of,  purpose  of,  II.,  355 
Repostero,  Spanish  official ,  office  of ,  1 1 . ,  3  5  5 
Reriiiii  Italicaniin  Seriptores,  Muratori, 
contains  works  of  Gallo  and  Senarega, 
1.,  1S9,  111.,  3 

ReriDii  Mei)iorabilitiiit  Collectanece,  Sol- 
inus,  description  of  Fortunate  Islands 
in,  1.,  499 

Rentiii  Venetianim  ab  Urbe  Condita,  Sa- 
bcllicus,  cited,  1.,  214 
Resende,  Garcia  de,  Portuguese  historian, 
meeting  of  Columbus  and  King  of 
Portugal,  I.,  666 

Retrete,  harbour  of,  discovery  and  de¬ 
scription  of,  II.,  507;  stop  of  Colum¬ 
bus  at,  II.,  598,  599,  645,  688 
Retribution,  poetic  and  real,  I.,  113 
Retzius,  A.,  Professor,  ethnologist,  com¬ 
pared  skulls  of  Guanches  and  Caribs,  I., 
494 

Revista  CriUca,  Belloro,  pretended  will  of 
Domenico  Colombo,  I.,  236 
Reyes  Catdlicos,  los,  title  conferred  on 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  I.,  413;  IP,  86. 
See  also  Sovereigns. 

Reyes  CatdLicos.  See  “  Historia  de  los 
Reyes  Catolicos” 

Reynal,  Juan,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  479 

Reynalates,  Juan,  seaman.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  570;  death  of,  II.,  612,  613 
Rha  (river  Volga),  root  of  word  rhubarb 
derived  from,  I.,  630 
Rhetoric,  Aristotle,  Barbarus’s  translation 
of,  I.,  218 

Rhizophora  Mangle,  botanical  name  of 
mangrove,  II.,  396 

Rhubarb,  supposed  discovery  of;  de¬ 
scription  and  uses  of,  I.,  630,  631,  II., 
25,  81 

Ribarol,  Francisco  di.  See  Rivarola 
Ribera,  Francisca  de,  wife  of  Diego  Men¬ 
dez,  II.,  666 

Ribera,  Johannes,  companion  of  Cortes, 
took  native  Mexican  to  Martyr,  II.,  585 
Ribero,  Diego,  Spanish  cosmographer, 
location  of  Guanahani,  I.,  598;  ex¬ 
amined  pilots.  III.,  422 
Richard  III.,  King  of  England,  fall  of,  I., 
228 

Richelieu,  Amand  Jean  du  Plessis,  estab¬ 
lishment  of  French  meridian  by,  I.,  502 
Riding  Rocks,  Watling  Island,  landfall  of 
Columbus  near,  I.,  600 
Rima  Ottava,  Dati  published  poem  in,  II., 

.7°  .  . 

Rinaldi,  Piervincentio,  Dante  dei,  trans¬ 
lated  Sfera  of  Sacrabosco,  I.,  322 
Rinck,  Mr.,  Columbus  portrait  named 
from ,  III.,  73 

Ringon,  Antonio  del,  Spanish  artist,  III., 
8,  28,  3 1 

Rio  de  Gracia,  discovery  of,  I.,  640 
Rio  de  la  Luna,  identification  of,  I.,  552 
Rio  de  la  Posesion,  discovery  of,  II.,  644 
Rio  de  las  Canas,  Yaqui  so  called,  II.,  31 1 


Rio  de  Mares  (Puerto  de),  discovery  of, 
J-.  552,  559 

Rio  del  Oro,  identification  of,  II.,  311 
Rio  del  Sol,  discovery  of,  I.,  563 
Rios,  Angel  de  los,  cited.  III.,  24 
Riphaji,  Rhiphiei,  mountains  in  Scythia, 

.1-.  503 

Ris,  Clement  de.  Count,  cited.  III.,  67 
Risposta,  by  Isnardi,  calls  Columbus’s 
sister  Nicoletta,  I.,  258 
Ritius,  Antonius  (de  Bisagno),  I.,  253 
Ritratti  di  Cento  Capitani  lllitstri  Con  li 
Lor  Fatti  in  Guerra  Brevemente  Scritti, 
Capriolo  engraving  Columbus  first 
found  in,  IIP,  27 

Riva  di  Padova,  Giuseppe,  Count,  gift  of 
Columbus  portrait,  IIP,  39 
Rivadeneyra,  Curiosidades  Bibliogrdficas, 
quotation  from  Zunega,  IP,  15,  III.,  87 
Rivarola,  Rivarol,  or  Ribarol,  Francesco 
di,  Genoese  banker,  despatched  trading 
ships  without  licence,  P,  477  ;  Columbus 
intrusted  him  with  Book  of  Privileges, 
IP,  531 ;  managed  affairs  of  Columbus, 
IP,  577,  IIP,  163,  242,  243,  356,  366 
Riviere,  Cdrlos  de  la,  Don,  IIP,  542 
Roa,  town  of,  Xim6nes  died  at,  P,  119 
Robe  (casula)  presented  by  Sultan  to 
Martyr,  P,  20 

Robert,  Charles  Frederick,  Mosquito 
Chief,  grant  of  territory  by,  IP,  84, 

85 

Roberts,  Orlando,  trader,  description  of 
river  Belem,  IP,  605 

Robertson,  William,  Dr.,  History  of 
Charles  V.:  date  coronation  Charles  V., 
P,  107;  History  of  America,  date  birth 
of  Columbus,  I.,  264,  274 
Robertus,  Neap.  Rex.,  III.,  16 
Roca,  Stephen  de  la.  Alcalde  of  Seville, 
witnessed  compilation  Book  of  Privi¬ 
leges,  IP,  530 

Rocamora  owned  document  purchased 
by  Duchess  of  Alba,  P,  477 
Rocha,  Ignacio  de  la,  IIP,  540 
Roderick,  Dr.,  signed  Royal  orders,  P, 
447.  451.  467 

Rodrigalvares,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage, 
IP,  571 

Rodrigo,  Master,  went  with  Dr.  Joseph  on 
scientific  expedition,  P,  407 
Rodriguez,  Alonso,  boatswain  of  San 
Juan,  Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba 
continental  land,  IP,  330 
Rodriguez,  Diego,  IIP,  277,  279 
Rodriguez,  Gonzalo,  sailor.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IP,  569 

Rodriguez,  Juan,  Spanish  artist,  IIP,  8 
Rodriguez,  Juan,  Johan,  sailor.  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  continental 
land,  IP,  330:  Fourth  Voyage,  on 
Capitana,  IP,  569 

Rodriguez,  Juan,  seaman  on  Santiago  de 
Palos,  Fourth  Voyage,  IP,  570;  death 
of,  IP,  612,  613 

Rodriguez,  Martin,  notary  public  of  Se¬ 
ville,  helped  make  copy  Maiorat,  IP, 
530;  IIP,  159 

Rodriguez,  Pero,  sailor,  Fourth  Voyage, 
IL,  569;  death  of,  II.,  612,  613 


Index 


759 


Rodriguez,  Sebastian,  pilot  of  Lepe,  ear¬ 
ned  letter  from  Perez  to  the  Queen,  I., 
43 1  >  433>  434 

Roldan,  Alonso  Perez,  Master  of  San 
Juan,  Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba 
was  continental  land,  II.,  ^30 
Roldan,  Bartolomd,  pilot.  First  Voyage, 

1.,  471 ;  estimated  salary,  I.,  474;  sailor. 
First  Voyage,  actual  salary,  I.,  479; 
course  reckoned  by,  I.,  652,  653 

Roldan,  Diego,  sailor.  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 

569 

Roldan,  Francisco,  appointed  Alcalde 
Mayor  of  Espanola,  II.,  356,  417;  led 
rebellion  in  Espanola,  II.,  405-407, 
417-419,  506;  Adelantado  told  Colum¬ 
bus  of  rebellion  of,  II.,  407;  death  of, 
II'  579  ^  „ 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  power  of,  II.,  84 
Romano,  Giulio,  gave  collection  of  por¬ 
traits  to  Paulus  Jovius,  III.,  12,  23,  39 
Rome,  academy  at,  I.,  4,  5 
Romero,  Juan,  sailor.  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  478 

Ronda,  town  of,  surrender  of,  I.,  281 
Roque  Cocchia,  Rt.  Rev.  D.  Fr.,  Bishop 
of  Orope,  caused  repairs  to  Cathedral  of 
San  Domingo,  III.,  552;  directed  ex¬ 
amination  remains  Luis  Columbus, 

111.,  556;  caused  search  for  remains  of 
Columbus,  III.,  556,  557;  directed 
identification  remains  of  Columbus, 

111.,  558-566;  correspondence  with 
Ayuntamiento,  III.,  577-579;  con¬ 
sented  to  second  examination  of  re¬ 
mains,  III.,  582;  preached  on  first 
anniversary  discovery  of  remains.  III., 
592,  503;  took  out  portion  dust  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  593,  594,  612 

Roritz,  Femandus  de.  Canon  of  Lisbon, 
witnessed  De  Cusa’s  will,  I.,  362; 

identification  as  Femam  Martins,  I., 
362-365 

Roritz,  village  of,  identity  and  location  of, 

I  -  363 

Rosa,  Constanza,  mistress  of  Diego  Co¬ 
lumbus,  legacy  to,  I.,  422,  III  ,  623 
Rosa,  Gonzales  de  la,  originated  theory 
adopted  by  M.  Vignaud.  See  latter 
Rosato,  Ambrosio,  physician  and  astrono¬ 
mer,  influence  of,  II.,  243 
Roselly  de  Lorgues,  Count,  Christophe 
C0/0W16,  etc.,  birth  of  Columbus,  I.,  268; 
conception  of  character  of  Columbus, 

11.,  364;  portrait  Columbus,  III.,  30 
Rosenbach,  Johannes,  Spanish  printer, 

possessed  woodcut  of  initial  “S”  same 
as  in  Folio  Letter,  II.,  10,  26;  works 
printed  by,  II  ,  10,  26 
Rosetti,  Venetian  messenger,  murder  of, 

1.,  223 

Rossi,  Luigi,  steward  Duchess  of  Parma, 
bought  Lotto-Columbus  portrait.  III., 
66 

Rossi,  Umberto.  See  “  Raccolta” 

Rota,  French  corsairs  landed  Spaniards 
at.  III.,  134 

Rotulo,  Gaspard,  friend  of  Martyr,  I  ,  31 
Rouen,  astrolabe  of  B6thencourt  in 
Museum  of  Antiquities  at,  I.,  508;  por¬ 


trait  Columbus  formerly  in  Museum, 

in„  34 

Rousseau’s  Jean  Jacques,  La  Decouverte  du 
Nouveau  Monde,  I.,  344 
Rovere,  Antonio  della,  Venetian  archae¬ 
ologist,  discovered  and  bought  Lotto- 
Columbus  portrait.  III.,  64-66 
Royal  Harbour,  discovery  of,  II.,  257 
Rubicon,  fortress  built  by  Bethencourt  in 
Canary  Islands,  I.,  509 
Ruchamer,  Jobst,  translated  Newe  Weldt, 

I-,  398 

Rucia,  cape,  identification  of,  I.,  636 
Ruiz,  Francisco,  squire.  Fourth  Voyage, 

II.,  569 

Ruiz,  Juan,  signed  Treaty  of  Tordesillas, 

II.,  186 

Ruiz,  Sancho,  pilot  Santo  Maria,  I.,  469, 
470;  probable  salary.  First  Voyage,  L, 
474;  course  reckoned  by,  I.,  653 
Rum  Cay,  island  of,  probable  identifica¬ 
tion  of,  I.,  597 

Ruma  Island,  one  of  the  Islas  de  Los,  I., 
408 

Ruscelli.  Girolamo,  edited  1561  Ptolemy, 
I-..389 

Rusticano,  Messer,  Marco  Polo  related  his 
travels  to,  I.,  168 

Ruysch,  Ptolemy,  1 508,  M^  of  the  World, 
legends  on,  1.,  166; — Espanola  called 
Spagnola,  II.,  495 
Ryswick,  Peace  of.  III.,  538 

S 

Saba,  Indian  Chief,  Spaniards  sought  for, 

II.,  258 

Sabaeans,  the,  inhabitants  of  Espanola, 
riches  of,  II.,  258,  259 
Sabelh,  ancient  name  Sabines,  II.,  516 
Sabellicus,  Marcus  Antonius  Coccio, 
sketch  and  portrait  of,  II.,  515-517; 
called  a  Titus  Livy,  I.,  216,  II.,  516; 
Enneades,  publication,  title,  and  con¬ 
tents  of,  II.,  515,  516;  probable  sources 
of  his  information,  II.,  522,  523;  no 
allusion  to  discovery  in  1498  edition, 

II.,  74;  Enneades,  account  of  discovery 
in,  II.,  74,  518-521 ;  Rerww  Venctiaruni 
ab  Urhe  Condita,  Lib.  xxxiii., capture  of 
Venetian  galleys  told  in,  I.,  214;  states 
that  Venetian  vessels  were  returning 
from  Flanders,  I.,  219;  Embassy  of 
Donato,  I.,  217,  218;  did  not  mention 
Pilot  story,  L,  328 

Sabeta,  mainland  of  South  America  so 
called  by  Columbus,  II.,  394 
Sabines,  the,  ancient  nam.e  of,  II.,  516 
Sabinuli,  Sabini,  Sabelli  contracted  from, 

II.,  516 

Sacavem,  Sacanben,  village  of,  situation 
of:  Columbus  at,  I.,  665,  IT.,  q 
Sacchi,  Bartolommeo  de’  (Platina),  De 
Vitis  Pontificum,  1,  5 
Sacrobosco,  Giovanni,  Columbus  familiar 
with  works  of,  I.,  288:  Sfera,  inter¬ 
polated  passage  regarding  Toscanelli 
letters,  I.,  322 

Sacy,  Sylvester  de,  French  scholar,  saw 
copy  Rook  of  PrivilegesmGenoa,  II.,  532 


760 


Index 


Sagas,  the,  put  in  poetical  fonn  by  Adam 
of  Bremen,  I.,  393 

St.  Ambrosio,  Exaiiicroii,  cited  bj^  Co¬ 
lumbus,  II.,  404 

St.  Andrea  Gate  (Genoa),  I.,  255-257, 
opp.  25S,  262,  263 

St.  Anne,  harbour  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  316 
St.  Antonio,  Island  of,  II.,  198 
St.  Augustin,  cited  by  Columbus,  II.,  404 
St.  Brandan,  Brandon,  Brendan,  Boron- 
don,  isle  of,  on  Behaim’s  globe,  I.,  279, 
518;  legend  of,  I.,  343,  518 
St.  Carlo.  See,  Borromeo,  Carlo 
St.  Christopher,  mines  of  (Las  Minas  de 
Sant  Cristobal) ,  fortress  built  for  guard¬ 
ing  of,  II.,  352;  discovery  of,  II.,  353 
St.  Christopher,  portrait  on  La  Cosa  map, 

^  in.,  79 

St.  Crdpin  and  St.  Crdpinien,  representa¬ 
tion  of;  used  by  Guyot  Marehant,  II., 
62 

St.  Did,  city  of, /jwago  Mimdi  alleged  to 
have  been  composed  at;  Cosniographice 
Introdiictio,  which  named  America, 
printed  at,  II.,  341;  two  great  im¬ 
pulses  arose  at.  III.,  13 
Saint  Elmo,  guardian  of  shipwrecked 
sailors,  11.,  247 

St.  George,  Bank  of.  Chancellor  of,  I., 
190;  history  of.  III.,  248-259;  letter  of 
Columbus  to,  I.,  287,  II.,  531;  legacy  of 
Columbus  to,  I.,  212,  HI  ,  508,  652; 
letters  to  Columbus  and  Diego,  HI  , 
250,  251;  the  forgery  of  Columbus’ 
letter,  III.,  252-255;  Giustiniano  pre¬ 
sented  work  on  Corsica  to,  I.,  204 
St.  Gregory,  Dominican  College,  home  of 
Las  Casas,  I.,  157 

Saint  Jerome,  his  version  Holy  Bible 
probably  used  by  Columbus,  II.,  410; 
cited,  ll.,  696;  III.,  662 
Saint  Jerome  in  the  Desert,  picture  by 
Lotto,  III.,  67 
St.  John,  III.,  662 

St.  John  of  the  Lateran,  church  of,  fore¬ 
most  church  in  Italy,  II.,  528;  Regis¬ 
ters  in,  II.,  89 

St.  John  the  Baptist,  island  of,  discovery 
of,  II.,  216.  See  also  Puerto  Rico 
St.  Jude  (Thadeus),  sketch  of,  II.,  220 
St.  Lazarus,  archipelago  of,  discovery  and 
naming  of,  II.,  204;  name  changed  to 
Philippines,  II.,  204 
St.  Luke,  III.,  662 
St.  Mark,  III.,  662 

St.  Mark,  church  of.  Library  in,  I.,  vi. ; 
n.,  439 

St.  Matthew,  III.,  661-663 

St.  Nicholas,  bay  of,  Columbus  landed  at, 

1.,  582,  583,  II.,  287,  III.,  90 

St.  Paul,  monastery  of,  Seville,  temporary 
custodian  library  Ferdinand  Columbus, 

111.,  445,  448,  449 

St.  Peter,  III  ,  663;  Pope  Julius  II.  threw 
away  the  keys  of,  I.,  93 
St.  Peter’s  Church  at  Rome,  begun  by 
Julius  II.,  I.,  98 

St.  Sepulca,  monastery  of,  Petrarch  re¬ 
sided  in,  11. ,  439 
St.  Simon,  sketch  of,  II.,  220 


Saint  Simon,  Louis  de,  Memoires,  sketch 
Pedro  Nuno  II.  de  Portugal,  III.,  635, 
636 

St.  Stephen,  convent  of,  Columbus 
lodged  at,  I.,  ii;  belonged  to  Domini¬ 
cans,  I.,  420 

St.  Thomas,  bay  of.  La  Navidad  located 
on,  II.,  287 

St.  Thomas,  fortress  of,  IT,  351,  496 
St.  Vincent,  Cape,  fight  of,  I.,  217-225, 
229;  called  beginning  of  mainland  by 
Columbus,  I.,  581 

St.  Vincent  (Brazil),  cited,  II.,  200 
Sainte-Lucie,  island  of,  Matinino  identi¬ 
fied  as,  IT,  578 

Sts.  Simon-Jude  Day,  date  of;  storm  be¬ 
gan  on,  il.,  220,  264,  686;  legend  of, 

II.,  220 

Sal,  island  of,  basis  for  fixing  Line  of  De- 
mareation,  II.,  199 

Salamanca,  city  of,  signing  of  Treaty  of 
Blois  at,  I.,  24 

Salamanea,  Council  of,  Columbus’s  first 
hearing  before,  I.,  10,  ii,  418-420 
Salamanca,  University  of,  methods  of 
students,  I.,  9,  10 

Salas,  Pedro  de,  on  San  Jnan,  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  continental 
land,  II.,  330 

Salazar,  Gonzalo  de,  trumpeter.  Fourth 
Voyage,  IT,  570 

Salcedo,  Diego  de,  servant  of  Columbus 
on  First  Voyage,  I.,  470;  carried  help 
to  Columbus  on  Jamaica,  IT,  637,  638; 
order  of  Columbus  for.  III  ,  283 
Salcedo,  Pedro  de,  citizen  of  Fuensaldana, 
witnessed  original  Capitulation,  1., 
442 

Salinerius,  Julius  (Giulio  Salinerio),  Ad- 
notationes  Julii  Salinerii  Jureconsulti 
Savonensis  ad  Corneltum  Taciturn, 
Genuce  apud  Josephum  Pavonem,  no¬ 
tarial  documents  of  Savona,  I.,  237, 
238,  254;  pretensions  of  Albissola  as 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  I.,  246 
Sallust,  first  Governor  of  Mauritania,  I., 
496;  Paulus  Jovius  compared  with, 
IIP,  9 

Saltes,  island  of,  departure  of  Columbus 
from,  I.,  512;  description  of,  I.,  515; 
return  of  Columbus  to,  I.,  667 
Salto,  Fernando  del,  citizen  of  Palos  acted 
as  witness,  I.,  468 

Salvagnini,  Alberto,  one  of  editors  Rac¬ 
ed  t  a 

Salviati,  Giovanni,  Cardinal,  Papal  Nun¬ 
cio,  map  made  for,  IT,  209 
Salviati  family,  arms  on  map,  II.,  209 
Salviati  map,  fac-simile  showing  Line  of 
Demarcation,  II.,  201,  209 
Salzedo,  Spaniard  in  Puerto  Rico,  death 
of,  I-,  537  .  ^ 

Samana  (Atwood  Cay),  the  Guanahani  of 
Capt.  Fox.,  I.,  590 

Samana,  bay  of,  discovery,  I.,  642,  647; 

encounter  with  Indians  at,  I.,  644 
Samana,  eape,  identification  of,  I.,  648 
Samaot,  Samoet,  island  of,  search  for: 
discovery  of,  I.,  541,  542,  544,  545. 
See  also  Isabella 


Index 


761 


Samba,  Isabel,  mistress  of  Diego  Colum¬ 
bus,  legacy  to,  I.,  422,  423 
Sambaldo,  Bernardo,  1.,  252 
Samballas  Islands,  Las  Barbas  so  called, 

11.,  616 

Samuel  de  Israel,  Rabbi,  Columbus  men¬ 
tions  in  Book  of  the  Prophecies,  I.,  288 
Samuel  Ready  Orphan  Asylum,  Balti¬ 
more,  Md.,  Columbus  monument  on 
grounds  of.  III.,  80 

San  Antonio,  island  of,  basis  for  fixing 
Line  of  Demarcation,  II.,  199 
San  Borondon.  See  St.  Brandan 
San  Cristobal,  mountain  of,  description 
of,  II.,  606 

San  Domingo,  Cathedral  of,  building  of, 

111.,  524,  525;  description  of;  repairing 

of.  III.,  537,  546-551,  552;  orders 

granting  Capilla  Mayor  to  Columbus 
family.  III.,  522-524;  Columbus  buried 
in,  I.,  237;  members  of  Columbus 
family  buried  in.  III  ,  528,  550,  603, 
626;  location  of  tomb  of  Columbus, 

III.,  526,  527,  534-537.  604,  605;  tomb 
of  Luis  Columbus  discovered  in.  III., 
552,  553,  556,  604;  unidentified  tombs 
discovered  in.  III.,  556,  557,  604;  dis¬ 
covery  remains  of  Columbus,  III.,  558- 
566;  remains  taken  from.  III.,  576; 
final  deposit  of  remains  in.  III.,  597 

San  Domingo,  city  of,  oldest  city  in  New 
World,  II.,  287;  erected  by  Bartholo¬ 
mew  Columbus;  location  of,  II  ,  417, 

111.,  1 15,  340;  formerly  called  New 
Isabella,  II.,  376;  plan  of,  II.,  416; 
capture  by  Drake,  III.,  529,  530;  at¬ 
tack  by  English  under  Penn,  III.,  531- 
533.  See  also  New  Isabella 

San  Domingo,  fortress  of,  building  of,  II., 
501;  Oviedo  Governor  of,  I.,  231 
San  Domingo  (the  City),  Santo  Domingo 
(the  Island),  distinction  between,  II., 
357 

San  Eustorgio,  church  of:  tomb  of  Peter 
Martyr,  I.,  3 

San  Francisco,  monastery  of,  Isabella 
ordered  sepulchre  at,  I.,  22 
San  Jacopo  de  los  Caballeros,  fort  of, 
location  and  building  of,  II.,  352 
San  Jorge,  Tristan  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

San  Jorge  de  Mina,  fortress  of,  building  of, 

1.,  282 

San  Juan,  seaman.  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 

572 

San  Juan,  the,  vessel  of  Columbus,  used 
in  exploration  of  Cuba,  !!.,  315,  329, 

330. 356 

San  Juan  Bautista,  island  of,  Puerto 
Rico  so  called  by  Columbus,  II  ,  270, 
375;  extermination  of  native  popula¬ 
tion,  I.,  126;  Columbus  at,  II.,  404 
San  Juan  de  .Nicaragua,  port  of ,  discovery 
of,  II.,  644 

San  Lorenzo  (Santa  Maria,  Azores) ,  har¬ 
bour  of,  arrival  of  Columbus  at,  I., 
,  658 

San  Lorenzo,  the,  Spanish  ship,  supposed 
remains  of  Columbus  carried  by.  III., 
541 


San  Lucar  de  Barrameda,  Magellan 
sailed  from,  II.,  204;  return  of  Victoria 
to,  II.,  206;  Columbus  sailed  on  Third 
Voyage  from,  II.,  374,  503;  return  of 
Columbus  from  Fourth  Voyage,  II., 
639,  646;  former  importance  of.  III., 
261 

San  Marco  (Biblioteca  Marciano),  library 
of,  contains  unique  example  of  Li¬ 
bretto  and  of  Lettera,  I.,  vi.,  230,  11. , 
439;  Petrarch’s  gift  to,  II  ,  439;  Sa- 
bcllicus  librarian  of,  II.,  516 
San  Martin,  Antonio  de.  III  ,  516 
San  Martin,  Juan  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  IL,  572 

San  Martino,  island  of,  discovery  of,  IL, 


491 

San  Pablo,  monastery  of.  Las  Casas  con¬ 
secrated  Bishop  of  Chiapas  in,  I  ,  149; 
library  of  Ferdinand  Columbus  once 
deposited  in,  I  ,  149,  IIP,  445,  448,  449 

San  Roman,  General,  formerly  owned 
Columbus  holograph  in  Ptolemy,  III., 
405 

San  Salvador,  city  of,  founded  under 
Velasquez,  I  ,  115 

San  Salvador,  island  of,  landfall,  descrip¬ 
tion  of,  I.,  531-538;  named  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  588,  589,  II. ,  21,  79;  first  men¬ 
tion,  I.,  538;  identified  as  Cat  Island  by 
Irving,  I.,  588;  as  Grand  Turk  by 
Navarrete,  I.,  590;  as  Mariguana  by 
Vamhagen,  I.,  590;  as  Atwood  Cay  by 
Capt.  Fox,  I.,  589 ;  as  Watling  by  Capt. 
Becher,  L,  591;  identification  of,  I., 
588-591.  See  also  Guanahani  and 
Watling  Island 

San  Salvador,  river  and  harbour  of, 
named  by  Columbus,  I.,  552,  554 

San  Sisto,  church  of,  Sistine  Aladonna 
painted  for,  L,  242 

San  Theramo  (Theremo,  Yheramo),  cape 
of,  discovery  of,  1.,  648;  arrival  at. 
Second  Voyage,  1 1.,  493 

San Thom^,  islands  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  320 

Sanbeneto, emblem  worn  by  Marranos,  I., 
460,  462 

Sanchez,  family  of,  intermarried  with 
Santangcls,  I.,  461 

Sanchez,  Alonso  (de  Huelva),  pilot,  re¬ 
ceived  by  Columbus,  1.,  329,  330,  III., 
471:  reported  as  discoverer  of  New 
World,  I.,  518 

Sanchez  de  Carvajal,  Alonzo,  sent  to  Es- 
pafiola  as  Captain,  1 1.,  375;  appointed 
agent  of  Columbus;  had  paper  copy 
Book  of  Privileges,  1 1.,  531,  532:  mem¬ 
ber  Council  for  government  of  Isa¬ 
bella,  1 1.,  314;  factor  of  Columbus, 
III  ,  295,  300,  301,  306,  319,  322,  329, 
339.  378 

Sanchez,  Ambrosio,  sailor  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II. ,  569 

Sanchez,  Francisco,  cabin  boy,  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  570 

Sanchez,  Gabriel,  Treasurer  of  Spain, 
Letter  of  Columbus  to,  I.,  176,  343; 
Columbus  Letter  translated  into  Latin, 

11.,  46;  name  printed  Raphael  in  some 
Latin  editions,  II. ,  46 


Index 


7 


62 


Sanchez,  Juan  (de  Castro),  Spanish 
artist.  III.,  8 

Sanchez,  Juan,  Johannes,  partner  of 
Rivarol,  I.,  477,  II.,  531 
Sanchez.  Juan,  pilot.  Fourth  Voyage,  II  , 
369:  allowed  Quibia  to  escape,  II., 
612;  death  of,  II.,  636 
Sanchez,  Juan  Pedro,  brother  of  Gabriel, 
conspired  for  murder  of  Arbu^s.  1..  460 
Sanchez,  Manuel,  Canon  of  San  Domingo, 
certificate  of.  III.,  536 
Sanchez,  iilartin,  Diego  Columbus  cared 
for  by,  1.,  432 

Sanchez,  Pedro,  Spanish  artist.  III  ,  8 
Sanchez,  Pero,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Vovage, 

11.,  569  ,  .  ■ 

Sanchez,  Rodrigo  (de  Segovia) ,  inspector. 

First  Voyage,  I.,  470;  probable  salary, 
First  Voyage,  I.,  474;  failed  to  see  land, 

1.,  530,  532;  witnessed  formal  posses¬ 
sion  of  New  World  by  Columbus,  I.,  532 

Sancho,  Don,  Prince  of  Aragon,  left  fund 
to  redeem  captives,  I.,  397 
Sancta  Ana,  cape  of,  cited  by  Columbus, 

11.,  380 

Sancta  Catherina,  fortress  of,  location  and 
building  of,  II.,  352,  503 
Sancta  Catherina,  island  of,  identification 
of,  II.,  376,  407 

Sancta  Croce,  Island  of,  II.,  491.  See 
Santa  Cruz 

Sancta  Maria  Antiqua,  island  of,  discov¬ 
er!'  of,  II.,  491 

Sancta  Maria  de  la  O,  day  of,  Spanish 
saint’s  day,  observed  by  Columbus,  I., 
612 

Sancta  Maria  di  Guadaluppa,  II.,  491 
Sancta  Maria  Rotunda,  island,  of  dis¬ 
covery  of,  II.,  491 

Sancta  (Ysla),  discovery  of,  II.,  371,  385 
Sancto  Tomas  (Thoma) ,  fortress  of,  build¬ 
ing  of ,  II.,  312,  496;  attempted  capture 
of,  II.,  351,  499  _ 

Sandoval,  Prudencio  de,  date  abdication 
Charles  V.,  I.,  108 

Sangallo,  Francesco  da,  made  statue  of 
Paulus  Jovius,  III  ,  9 
Sanguinete,  Angelo,  Vita  di  Christoforo 
Colombo,  quoted  notarial  documents  of 
Savona,  I.,  238 

Sanseverini,  Neapolitan  family,  I.,  5 
Sant  Giuliano  Persiceto,  III.,  253 
Santa  Ana  (Seville),  chapel  of,  building 
of,  I.,  237 ;  III.,  513 

Santa  Ana  (Cathedral  San  Domingo), 
chapel  of.  III.,  528 

Sant’  Antao,  island  of,  geographical  de¬ 
scription  of,  II.,  105,  202;  proposed 
starting-point  Line  of  Demarcation, 

II.,  208 

Santa  Catalina,  harbour  of,  discovery  of, 

572  . 

Santa  Catenna,  town  of,  visited  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  II.,  577 

Santa  Clara,  church  in  Santo  Domingo, 
Diego  Columbus  ordered  his  mother’s 
body  removed  to,  I.,  402 
Santa  Clara,  the.  See  the  Nina 
Santa  Clara  de  Moguer,  pilgrimage  vowed 
to,  I.,  653 


Santa  Cruz,  said  by  Ferdinand  to  be 
name  of  ship  of  Columbus,  II.,  356 
Santa  Cruz,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II., 
216,  404,  491 

Santa  Fd,  camp  of,  Columbus’s  audience 
at,  I.,  II,  174,  428;  building  of,  I., 
428 

Santa  Fd  de  Chiribichi,  monastery  of,  de¬ 
struction  of,  I.,  132 

Santa  Gloria,  harbour  of,  identification  of, 

II.,  316,  623;  Columbus  beached  ships 
at.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  623;  lunar 
eclipse  seen  from,  II.,  632 
Santa  Maria,  city  of,  Oviedo  governor  of, 
I--  231 

Santa  Maria,  island  of,  geographical  de¬ 
scription  of,  II.,  105;  discovery  of,  II., 

^  319 

Santa  Maria,  the  (M arigolante) ,  flagship 
of  Columbus,  I  ,  469;  her  crew,  I.,  470; 
her  owner,  I.,  589;  wreck  of,  I.,  624, 

11.,  3,  486,  III.,  90;  pilot  of,  II.,  507 
Santa  Maria  (new),  construction  of,  I., 

469 

vSanta  Maria  de  Belem,  harbour  of,  fleet  of 
Columbus  at,  II.,  604,  615,  646 
Santa  Maria  de  Guadaloupe,  pilgrimage 
vowed  to,  L,  655 

Santa  Maria  de  la  Cinta,  pilgrimage  vowed 
to,  I.,  663 

Santa  Maria  de  la  Concepcion,  island  of, 
discovery  of,  I.,  539,  332,  II.,  21,  79 
Santa  Maria  de  la  Concepcion,  name  pro¬ 
posed  church  in  Espanola,  III.,  307 
Santa  Maria  de  Loreto  (Laureto) ,  pilgrim¬ 
age  vow'ed  to;  legend  of,  I.,  655 
Santa  Maria  de  Trassiera,  village  of,  home 
of  Arana  family,  I.,  424 
Santa  Maria  del  Fiore,  church  of:  Council 
of  Eugene  IV.  met  in,  I.,  350;  Bru¬ 
nelleschi’s  and  Toscanelli’s  work  on,  I., 
356;  gnomon  of,  I.,  336 
Santander  (M.  de  la  Serna),  Dictionnaire 
Bibliographique,  citation  of  Imago 
Mundi,  II.,  341 

Santander,  Diego  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  372 

Santander,  Rodrigo  de,  on  San  Juan, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  con¬ 
tinental  land,  II.,  330 
Santangel,  family  of,  power  and  position 
of,  I.,  461 

Santangel,  Gabriel  Gonpalo,  burning  of, 

1.,  461 

Santangel,  Luis  de,  conspiracy  at  house  of, 
I  ,  460 

Santangel,  Luis  de,  Escribano  de  Radon, 
Letter  of  Columbus  to,  I.,  176,343,11., 
17-26,  367;  supplied  loan  from  Her- 
mandad  for  equipment  of  Columbus’s 
fleet,  I.,  457,  458,  462,  463;  return  of 
loan,  I.,  458,  459:  nationality  of,  L, 
439 ;  obliged  to  wear  sanbeneto,  I.,  462 ; 
printing  of  Columbus  Letter  to,  II.,  10; 
caused  memorandum  to  be  made  on 
Columbus  Letter,  11. ,  14;  character  of 
his  office,  II,,  14 

Santangel,  Martin  de,  burning  of,  I.,  461 
Santangel,  Mosen  Luis  de,  father-in-law  of 
Gabriel  Sanchez,  burning  of,  I.,  461 


Index 


763 


Santelices,  Miguel  Martinez,  Don,  III., 
S4I 

Santi  Esteban,  Jeronimo  de.  III.,  247 
Santiago,  city  of  (Cuba),  founded  under 
Velasquez,  1.,  115;  seaport  of,  I.,  641 
Santiago,  city  of  (Espanola),  fort  built 
near  site  of,  II.,  352 
Santiago,  Cuba  once  called,  I.,  551 
Santiago,  island  of  (Cape  Verdes),  arrival 
of  Columbus  at,  II.,  379 
Santiago,  Sant  Yago,  name  given  Jamaica 
by  Columbus,  II  ,  316,  327;  Royal 
Order  naming  Jamaica  as,  II  .,  637 
Santiago  de  Palos,  the  (the  Bermuda), 
sailed  on  Fourth  Voyage;  crew  of,  II., 
569,  570,  571;  tragedy  on,  II.,  614; 
accident  to,  II.,  622;  abandonment  of, 
II.,  614 

Santo  Cerro  (Holy  Hill),  fortress  of  La 
Concepcion  built  on,  II.,  351;  cross 
erected  on.  III.,  507 

Santo  Domingo,  Alonzo  de.  Prior  Convent 
of  Ortega,  member  of  Commission  sent 
to  New  World,  I.,  119 
Santo  Domingo,  island  of  (Espanola, 
Spagnola,  Isabella,  Hispaniola,  Bohio, 
Civao,  Haiti,  Quisqueia),  discov^ered 
December  5,  1492,  I.,  580;  Columbus 
commenced  building  Navidad,  first 
settlement  in  New  World,  December 
26,  1492,  I  ,625;  forty-three  Spaniards 
left  in  settlement  on  departure  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  Friday,  January  4,  1493.  I., 
634;  massacre  of  Spaniards,  II.,  254, 
273;  ceded  by  Spain  to  France,  III., 
538;  divided  to-day  into  two  Republics, 
Haiti  on  the  western  end  and  the  Do¬ 
minican  on  the  eastern. 

Santo  Domingo,  Past  and  Present.  Hazard, 
description  of  Isabella,  II.,  286,  287 
Santo  Spin  to,  church  of,  supposed  sepul¬ 
chre  of  Toscanelli,  I  ,  368 
Santo  Tomds,  island  of,  discovery  of,  I., 
614 

Sanuto,  Marino,  Vitcr  Duciim  Venetorum 
aborigine  Urbis,  MS  Ca/enrfar, capture 
of  Venetian  galleys,  I  ,  218-223 
Saoli,  Bendinello,  Cardinal,  cousin  and 
patron  of  Giustiniano,  !  .,  204 
Saona,  island  of,  discovery  and  location 
of,  II.,  337,  338;  lunar  eclipse  seen 
from,  II.,  632 

Saporetti,  Rocca,  Marquis,  once  possessed 
example  of  Syllacio  Letter,  II.,  215 
Sapota  tree,  description  of.  III  ,  425 
Saracenus,  Marinus,  printer,  printed 
Seneca’s  Tragedies,  I  ,  160 
Sarada  (Sarata),  longitude  of,  I.,  353 
Saragna,  kingdom  of,  II.,  502 
Sardinia,  King  of,  presented  copy  Book  of 
Privileges  to  Genoa,  II  ,  532 
Sargasso  Sea,  passage  of  Columbus 
through,  I.,  321,  523;  location  and 
nature  of,  II  ,  381 

Sargent,  Mrs.  Epes,  Castillo  gave  dust  of 
remains  of  Columbus  to.  III.,  572,  612 
Sarmiento,  Cristobal  Garcia,  pilot.  First 
Voyage,  salai'v  of,  I  ,  478 
Sarta,  Francis  de  la,  letter  in  Paesi,  II., 

527 


Sarteano,  Alberto  da.  Eastern  traveller, 
mission  in  the  Orient,  I.,  351;  route 
followed  by,  I.,  351 

Sassuolo,  Gilberto  di,  Italian  statesman, 
portrait  of.  III.,  57 

Sataspes,  son  of  Teaspes,  expedition  of,  I., 

29s 

Satires,  Horace,  cited,  II  ,  516 

Saturn,  King  of  Crete,  cited  by  Ferrer,  I  i .. 

367 

Saturn,  opposition  v.dth  Mais,  II  ,  688 
Saudadcs  da  Terra,  etc.,  Fructuoso, 
colonisation  of  Madeira  Islands,  L,  397; 
Percstrcllo  family,  I.,  399 
Savinon,  Gregorio,  Don,  111.,  541 
Savona  (Saona),  town  of,  pretended 
birthplace  of  Columbus,  I  ,  232,  233, 
237;  documents  proving  residence  of 
Domenico  Colombo  and  family  in 
I  ,  238-241;  documents  preserved  in 
archives  of,  I.,  238 

Saxonia,  Nicolas  de,  published  Vita 
Christi,  I  ,  397 

Scaliger,  Julius  Caesar  (the  elder),  criti¬ 
cism  of  Sabcllicus,  II  ,  516;  comment 
on  Paulus  Jovius,  III.,  9 
Scarborough,  town  of,  capital  of  Tobago, 

^^•>.390 

Scardino,  Antonio,  Italian  artist,  copied 
Parmigiano-Columbus  portrait.  III.  59 
Schensperger,  Joh.  See  Schonsperger 
Schmaus,  Leonardos,  Lncitbratiuncida  de 
Morbo  Gallico,  etc.,  cited,  I.,  87 
Schnitzel!,  Johannes  (de  Armszheim), 
engraved  map  in  1482  Ptolemy,  I.,  381 
Schoffer,  Petrus,  printed  with  Fust  the 
first  dated  book,  II  ,  525 
Schonsperger,  Johannes,  printed  Lives  of 
the  Saints,  li.,  74,  221 
Schuman,  Peter,  Annals,  contains  ’'Call 
to  Assemble,”  I.,  104 
Schwartz,  Christ.  Gottlieb,  Doc.  de  Orig 
Typ.  Calendariiim,  cited  m,  L,  359 
Schwartz,  Pedro  Alonzo  Nino,  so-called, 

II, 455 

Scilly  Islands,  ancient  name  of,  II  ,  383 
Scio,  island  of,  mastic  derived  from,  I., 
559,  563.  605,  II.,  25 

Scipio  Major,  portrait  in  Jovian  Gallery, 

III. ,  16 

Scotia,  island  of,  possible  identity  with 
Centrefrei;  comparison  with  Joanna, 
II.,  22 

Scotus  (Rev.  W.  Scott),  cited,  I  ,  18 
Scritti  di  Cristoforo  Colombo,  in  Raccolta, 
Lollis,  value  of,  II  ,  316 
Scrittori  Liguri  Descriita,  Giustiniano,  L, 
206 

Seaweeds,  description  of.  II.,  381 
Sebastiano,  Luciano  del  (Brother  Sc- 
bastiano  of  Piombo),  Talleyrand-Co- 
lumbus  portrait  attributed  to.  III  ,  48 
Sebosus,  Statius,  Roman  author,  de¬ 
scribes  F'ortunate  Islands,  1.,  498; 

works  and  era  of,  I.,  498 
Second  Voyage,  the,  date  of  departure, 
fleet  and  members  of,  II.,  213,  214,  244, 
243,  263,  489;  outline  sketch  of,  11. . 
216;  arrival  and  stop  at  Canary 
Islands,  II.,  243,  246,  263,  264,  489, 


764 


Index 


Second  Voyage — Coiifd 

4Qo;  violent  tempest,  II.,  247,  264; 
diseovery  of  land,  II.,  24S,  264,  490; 
discovery  of  Dominica,  II.,  24S,  264, 
490;  discovery  of  Maria-Gallante,  II., 
24S,  265,  491;  discovery  of  Guada- 
loupe,  ll.,  248,  249-251,  263-267,  490, 
491 ;  discovery  of  Santa  Cruz,  II.,  252, 
253,  491 ;  fight  with  cannibals,  11.,  252, 
253,  269,  492;  arrival  at  La  Navidad, 

11.,  2^3,  254,  493;  names  of  the  Span¬ 

iards  massacred,  I.,  471,  472;  visit  to 
Guacanagari,  II.,  25^5,  256,  275,  276, 
494;  exploration  of  Espanola,  II.,  257- 
259,  271,  272,  275,  277,  278,  49s; 

building  of  Isabella,  or  Marta,  II.,  258, 
278,  495,  496;  discoveries  of  Hojeda 
and  Gorbalan,  II.,  259-261,  280,  4951 
return  of  twelve  caravels  to  Spain,  II., 
262,  495;  the  Diaz  rebellion,  II.,  309; 
exploration  of  Cibao,  II.,  310,  311,  496, 
497;  building  of  Sancto  Tomas,  II., 
312,  406;  return  of  Columbus  to  Isa¬ 
bella,  II.,  312,  497;  Indian  hostilities, 

11.,  313,  314,  497;  voyage  of  Columbus 
to  Cuba,  II.,  314,  315,  497;  voyages  to 
Jamaica,  II.,  316,  317,  335,  497;  ex¬ 
ploration  of  Cuba,  II.,  318-320,  321- 
338,  497-499;  discover}'  of  Evangelista, 
II ■>  3331  Ihs  simple  faith  of  the  old 
cacique,  II.,  334;  return  voyage  to 
Espanola,  II.,  336-338,  499;  illness  of 
Columbus,  II.,  338,  346;  subjugation  of 
Espanola,  IT.,  348,  340,  353.  499.  5°°; 
capture  of  Caonabo  by  Hojeda,  II.,  349, 
350;  fortresses  built  on  Espanola,  II., 
351,  352,  501;  arrival  and  conduct  of 
Aguado,  II.,  355;  preparations  for  re¬ 
turn  to  Spain,  IT,  356,  357:  departure 
from  Isabella,  II.,  357;  visit  to  island  of 
Maria-Gallante,  II.,  357;  stop  at  Gua- 
daloupe,  II.,  358;  return  voyage  and 
arrival  at  Cadiz,  II.,  359 

Segovia,  Gonzalo  Fernandez  de,  murdered 
at  La  Navidad,  I.,  472 

Selvagens,  the.  See  Islas  de  Los 

Selvagius,  Juan,  friendly  to  Las  Casas,  I., 


130 

Senarega,  Bartolomeo,  wrote  De  Rebus 
Gcnuensihus  Commentaria,  I.,  195;  his 
account  of  Columbus  differs  only 
slightly  from  that  of  Gallo,  I.,  195;  ac¬ 
count  of  Columbus,  I.,  196—201,  II., 
453.  III-.  3 

Seneca  CMarcus  Annfeus,  the  Rhetorician) , 
Medea,  Act  II.,  last  nine  lines  chorus, 
cited,  I.,  169;  one  dated  edition  Trage¬ 
dies  printed  before  First  Voyage  of 
Columbus,  I.,  169,  170;  Tragedie  Senece 
cum  Duohus  Commentariis,  in  library 
Ferdinand  Columbus,  L,  170,  III.,  432; 
accused  of  being  bad  prophet,  I.,  170 

Seneca  (Lucius  Annaeus,  the  Philosopher, 
son  of  the  preceding, by  many  believed 
to  be  author  of  the  Tragedies) ,  Colum¬ 
bus  familiar  with  works  of,  I.,  288; 
cited,  II.,  488 

Sensenschmid,  Johannes,  Nuremberg 
printer,  I.,  360 

Septuagint,  the,  Greek  version  Holy 


Bible,  preparation  and  printing  of,  II., 
410 

Sepulchres,  influence  of.  III.,  491,  492 
Sepulveda,  Juan  Ginez,  Doctor,  sketch  of, 

1.,  153;  Democritus  Secundus  sine,  etc 
object  of,  I.,  T53;  debate  with  Las 
Casas,  I.,  1 54—156 

Sepulveda,  Lam-enco,  Spanish  author,  not 
to  be  confounded  with  Dr.  Sepulveda, 

I-.  153 


Sera.  See  China 

Sermons  to  the  Eremites,  Augustine, 
Bishop  of  Hippo,  cited  by  Syllacio,  II., 


244 

Serna,  de  la.  See  Santander 
Serpent’s  Mouth,  the.  See  Boca  del 
Sierpe 

Serra,  Girolamo,  Memorie  Dell'  Accade- 
niia  Delle  Scienze,  etc.,  cited.  III.,  33 
Sertorius,  Quintus,  informed  by  sailors  of 
Fortunate  Islands,  I.,  495 
Sessa,  Zoanne  Baptista  da,  Milanese 
printer,  printed  Marco  Polo's  book,  II., 
620,  III.,  462 

Seven  Cities,  isle  of.  See  Antilia 
Sevilla,  Andres  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  572 

Sevilla,  Bartholom6  de,  property  con¬ 
fiscated  by  Inquisition,  1.,  401 
Sevilla,  Juan  de,  member  First  Voyage, 

I-.  470 

Seville,  city  of,  its  motto.  III.,  544;  bier 
of  Mendoza  loaned  to  Columbus  by 
Cathedral  of.  III.,  314;  supposed  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus  removed  to.  III., 
543-545;  Columbus  portrait  in  Capitol 
at,  HI.,  77,78;  Biblioteca  Columbina 
possessed  by  Cathedral  of.  III.,  449-453 
Seville,  city  of,  in  Jamaica,  I.,  29,  30 
Sexts  (Sexta),  hour  of,  twelve  o’clock 
noon,  II.,  384 

Sfera,  Sacrabosco,  interpolated  passage 
regarding  Toscanelli  letters,  I.,  322 
Sforza,  Ascanio,  Cardinal,  friend  of  Mar¬ 
tyr,  I.,  5 

Sforza,  Francesco  Alessandro,  Duke  of 
Milan,  patron  of  seholars,  I.,  4 
Sforza,  Franciscus,  III,,  16 
Sforza,  Giovanni  Galeazzo  Maria,  nephew 
of  “The  Moor,”  II.,  216 
Sforza,  Lodovico  Maria  (“The  Moor”), 
sketch  of,  II.,  215;  Syllacio  Letter 
dedicated  to,  II.,  215,  243 
Shakespeare,  William,  folio  edition  valu¬ 
able  but  not  rare,  IL,  73 
Shepherd,  Samuel,  grant  from  Mosquito 
nation  to,  II.,  85 

Shetland  Islands,  Bres  identified  as  be¬ 
longing  to,  I.,  385 

Shoham  stone,  ancient  name  of  onyx,  IT, 


411 

Siculo,  Lucio  Marineo,  scholar,  Cosas 
Memorables  de  Espana,  cited,  I.,  7,  8; 
prot6g6  of  Ferdinand,  I.,  8;  introduced 
Martyr  at  University  of  Salamanca,  I., 
10;  teacher  of  liberal  arts  at  Court  of 
Spain,  I.,  22;  visit  to  Martyr,  I.,  31; 
Epist.  familiarium  libri  XVII.,  home 
of  Martyr,  I.,  31 

Siculus,  Diodorus,  cited,  II.,  521 


Index 


765 


Sierra  Leone,  cited  by  Columbus,  II.,  380 
Signatures,  peculiar  forms  used  in  Middle 
Ages,  II.,  12 

Signorio,  Johannes  de,  I.,  252 
Siguros,  Nicolaos,  Grecian  Ambassador, 
gave  manuscript  copy  Homer  to  Pe¬ 
trarch,  II.,  439 

Silber,  Eucharius  (Franck),  printed  Ca¬ 
rolus  Verardus’s  Historia  Baetica,  II., 
54;  sketch  of,  II.,  58;  issued  first 
edition  of  Cosco  Latin  Letter  with 
printer’s  name,  II.,  58;  Dati’s  Ca/ca/a- 
zione  Dell'  Eclissi  in  Sole  e  Lima  from 
press  of,  II.,  70 

Silurus  glanis,  fish  found  in  Canaries, 
identified  by  Cuvier,  I.,  499 
Silva,  Maria  Teresa  de.  Duchess  of  Vera- 
gua,  wife  Jacobo-Francisco  Eduardo 
Stuart,  III.,  637 

Silva  y  Palafox,  Maria  Teresa  de.  Duch¬ 
ess  of  Veragua  y  Berwick,  wife  Jacobo- 
Felipe  Carios  Stuart  y  Stolberg,  HI., 
638 

Silver,  valued  highly  by  Indians,  I.,  630 
Silvestre,  L.  C.,  Universal  Palceography, 

111.,  607 

Simancas,  archives  of,  number  of  docu¬ 
ments  in,  II.,  1 2  I 

Simeon,  the  Prophet,  miraculous  preser¬ 
vation  of  body,  1.,  14 
Simons,  M.  H.,  Surgeon,  U.  S.  N.,  officer 
U.  S.  S.  Enterprise,  reconnoissanee 
ruins  city  of  Isabella  by,  IT,  287 
Sin-assin  (Canton),  commerce  of,  I.,  350 
Sina.  See  Thinai 

Sinclair,  Henry,  Earl  of  the  Orkneys  and 
Caithness,  identified  as  Zichmni,  I.,  384 
Sirenia,  Manatee  belong  to  order  of,  I., 
640 

Sirens  seen  by  Columbus,  I.,  640 
Sistine  Madonna  painted  for  chureh  of 
San  Sisto,  I.,  242 

Sixtus  IV.  (Francesco  d'Albissola  for 
Celia]  della  Roverc),  Pope,  proposed 
reformation  of  calendar  and  honour  to 
Muller,  I.,  360;  concession  to  Lorenzo 
de’  Medici,  I.,  367;  Legnamine  his 
physician,  IT,  6g 

“Sixty  Years  of  Captivity,”  period  so 
called,  II.,  200 

Skaats,  Mr.,  keeper  City  Hall,  New  York, 
cited,  IIP,  73 

Slavery,  repartimiento  system,  I  ,  117; 
Las  Casas  proposed  negro  slavery  for 
Espanola,  I.,  120;  cruel  treatment  of 
slaves,  I.,  129;  method  of  enslaving,  I., 
130;  negro  slaves,  I.,  131;  sla\'es  as 
pearl-fishermen,  I.,  132;  permitted  by 
Las  Casas,  I.,  133;  approval  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  181,  182,  II.,  292—294;  its  ne¬ 
cessity  in  colonisation,  I.,  182,  II.,  295, 
296 ;  slaves  sent  to  Spain  by  Columbus, 

n..  347 

Sneyd,  Rev.  Walter,  English  clergyman, 
obtained  possession  of  original  manu¬ 
script  Lffircho  (now  in  author’s  library) , 

11.,  440 

Soames,  Rev.  H.,  Anglo-Saxon  Church, 
tradition  of  Adam  and  Eve  regarding 
Friday,  I.,  514 


Socarrez,  Mariano,  Dr.,  physician  San 
Domingo,  report  of.  III.,  585-587 
Societe  de  Geographic,  cited.  III.,  48 
Solano,  Jose,  obtained  certificates  regard¬ 
ing  tomb  of  Columbus,  III.,  534 
Solano,  Spanish  name  for  east  wind,  I., 
3.3° 

Solinus,  Caius  Julius,  Columbus  familiar 
with  works  of,  I.,  288  ;  Reritm  Memora- 
biliuni  CollcctanecB,  description  of  For¬ 
tunate  Islands,  I.,  499,  500;  era  of; 
edition  of  works  here  used,  I.,  499 
Sollo,  Grigorio,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  569;  death  of,  IT,  637 
Solomon,  King,  riches  of,  II.,  695;  Da¬ 
vid’s  bequests  to.  III.,  500 
Solorzano,  Johannes  de  (Pereira),  De 
Indiarmn  Jure,  noted  false  translation 
of  “Espanola”  as  “Hispaniola,”  I., 
586;  published  Columbian  Bulls,  11., 
87,  91,  92,  115,  117,  121;  text  of 

Bull  IV.,  II.,  162-164;  speaks  of  pre¬ 
servation  of  Bull  11.  in  Politica  Indi¬ 
ana,  IT,  88 

Sophocles,  copy  owned  by  Petrarch,  IT, 
439 

Soranzo,  Jacopo,  manuscript  Libretto  and 
Trivigiano  letters  once  in  library  of,  IT, 
44° 

Soria,  Ferdinand  de,  cited,  IT,  536 
Soria,  Juan  de,  fraud  of,  IT,  305,  306; 

powers  of,  II.,  556 
Soria,  Luis  de,  cited.  III.,  307 
Soria,  Miguel  de,  member  First  Voyage, 
salary  of,  I.,  479 

Soto,  Domingo  de,  confessor  of  Charles  V., 
made  summary  of  arguments  of  Las 
Casas  and  Sepulveda,  I.,  154 
Soto,  Francisco  de,  left  in  charge  of  settle¬ 
ment  by  Las  Casas,  I.,  135;  death  of. 


Due  de  Dalmatie,  captured  Badajoz, 

II-.  548 

Sousa,  Diego  de.  Bishop  of  Porto,  Portu¬ 
guese  Ambassador  at  Rome,  II  ,  113 
Sousa,  Joao  de,  Portuguese  Commissioner, 
helped  negotiate  Treaty  of  Tordesillas, 
IT,  122,  175-177,  170.  184,  185 
Sousa,  Ruy  de,  Portuguese  Commissioner, 
helped  negotiate  Treaty  of  Tordesillas, 

11.,  122,  175-177,  179,  184,  185 
South  America,  continent  of,  seen  by  Co¬ 
lumbus  and  named  Ysla  Sancta,  IT, 
385;  again  seen  by  Columbus  and 
named  Isla  de  Gracia,  II.,  389;  land¬ 
fall  on,  II.,  391;  named  Paria  by  in¬ 
habitants,  II.,  395;  recognised  as  con¬ 
tinental  land  by  Columbus,  II.,  403, 
404;  products  of,  II.,  406 

Southampton,  the,  British  vessel,  wreck 
of,  I.,  597.  . 

Sovereigns,  joint-title  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  II.,  220;  personal  appearance 
of.  III.,  7;  marriages  of  children.  III., 
223,  224;  campaign  against  the  Moors 
in  1485,  I.,  281;  seige  of  Granada  by, 

1.,  428;  executed  Capitulation,  I.,  437- 
451;  promised  Columbus  to  undertake 
conquest  of  Jerusalem,  I.,  179,  628,  IIP, 


~oo 


Index 


Sovereigns — C  ant’d 

499,  052;  partners  with  Columbus,  II., 
541,  III.,  1S9-205;  order  suspending 
punishment  of  criminals,  I.,  468;  loan 
through  Santangel,  I.,  463;  letter  to 
Columbus,  II.,  552;  reception  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  by,  1.,  668,  669,  11.,  489;  order 
for  return  of  loan,  I.,  458 ;  received  title 
of  Catholic  Kings,  I.,  413,  II.,  86;  ap¬ 
pealed  to  Pope  to  maintain  sovereignty 
in  New  World,  II.,  84,  85,  87,  88;  Line 
of  Demarcation  drawn  by,  II.,  108, 
log ;  letter  to  Columbus  regarding  Line 
of  Demarcation ,11.,  112,  119;  letter  of 
Jaime  Ferrer  to,  II.,  190,  191;  instruc¬ 
tions  to  Jaime  Ferrer,  II.,  189,  191 ,  192  ; 
signed  copy  Treaty  of  Tordesillas,  II., 
188;  Cedula  to  Gomez  Tello,  III.,  95, 
96 ;  directed  that  all  maps  should  show 
Line  of  Demarcation,  II.,  199;  granted 
Columbus  right  to  bear  arms,  II.,  535; 
ordered  expedition  prepared  for  Sec¬ 
ond  Voj^age,  II.,  489;  equipped  fleet 
for  deportation  of  Moorish  King,  I., 
473;  book  containing  Bulls  and  Royal 
Cedulas  printed  by  order  of,  II.,  76; 
letter  to  Columbus  asking  extent  of 
discoveries,  II.,  618;  received  news 
from  Second  Voyage,  II.,  489,  490; 
annotations  to  De  Torres  memoran¬ 
dum,  II.,  292,  297-308;  placed  Bar¬ 
tholomew  Columbus  in  command  of 
fleet  to  Espanola,  II.,  344;  ratified  ap¬ 
pointment  of  Bartholomew  Columbus 
Adelantado,  III.,  494;  instructions  to 
Juan  Aguado,  I.,  400,  IT,  355;  granted 
general  licence  to  trade  in  Espanola, 

III.,  309;  order  to  Columbus  for 
Majorat,  I.,  259,  271,  III.,  159:  Cedulas 
to  Columbus,  Third  Voyage,  III.,  115; 
sent  Bobadilla  to  Espanola;  Royal 
Cedula,  II.,  419;  instructions  to  Co¬ 
lumbus,  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  574,  575; 
recognition  services  of  Mendez,  IT,  667  ; 
patronage  of  Ringon,  III.,  31 ;  sent  ships 
in  search  of  Ribarol,  I.,  476,  477  ;  holo¬ 
graph  Columbus  Letters  to.  III.,  94- 
113,  114-119,  222-241 
Spagnola,  Island  of  Espanola,  form  used 
in  the  Ptolemy  of  1508,  II.,  495 
Spagnoli,  Batista  (the  Carmelite),  Paulus 
Jovius  desired  portrait  of.  III.,  ii 
Spain,  ancient  name  of  southern  part,  II., 
54;  condition  at  time  of  Moorish  con¬ 
quest,  I.,  172;  intellectual  character  of 
Court;  peripatetic  character,  I.,  8,  25; 
diplomatic  relations  with  Portugal  re¬ 
garding  possession  of  New  World,  II., 
112,  119— 123;  jealous  of  rights;  inde¬ 
pendent  of  Rome,  IT,  84;  maps  of 
New  World  closely  guarded,  I,,  35; 
ordered  investigation  of  remains  of 
Columbus  at  San  Domingo,  III.,  580, 
581 ;  Civil  War  under  Charles  V.,  1.,  28; 
title  to  possession  remains  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  IIP,  SQo.  591 
Spalatin,  George,  I.,  loi,  103,  106 
Spanish  Court,  movements  of,  I.,  23 
Spanish  Folio  Letter,  bibliographical  de¬ 
scription  of,  II.,  10,  1 1 ;  printing  of,  II., 


10,  26-29;  unique  copy  in  Lenox 

Library,  II.,  ii,  27,  45;  signature  and 
postscriptum  of,  II.,  12-15;  endorse¬ 
ment  on,  II.,  14;  fac-simile  and  trans¬ 
lation  of,  II.,  17—26;  preservation  of, 

11.,  27;  Catalonianisms  in,  II.,  28;  cler¬ 
ical  indorsement,  1.,  176 

Spanish  Quarto  Letter,  printing  of,  IT, 
44;  unique  copy  in  Ambrosian  Li¬ 
brary;  legacy  of  Custodi,  II.,  41,  42, 
45;  reprint  of  Folio;  errors  common  to 
both,  11.,  43,  44;  clerical  endorsement 
on,  I.,  176;  original  text,  11. ,  33-40; 
bibliographical  romance  connected 
with,  IF,  41,  42 

Spartel,  Cape,  Arzilla  near,  II.,  577 
Spectacuia,  Martial,  opening  lines  cited, 

1.,  18 

Speculum  Conjugiorum,  Paulus  or  Pablos, 
cited,  I.,  37 

Sphinx,  the.  Martyr’s  visit  to,  I.,  ig 
Spindeler,  Nicolaus,  believed  to  have 
printed  Libra  del  Consolat,  IT,  10 
Spinola,  Mons.  (Archbishop  of  Seville), 
HI.,  544 

Spinola,  Francesco,  tomb  of  Columbus  in 
Seville,  I.,  237 

Spira,  Johannes  de,  first  Venetian  printer, 

I.,  168;  printed  E pistoles  ad  Faniiliares, 

I.,  168 

Spotorno,  Batista  Gio.  (Father),  Life  of 
Columbus,  quoted  notarial  documents  of 
Savona  in,  I.,  238;  dissertation  by  Dr. 
Ravina,  I.,  246;  claim  of  Chiavari  to 
be  birthplace,  I.,  246;  claim  of  Modena, 

I.,  247;  Codice  Colombo  Americano, 
Columbus’s  letter  to  nurse  in,  II., 
424;  Memorials  of  Columbus,  Book  of 
Privileges  published  in,  II.,  533;  De 
Bry- Columbus  portrait.  III.,  43,  44; 
Delle  Origine  e  Della  Patria  di  C. 
Colombo,  cited.  III.,  33,  34;  directed 
execution  of  Peschiera’s  bust  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  III.,  81,  82 
Stadium,  the,  measurement  of,  I.,  498 
Staglieno,  Marcello,  Marquis,  discovered 
Columbus  document  in  Genoa,  I.,  250; 
discovered  document  giving  name  of 
Columbus’s  sister,  I.,  258;  cited.  III., 
243,  460;  identified  Juan  Luis,  III., 
362 

Statutes,  Genoese  and  Lombard,  I.,  277 
Stevario,  B.,  witnessed  Bull  I.,  II.,  137 
Stevens,  Benjamin  Franklin,  courtesy  to 
author,  I.,vi.;  Christopher  Columbus, 
His  Own  Book  of  Privileges,  II.,  534 
Stimmer,  Tobias,  Swiss  engraver,  made 
engravings  in  Elogia;  work  of.  III.,  14, 
IS 

Stipicianus,  Pyrrhus,  III.,  17 
Stokes,  G.  W.,  Castillo  gave  dust  of  re¬ 
mains  of  Columbus  to.  III.,  573,  612 
Stolberg,  Catalina  Augusta,  Duchess  of 
Veragua,  wife  Carlos-Fernando  Stuart 
y  Silva,  III.,  637 

Storia  della  Letteratura  Italiana,  Tira- 
boschi,  date  of  Columbus’s  birth,  I., 
274 

Storia  Universale  Scritta  da  Caesar  Cantu, 
date  of  Columbus’s  birth,  I.,  273 


Index 


767 


Strabo,  quotation  from  Eratosthenes  and 
comment,  I  ,  170;  Columbus  familiar 
with  works  of,  I.,  288;  criticism  of 
Pytheas  regarding  Thule,  I.,  382; 
mentions  Fortunate  Islands,  I  ,  496; 
cited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  197-199 
Strabo,  Wolfridus,  German  Benedictine 
poet,  Columbus  familiar  with  works  of, 
I.,  288 

Stradano,  Giovanni,  Florentine  painter, 
made  Columbus  portrait.  III.,  37 
Strawberry-trees  discovered  by  Colum¬ 
bus,  I.,  571,  583 

Strozzi,  Zoane  de,  work  in  Paesi,  II.,  527 
Strozzi  library  dispersed,  II.,  527 
Stuart,  Jacobo  Francisco  Eduardo,  Duke 
of  Veragua  y  Liria,  son  Caterina-Ven- 
tura  de  Portugal,  IIP,  637 
Stuart.  James  Francis  Fitz-James,  Duke 
of  Liria  y  Veragua  y  La  Vega,  son  first 
Duke  of  Berwick;  husband  Caterina 
Ventura  de  Portugal,  III.,  618,  637 
Stuart  y  Silva,  Carlos  Fernando,  Duke  of 
Veragua  y  Berwick,  son  Jacobo  Fran¬ 
cisco  Eduardo,  III.,  637 
Stuart  y  Stolberg,  Jacobo  Felipe  Carlos, 
Duke  of  Veragua  y  Berwick  y  Alba, 
lost  estates  to  Larreategui  family,  I., 
244,  III.,  59,  638 

Stultifera  Navis,  Brandt,  account  of  dis¬ 
covery  in,  II.,  74;  description  and 
printing  of,  II.,  74;  fac-simile  Paris 
Edition  (1497),  II  ,  75 
Suardi,  Bartholomeus  (Bramantino),  said 
to  have  painted  De  Orchi  portrait  of 
Columbus,  III.,  23 

Suarez,  Juan  (de  Sequeira),  witnessed 
Treaty  of  Tordesillas,  IP,  185 
Suarez,  Rui  Garcia,  money  paid  to,  P,  458 
Sugente,  downward  current,  IP,  385 
Suma,  river  of  Espanola,  IP,  496 
Suma  de  Geographia  Q  Praia  dc  Todas  las 
Partidas  ?  Prouincias  del  Mundo,  En- 
cisco,  printing  of,  P,  43;  mentions 
Saltes,  P,  515 

Snmmario  de  la  Gcncrale  Historia,  Oviedo, 
fame  of  Columbus,  P,  186;  Italian 
translations,  birth  of  Columbus,  P, 
264-268;  bibliographical  description 
of.  P,  264,  265;  paragraph  inserted 
regarding  Columbus,  I  ,  265,  266;  first 
detailed  engraved  map  of  Espanola  m, 
IP,  626 

Supplementum  Chronicarum,  Bergomas, 
printing  of,  IP,  77 
Supra  Gan^eni,  meaning  of,  IP,  52 
Surjano,  Marco,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IP,  572 

Svajer,  Amedeo,  obtained  part  of  Soranzo 
library,  IP,  440 

Svanascini  helped  finish  Columbus  monu¬ 
ment,  IIP,  81 

Svend  Estridsson,  King  of  Denmark,  his 
Court  visited  by  Adam  of  Bremen,  P, 
393 

Sweynheym  &  Pannartz,  printed  Glosses 
in  Universa  Bihlia,  P,  204;  printed  D. 
Augpistini  de  ewitate  Dei.  Volumina 
octinoenta  vis,enti  quinque,  P,  205; 
first  press  in  Italy,  P,  362 


Swiftsure,  the,  English  vessel,  IIP,  531 
Syllacio,  Nicolb  (Nicolaus  Syllacius), 
sketch  of,  IP,  215,  216;  Coma’s  account 
first  part  of  Second  Voyage;  term  can¬ 
nibals  used,  P,  63,64,11.,  248;  vessels 
like  Cantabrian  barks  used  on  Second 
Voyage,  II  ,  213,  245;  composed  De 
fehci  philosophorum  paupertate  appe- 
tenda,  IP,  216;  apparent  misunder¬ 
standing  regarding  the  discovery,  IP, 
2ig-22i,  243 

Syllacio-Coma  Letter,  bibliographical  de¬ 
scription  and  examples  of,  II  ,  215; 
publication  of ,  IP,  215,  216;  description 
of  Isabella,  IP,  218,  219,  282;  probable 
printers  of,  IP,  222;  fac-siniile  and 
translation  of,  IP,  223-262 
Sylva,  Pedro  da,  Portuguese  Ambassador 
to  Rome,  IP,  1 13 

SyK'ester,  Bishop  of  Rome,  agreement 
with  Emperor  Constantine,  IP,  86 
Sylvius,  AJneas.  See  Pius  IP,  Pope 
Synodo  Diocesana  del  Arzobtspano  de 
Santo  Domingo  gives  location  tomb  of 
Columbus,  IIP,  526,  527 
Syphilis  Sive  Morbus  Gallicus,  Francastor, 
cited,  P,  87 

Sze-chuen,  province  of,  rhubarb  found  in, 
I..  630 

T 

Tabares,  Rafael,  librarian  Biblioteca 
Columbina,  IIP,  450,  451 
Tablas  Chronologicas,  Miguel,  prayer  of 
Columbus  on  taking  possession  of  New 
World,  I  ,  532 

Tabula  Moderna  Prime  Patris  Aphricce, 
map  of  Africa  m  1513,  Ptolemy,  P,  510 
Tacitus,  Cornelius,  Historia  Augusta, 
King  Mithridates  captured  by  Colone, 

I-.  213 

Tagus  River,  entry  of  Columbus  into,  P, 
663,  664,  II  ,  13 

Taidu,  ancient  Mongolian  name  of  Pekin, 


Talavera,  Fernand  de  (Hernando),  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Granada,  spiritual  director  of 
Princess  Joanna,  P,  25;  declared  by 
Martyr  to  have  promoted  project  of 
Columbus,  P,  56;  formerly  Prior  of 
Prado,  P,  174,  418,  419;  order  regard¬ 
ing  Dr.  Villalon,  I  ,  410;  present  at 
Council  of  Salamanca,  I.,  418;  received 
loan  from  Plermandad  for  equipment  of 
Columbus,  I  ,  457,  458;  return  of  loan, 
P,  458;  annotated  Xim6nbs’s  La  Vida 
de  Nuestra  .Senor,  II  ,  53;  intermediary 
of  Columbus,  IIP,  194 
Talavera,  Pedro  de,  on  First  Voyage 
murdered  at  La  Navidad,  P,  472 
Talleyrand,  Prince,  owned  Columbus  por¬ 
trait,  III  ,  48 

Talmud,  the,  cited,  IP,  41 1 
Tamara  Island,  one  of  the  Islas  de  Los,  P, 
408 

Tamerlanes  (Timur),  Tartar  conqueror, 
III  ,  16 

Tammasus,  Sophi  Persarum  Rex,  IIP,  17 
Tanais  Riv'er  (Don),  P,  350 


Index 


768 


Tanduc,  Prestcr  John  defeated  at,  I., 
297.  also  Koukou-Khoton 

Tangaribardinus.  Sec  Batensis,  Ludovi- 
cus 

Tansylvanus,  Maximilian,  wrote  account 
of  Magellan’s  voyage,  11,,  206 
Tantas,  word  used  in  holograph  Historia 
to  describe  lands  discovered  b}'  Colum¬ 
bus,  11.,  361,  399,  400 
Tapia,  Bernardino  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  1.,  47 1 ;  probable  salary.  First 
Voyage,  1.,  474 
Tapia,  Francisco  de,  111.,  541 
Taranta,  Velastus  de,  De  Epidemid  et 
Pestc,  not  generally  accepted  by  biblio¬ 
graphers,  11.,  10 

Tarnovius,  Johannes,  in  Elogia,  111.,  14 
Taso,  taxo,  small  animal,  1.,  567 
Tavares,  Francisco  de  Sousa,  cited  by 
Galvam,  1.,  294 

Taylor,  M.  M.,  Naval  Cadet  U.  S.  N., 
officer  U.  S.  S.  Ey^ter prise,  examined 
ruins  city  of  Isabella,  11.,  287 
Taynos,  Indian  name  for  good  men,  IF, 
268,  494 

Teaspes,  belonged  to  Achasmenidian 
family,  1.,  295 

Teatro  Critico,  sopra  los  Errores,  by 
Feijdo,  cited,  1.,  518 

Teatro  de  la  Santa  Iglesia  Metropolitana  de 
Sevilla,  Espinosa,  Biblioteca  Colum- 
bina,  III.,  450 

Tecolotlan  (Utatlan),  province  of,  I.,  139 
Tegero,  Pedro,  member  First  Voyage, 
wages  of,  I.,  479 

Teixeyra,  Tristam  Vas,  Portuguese  navi¬ 
gator,  voyage  to  Porto  Santo,  I.,  396 
Tejo  (Tagus)  River,  cited,  I.,  571 
Tello,  Gomez,  Royal  Cedula  to.  III.,  95, 
96 

Tendilla,  Count  of.  See  Mendoga,  Inigo 
Lopez  de 

Tenerife,  island  of,  volcano  seen  by 
Cadamosto  and  Columbus,  I.,  497,  516, 
517;  description  of ;  inhabitants  of,  II., 
246 

Terceira,  island  of,  I.,  330,  336 
Tercia  (Tierce),  hour  of,  meaning  of,  I., 
541,  S7o_,  II.,  384 

Teredo,  ship  worm,  found  in  New  World, 

I.,  640,  II.,  690 

Terence  (Publius  Afer),  his  works  in 
library  of  Queen  Isabella,  I.,  8 
Temate,  island  of,  in  Molucca  group, 
near  Eastern  starting-point  Line  of  De¬ 
marcation,  II.,  208 

Terra  Sanctse  Crucis  (Terra  de  Santa 
Cruz),  Brazil  so  named  by  Cabral,  I., 
325,  II.,  203,  444 

Terreros,  Pedro  de,  steward.  First  Voyage, 

I.,  470  probable  salary.  First  Voyage, 

I.,  474;  boatswain.  Second  Voyage, 
witnessed  oath  of  sailors  regarding 
Cuba,  II.,  332;  Captain  Gallego,  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  569,  571,  III.,  369;  sent 
ashore  at  San  Domingo,  IT.,  578,  III., 
370;  death  of;  will  of,  II.,  636,  III., 
369,  376 

Tertullianus,  Quintus  Septimius  Florens, 
Latinity  of,  I.,  309 


Testament  (of  Columbus),  Line  of  De¬ 
marcation  specified  in,  II.,  no.  III., 
658 

Tethys  substituted  for  Tiphvs  in  Medea, 
1.,  170 

Tetralogus  de  non  Aliud,  De  Cusa, 
characters  in,  I.,  364,  365 
Teyde,  peak  of,  volcano  in  Tenerife,  I., 

517 

Tezulutlans,  Indian  tribe,  war-like  charac¬ 
ter  of,  I.,  139 

Thacher,  John  Boyd.  See  Continent  of 
America 

Thackeray,  William  Makepeace,  hand¬ 
writing  of.  III.,  459 

Thalassophytes  de  I’Atlantique,  Hum¬ 
boldt  so  called  seaweed  in  Sargasso  Sea, 

n.,381 

The  Destruction  of  the  Indies,  Las  Casas, 
writing  of,  I.,  145.  See  also  “  Destruy- 
cion  de  las  Indias” 

The  Discovery  of  North  America,  Harrisse, 
error  regarding  name  of  Cuba,  II.,  454 
The  History  of  the  West  Indies,  Bryan 
Edwards,  purported  letter  of  Colum¬ 
bus,  II.,  633-635 

The  Landfall  of  Columbus,  Becher,  Wat- 
ling  Island  accepted,  I.,  591 
The  Moor.  See  Sforza,  Lodovico  Maria 
The  Principal  Navigations,  Hakluyt, 
quotes  Chapter  II.  of  Historic,  I.,  240; 
story  of  Robert  Maehin,  I.,  396 
Theatrum  Virorum,  Freherus,  vision  of 
Sabellicus,  II.,  516 

Theoden,  Capella’s  name  for  one  of 
Canary  Islands,  I.,  500 
Theodoretus,  Bishop  of  Cyrus,  Opera 
Omnia,  overcame  difficulty  regarding 
Tigris  and  Euphrates  rivers,  II.,  413 
Theodosiu  of  Tripolis,  Greek  geometer, 
eited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  197-199 
Theodosius  II.,  Emperor  of  the  East,  suc¬ 
cession  of,  II.,  516 

Theoricae  Nouce  Planetarium,  von  Peur- 
bach,  printed  by  Muller,  I.,  360 
Thevet,  Andr6,  sketch  of.  III.,  55;  Les 
Vrais  Pourtraits,  etc.,  portrait  Colum¬ 
bus,  III.,  55 

Thinai  (Sina),  city  of  Eastern  India,  I., 
171 

Third  Voyage,  the,  authorities  on,  and 
importance  of,  II.,  360—363;  outline 
sketch  of.  II.,  370-372,  454;  sum¬ 
mary  of,  II.,  371-373.  391.  395.  504: 
departure  and  stop  at  Madeiras,  II., 
374,  503;  stop  at  Canary  Islands  and 
division  of  the  fleet,  II.,  375,  376, 
503;  capture  of  French  corsair,  II., 
375 ;  stop  at  Cape  Verde  Islands,  II., 
377-379.  503;  the  Sargasso  Sea,  II., 
381;  belt  of  intense  heat,  II.,  381,  382, 
503;  discovery  of  Trinidad,  II.,  383, 
503;  arrival  at  Cabo  de  la  Galera,  II., 
384;  along  the  eoast  of  Trinidad  to 
Punta  de  la  Playa,  II.,  385;  sight  of 
continental  land;  named  Ysla  Sancta, 
II.,  385;  arrival  at  Punta  del  Arenal, 
II.,  386,  504;  intercourse  with  Indians, 
II.,  387,  388,  504;  second  sight  of  con¬ 
tinental  land;  named  it  Isla  de  Gracia, 


Index 


769 


Third  Voyage — Cant'd 

II.,  389;  entrance  into  Golfo  de  la 
Ballena,  II.,  389,  390,  504;  along  the 
coast  of  mainland,  and  intercourse 
with  Indians,  II.,  390-398,  504,  505; 
discovery  of  Belaforma,  II.,  390;  cap¬ 
ture  of  Indians,  II.,  393,  504;  main¬ 
land  named  Paria,  II.,  395,  504;  dis¬ 
covery  of  Yesabeta  and  la  Tramontana, 

II.,  395,  396;  discovery  of  Golpho  de 
las  Perlas,  II.,  398,  505;  lands  dis¬ 
covered  called  by  Columbus  Another 
World,  II.,  399;  arrival  at  Puerto  de 
Gatos,  II.,  400;  passage  of  Boca  del 
Drago,  II.,  401,  505;  westward  along 
coast  of  mainland,  II.,  402—404,  506; 
discovery  of  island  of  Margarita,  II., 
403;  from  Margarita  to  Espanola,  II., 
406-408;  the  Roldan  rebellion,  II., 
417-419,  506;  Bobadilla  in  Espanola, 

11.,  419,  420,  506;  Columbus  sent  to 
Spain  in  chains,  II.,  420,  421,  507; 
end  of ,  II.,  421;  Verde’s  account  of,  II., 
422 

Thomas,  Emperor  of  the  Indians,  Em¬ 
bassy  of  the  Pope  to,  I.,  351 
Thomas,  Saint,  cited  by  Ferrer,  II.,  368 
Thorndike,  Israel,  possessed  Jefferson’s 
copy  of  Altissimo  -  Columbus  portrait, 
III.",  20 

Thoynard,  Nicholas,  correction  of  Leib¬ 
nitz,  I.,  225 

Thule,  island  of,  voyage  of  Columbus  to, 

1.,  300,  383,  391,  392;  see  also  Iceland; 
location  in  first  edition  of  Ptolemy,  I., 
381;  first  named  by  Pytheas,  I.,  381, 
382 

Tibullus,  location  of  Elysium,  I.,  494 
Tiburon,  cape  in  Espanola,  named  by 
Columbus  Sant  Miguel,  II.,  626 
Tierce,  hom  of,  nine  o’clock  morning,  II., 

.384 

Tigra,  Persian  for  arrow,  II.,  413 
Tigris  River,  issued  from  Earthly  Para¬ 
dise,  II.,  410;  ancient  names  of,  II., 
412,  413 

Timeus,  story  of  flagon  repeated  by,  II., 

413 

Tinto  River,  in  Spain,  near  La  Rabida,  I., 

.430 

Tinto  River,  coast  of  Honduras,  discovery 
of,  II.,  644 

Tiphones,  Greek  name  for  tempests,  II., 

.356 

Tiphys,  pilot  on  ship  of  Argonauts,  I., 
170 

Tiraboschi,  Girolamo,  Storia  della  Lettera- 
tura  Italiana,  date  of  Columbus’s  birth, 

Titius  Caius,  Institutes,  I.,  277 
Tobacco,  first  reference  by  Columbus  to, 

1.,  540,  560;  discovery  of;  use  of,  L, 
560,  561;  probably  used  in  Veragua, 

11.,  60^ 

Tobago,  i,sland  of,  geographical  descrip¬ 
tion  of,  II.,  390 

Todo  lo  que  pudo,  meaning  of,  II.,  5 
Toledo  (Pedro  Gonzales  de  Mendoza), 
Archbishop  of,  and  Cardinal  of  Spain, 

II.,  189,  190 

VOL.  111.-49. 


Toledo,  Pedro  de,  sailor.  Fourth  Voyage, 

11.,  569 

Tolfa,  town  of,  alunite  mines  at,  1.,  367 
Tomasini,  Filippo,  found  books  of  Pe¬ 
trarch  partially  destroyed  in  library  of 
San  Marco,  II.,  439;  joint  editor 
Ritratti  di  Cento  Capitani,  etc..  III., 
26 

Tombs,  Huacus,  in  Cariari,  II.,  584,  694. 
See  Monuments 

Tordesillas,  Philip  of  Burgundy  buried  at, 

1.,  26;  Queen  Joanna  lived  there,  I.,  26; 
treaty  made  at,  L,  60 

Tordesillas,  Treaty  of,  provided  for  draw¬ 
ing  of  Line  of  Demarcation',  I.,  522, 11. , 
189,  379;  Commissioners  appointed  for, 

11.,  122;  Spanish  text  and  translation 
of,  II.,  165-186;  resum6  of,  II.,  187, 
188;  copies  signed  by  Sovereigns  of 
Spain  and  of  Portugal,  II.,  188;  in  force 
through  sixteenth  to  middle  of  eight¬ 
eenth  century,  II.,  200,  202 

Tordoya,  Diego  de,  murdered  at  La  Navi- 
dad,  I.,  471 

Toreno,  Nuno  Garcia  de,  Spanish  map- 
maker,  believed  to  have  made  map  in 
Martyr’s  Decades,  I.,  36 
Torpa,  Diego  de,  on  First  Voyage,  mur¬ 
dered  at  La  Navidad,  I.,  471 
Torquemada,  Pedro  de,  supposed  father 
of  Beatriz  Enriquez,  I.,  424 
Torre,  Dona  Juana  de  la,  nurse  to  Prince 
Juan,  sketch  of,  II.,  423;  Letter  of  Co¬ 
lumbus  to,  II.,  423—438;  Columbus 
Letter  in  Book  of  Privileges,  II.,  562 
Torre,  Luigi  (di  Casale  Monferrato),  cited, 
HI.,  30 

Torrentinus,  Laurentius,  printed  Elogia, 
at  Florence  1551,  III.,  13 
Torres,  Antonio  de,  cited,  I.,  63,  64,  530; 
sailing  of  expedition.  L,  68,  II.,  217, 
281,  292;  Alcalde  of  Isabella,  II.,  218, 
292,  304;  carried  report  of  Columbus  to 
Spain,  11.,  292;  the  De  Torres  Mem¬ 
orandum,  11. ,  292,  297-308;  brother 
to  Juana  de  la  Torre,  11. ,  423  ;  Captain- 
General  of  Ovando’s  expedition,  II., 
450;  death  of,  II.,  579 
Torres,  Fernando  de,  witnessed  Treaty  of 
Tordesillas,  II.,  185 

Torres,  Luis  do,  converted  Jew,  with  Co¬ 
lumbus  on  First  Voyage,  L,  462,  470; 
probable  salary  of,  I.,  474 ;  sent  on  land 
in  Cuba,  I.,  557 

Torres,  Pierre  de.  Royal  Spanish  Secre¬ 
tary,  brother  of  Antonio  and  Juana  de 
la  Torre,  II.,  423 
Tortoises,  see  Turtles 
Tortosa,  city  of,  relative  location  of,  IL, 
589-592,  686 

Tortuga,  isla  de  la  (Tortugas),  discovery 
and  naming  of,  I.,  582,  604,  III.,  90; 
description  of,  I.,  608,  IL,  315;  visit  to. 
Second  Voyage,  IL,  315 
Toscanelli,  Bartolommea,  mother  of 
Paolo,  L,  355 

Toscanelli,  Domenico,  father  of  Paolo,  I., 
355 

Toscanelli,  Ludovico,  nephew  of  Paolo, 
possessed  Paolo’s  books,  I.,  321,  365 


7/0 


Index 


Toscanelli  dal  Pozzo,  Paolo,  birth, 
family,  education,  and  home  of,  I.,  355  ; 
position  in  Florence,  I.,  357,  365; 
friends  of,  1.,  357,  35S:  aided  Brunel¬ 
leschi  in  constmction  of  dome  of  Santa 
Maria  del  Fiore,  I.,  356;  Muller  his 
friend,  1.,  35S-360;  De  Cusa  his 
friend,  1.,  360,  361;  rvitnessed  De 
Cusa’s  will,  L,  362;  gnomon  con¬ 
structed  by,  I.,  356;  confounded  with 
Marco  Polo,  I.,  5S1;  discovery  of  his 
manuscript,  I.,  370;  bibliographical 
description  of  manuscript,  I.,  370,  371; 
reconstruction  of  his  map,  L,  174; 
location  of  Quinsay  on  his  map,  I,,  556; 
estimation  of  earth’s  circumference,  I., 
372-374;  letter  to  Martins  cited,  1., 
169,  513;  intimacy  with  Martins,  I., 
364;  shareholder  in  copper  mining  com¬ 
pany,  I.,  367;  purity  of  life,  I.,  366; 
letter  to  Columbus  cited,  I.,  173,  372; 
sent  chart  to  Columbus,  L,  552,  555, 
622,  626,  635  ;  portraits  of,  I.,  367,  368 ; 
disposition  of  property,  and  works  of, 

I.,  365:  supposed  sepulchre,  I.,  368; 
influence  on  Columbus,  I.,  376,  377; 
Spanish  text  of  Letter,  I.,  302—308; 
Latin  text  of  Letter,  I.,  308-312;  Italian 
text  of  Letter,  I.,  313-316 ;  did  not  men¬ 
tion  Crusade  or  Holy  Sepulchre  in 
letter  to  Columbus,  I.,  179;  argument 
against  authenticityof  hisLetter,  I.,2  98, 
299;  the  wars  of  Castile,  I.,  317,  318; 
meaning  of  ha  dias,  I . ,  317;  different 
examples  of  Columbus  Letter;  differ¬ 
ences  in,  I.,  319,  320;  real  importance 
of  letters  to  Columbus,  L,  322-324; 
charge  of  De  la  Rosa  and  Vignaud,  I,, 
338,  341 ;  his  chart  in  possession  of  Las 
Casas,  L,  340,  524;  correspondence  with 
Columbus  proved,  L,  345,  552,  555, 
622,  626,  635,  11. ,  696;  geographical 
conceptions  based  on  stories  of  travel¬ 
lers,  I.,  348-352;  geographical  calcula¬ 
tions  necessarily  imperfect,  L,  352-354; 
probable  knowledge  of  Marinus,  L,  353 ; 
examination  and  reproduction  of  Letter 
copied  in  Historia  Rerum  Ubique  Ges- 
tarum,  III.,  465-475 

Toscanello,  Mangia  (or  Mangiatroia) , 
family  of,  residence  of,  I.,  355 

Toyna,  Indian  name  for  honest  man,  II., 
489 

Tractatus  contra  Cremonensia,  Muller, 
printed  by  Muller,  I.,  360 

Tractatus  de  Imagine  Mundi,  D’Ailly, 
printing  of,  11. ,  60 

Tractatus  Exponibilium,  D’Ailly,  printing 
of;  interest  of,  11. ,  58 

Tragacanth,  a  gum  produced  on  Es- 
panola,  II.,  279 

Tragedie  Senece  cum  Duohus  Commen- 
tariis,  Seneca,  owned  by  Ferdinand  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  170 

Traina,  Rodrigo  de,  sailor  on  First  Voy¬ 
age,  first  saw  land,  L,  530,  532 

Traits  de  la  Gravure  en  Bois,  Papillon, 
cited.  III.,  14 

Trani,  town  of,  heroism  of  Chevalier  Bay¬ 
ard  at,  I.,  14 


Transversce,  meaning  of,  I.,  372 
Trasierra,  Juan  de, Franciscan  Friar,  III., 
136 

Tratado  dos  Varios  Caniinhas  por  Onde, 
Galvano,  source  of  Robert  Machin 
story,  I.,  396 

Treatise  on  lUiistrious  Women,  Bergomas, 
printing  of,  II.,  77 

Treatise  on  the  Discoveries  of  the  World, 
Galvano,  map  accompanying  Polo’s 
Book  of  Travels  possessed  by  Portu¬ 
guese,  1.,  294,  295,  396 
Trees,  first  seen  by  Columbus,  I.,  532; 
used  by  Indians  for  canoes,  I.,  534; 
Indians  made  retreats  in,  II.,  588,  602 
Trevisan,  Anzolo  di  Bernardino,  see  Tri- 
vigiano 

Triana,  Fernando  de,  member  First  Voy¬ 
age,  wages  of,  I.,  479 
Triana,  fortress  of  Puerto  Bello,  capture 
?f.  II.,  595 

Triana,  Juan  Verde  de,  member  First 
Voyage,  wages  of,  I.,  478 
Triano,  Rodrigo  de,  member  First  Voy¬ 
age,  I.,  470 

Tribunal,  the,  Spanish  Court  created  by 
Council  of  the  Indies,  decision  in  Co¬ 
lumbus  law-suit,  I.,  245 
Trin,  harbour  of,  discovery  of,  I.,  387 
Trinidad,  city  of  (Cuba),  founded  under 
Velasquez,  I.,  115;  Columbus  at  its 
site.  Fourth  Voyage,  II.,  622,  623,  660 
Trinidad,  island  of,  discovery  of,  II.,  370, 
383,  503;  appearance  and  products  of, 

II.,  384—388,  503,  504;  massacre  by 
Juan  Bono  on,  11. ,  385,  386;  appear¬ 
ance,  character,  and  customs  of  inhabi¬ 
tants,  II.,  386-388,  504;  origin  of 
name,  III.,  243 

Trinity  Hills  (Three  Sisters),  mountains 
on  Trinidad,  discovery  of,  11. ,  370 
Tristan  (of  Valduerna),  on  Cardera,  Sec¬ 
ond  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  con¬ 
tinental  land,  11. ,  331 
Tristan,  Diego,  citizen  of  Seville,  wit¬ 
nessed  oath  of  sailors  regarding  Cuba, 

11.,  332;  Majordomo  of  Columbus,  III., 
182;  Captain  Gapitana,  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IT,  569;  death  of,  11. ,  612,  613, 
659,  III  ,  179 

Trivigiano,  Angelo  (Anzolo  Trevisan  di 
Bernardino),  L,  64,  231,  262;  not  re¬ 
sponsible  for  statements  in  Summario, 

1.,  267;  wrote  Libretto  from  Martyr’s 
manuscript,  II.,  440,  441,  450;  preser¬ 
vation  of  manuscript  Libretto  and 
letters  to  Malipiero,  II.,  440,  441,  III., 
68;  text  of  letters  to  Malipiero,  II., 
441-450;  friendship  with  Columbus, 

11.,  443;  first  described  personal  ap¬ 
pearance  of  Columbus,  II.,  452,  456, 

111.,  3,  7;  translation  of  phrase  regard¬ 
ing  Joanna,  II.,  453;  saw  pearls  ob¬ 
tained  by  Nino,  II..  455;  Lotto-Colum- 
bus  yjortrait  said  to  have  been  painted 
for.  III.,  66 

Trivisanus,  Dominicus,  overseer  of  San 
Marco,  Embassy  to  Germany,  I.,  218 
Tnvulzio  Library,  contains  example  of 
Syllacio  Letter,  II.,  215 


Index 


771 


Trois  Cartes,  Nordenskjold,  reproduced 
Clavus’s  map  of  Iceland,  I.,  381 
Troncosa,  Jesus  Maria,  Sacristan  Cathe¬ 
dral  of  San  Domingo,  III.,  558;  assisted 
at  identification  remains  of  Columbus, 
III.,  560—566 

Trotti,  Jacomo  de,  sent  copy  of  Januarius 
letter  to  Duke  of  Ferrara,  II.,  8,  9 
Trottis,  Bartholomaeus  de,  probably 
printed  Syllacio  Letter  with  Aloysius  of 
Como,  II.,  222 

Trujillo,  Truxillo,  former  capital  of  Hon¬ 
duras,  I.,  31,  II.,  644 
Tsaritsin  (Zaritzyn),  city  of,  location  of, 

I-.  351 

Tucher,  Anton,  Nuremberg  patrician,  re¬ 
ceived  printed  copy  De  Captivitate,  1., 


106 

Tudor,  Henry  (Henry  VII.),  King  of 
England,  battle  of  Bosworth  Field,  I., 


228 

Tuob,  Indian  name  for  poor  gold,  I.,  643 
Turenna,  Luigi  di.  Count,  criticises  Tal- 
leyrand-Columbus  portrait.  III.,  48 
Turey,  hureyos,  turci,  Indian  name  for 
heaven,  II.,  279,  392,  489;  brass  so 
called  by  Indians,  II.,  349,  350,  392 
Turin  Royal  Library,  contains  copy 
Edition  “G”  Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II., 

58 

Turk  Island,  identification  of,  I.,  589; 
territory  of,  I.,  591;  attempt  to  prove 
landfall  of  Columbus  on,  IF,  288 
Turpino,  Giovan,  joint  editor  Ritratti  di 
Cento  Capitani,  etc..  III.,  27 
Turtles  (Tortoises),  size  of,  I.,  640;  hab¬ 
its  of;  lepers  cured  by  diet  of,  II.,  378 
Turuqueira,  cannibal  island,  II.,  267 
Twiss,  Sir  Trav'ers,  Christopher  Columbus, 


etc..  III.,  527 


U 

Ubertus,  Farinata,  portrait  in  Jovian  Gal¬ 
lery,  III.,  16 

Ugarte,  Tomds  de,  Don,  III.,  542 
Ulloa,  Alfonso,  translated  Historie,  I., 
301,  317,  319,  III.,  6;  interpolation  re¬ 
garding  Thule  in  Historie,  I.,  383,  384 
Umbert,  King  of  Italy.  See  under  “  Rac- 
colta  ”  in  Index 

Umbria,  Pedro  de,  Spanish  explorer, 
voyage  of,  II.,  595 

Ungnt,  Meynardo,  printer,  water-mark 
used  by,  I.,  36;  printed  in  Spain,  IF,  53 
Uniones,  oysters  with  one  pearl,  IF,  397 
Universal  History  in  Perspective,  Willard, 
birth  of  Columbus,  I.,  275 
Universal  Palcsography,  Silvestre,  L.  C., 
III.,  607 

Urana,  Gulf  of,  IF,  604 
Urira,  river  of,  discovery  of,  IF,  607 
Urizar,  Josef  Antonio  de,  Don,  III.,  540 
Urmeta,  Francisco,  L,  252 
Umiga,  Juan  de,  on  First  Voyage, 
murdered  at  La  Navidad,  I.,  472 
Utopia,  Sir  Thomas  Moore  cited,  III.,  436 
Utrecht,  Pope  Adrian  VI.  born  at,  I.,  28 
Llzielli,  Gustavo,  edited  portions  of  Rac- 
colta;  published  Manfredi  letter,  I.,  321 ; 


identification  of  Acci,  I.,  362;  identifi¬ 
cation  of  Femandus  de  Roritz,  I.,  364 
Uxilia,  Johannes  de,  I.,  252 

V 

Vagad,  Gauberto  Fabricio  de,  Coronica  de 
Aragon,  refers  to  Otro  Mundo,  IF,  74, 
76 

Vald6s,  Alfonso  de,  sketch  of,  I.,  95,  96; 
letter  about  Luther,  I.,  96-101;  im¬ 
portance  and  accuracy  of  letter,  I., 
102— 105;  wrote  account  coronation  of 
Charles  V.,  I.,  107 
Valdes,  Fernando  del,  III.,  302 
Valdds,  Juan  de,  sketch  of,  I.,  95,  96; 
The  Hundred  and  Ten  Considerations, 
(translated  from  the  Italian  by  Nicho¬ 
las  Ferrar),  publishing  of,  I.,  95 
Vald6s,  Juan  Melandez,  El  Deseo  de 
Gloria,  III.,  520 

Valenfay  de  Talleyrand  de  Segan,  Duke 
of,  HI.,  48 

Valencia,  first  printing  in  Spain  done  at, 
IF,  10 

Valencia,  Juan  de,  sailor.  Fourth  Voyage, 
IF,  569  .  . 

Valentin,  Moravian  printer,  published 
V ita  Cristi,  F,  397 
Valla,  Lorenzo,  Italian  scholar,  F,  5 
Valladolid,  city  of,  importance  of.  III., 
503,  504;  Columbus  died  there.  III., 
503;  Peter  Martyr’s  home,  F,  31 
Valle  del  Paraiso  (Valparaiso),  in  Portu¬ 
gal,  Columbus  at,  F,  665,  IF,  9 
Valle  del  Paraiso,  in  Tortuga,  discovery 
of,  F,  608;  identified  by  some  as  on 
coast  of  Espanola,  F,  608 
Vallejo,  Francisco  Garcia,  member  First 
Voyage,  F,  471;  wages  of,  F,  478 
Vallet,  P.,  French  editor.  III.,  35 
Valmaseda,  Francisco  de,  clerk  Council  of 
the  Indies,  F,  243 

Valtanas,  Domingo  de.  Compendia  de 
Algunas  Cosas  Notables  de  Espaha, 
claim  of  Milan  as  birthplace  Columbus, 

1.,  246 

Van  der  Haagen,  Willem,  attempted  to 
colonise  islands  of  Flores  and  Corvo,  IF, 
106 

Van  Evek,  Tan,  Flemish  painter,  death  of, 

111., ' 46 

Van  Iseghem,  A.  F.,  Professor,  Biographic 
de  Thierry  Martens  assigns  Edition  “  J  ” 
Cosco  Latin  Letter  to  Martens,  IF,  64 
Van  Loo,  Jean  Baptiste,  never  in  America, 

111.,  61 

Vanegas  de  Busto,  Alexio,  Primera  Parte 
de  las  Diferencias  de  Libros,  etc.,  desig¬ 
nation  new  parts  of  America,  JIF,  606 
Varagine,  Gaspar  de.  Inquisitor,  approval 
of  Polyglot  Psalter,  I.,  203 
Vargas,  Luis  de,  cabin  boy,  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  572 

Varillas,  Antonius,  Anecdotes  of  Florence, 
cited,  Leo  X.,  F,  41 

Vamhagen,  Francisco  Adolpho  de,  claims 
Man'guana  as  San  Salvador,  F,  590; 
published  Primera  Epistola  del  Ahnir- 
ante  Don  Cristobal  Colon,  IF,  45 


4 


Index 


/  /  - 


Varro,  Marcus  Terentius,  cited  by  Sylla- 
cio,  II.,  246 

Vasieus,  Johannes,  librarian  of  Ferdinand 
Columbus,  III.,  436,  441,  450 
Vasari,  Georgius  (Giorgio),  painted  por¬ 
trait  of  Toscanelli,  1.,  368;  Dialogue, 
characters  in,  1.,  36S;  Vite  del  Piil 
Cclcbri  Pittori,  etc.,  cited.  III.,  12 
Vasconcellos,  Rodriguez  de,  husband  of 
Catherine  Furtada,  I.,  399 
Vatican,  the,  despoiled  by  Daunou,  II., 

Vatican  Registers,  Bulls  and  Letters  of 
Popes  preserved  in,  II.,  89,  115,  116; 
documents  not  entered  in  chronological 
order,  II.,  116,  117;  fac-similes  Colum¬ 
bian  Bulls,  II.,  124-161 
Vaudois,  the,  I.,  3;  assassinated  Peter 
Martyr,  the  Inquisitor,  I.,  3 
Vega,  Garcilasso  de  la,  Primera  Parte  de 
los  Comentarios  Reales,  the  Pilot  story, 
I-.  328-331,  335,  518,  IIP,  470,  471 
Vega,  La,  provinceof  (Vega  Real),  1.,  124  ; 
the  King  of,  I.,  629;  discovery  of,  II., 

Vegare,  begare.  See  Peccary 
Vegius,  Maphoeus,  Philalethes,  printed  by 
Muller,  I.,  360 
Vehechio.  See  Behechio 
Vela  latina,  lateen  sails,  shape  of,  I., 

5^7  . 

Velasco,  Constable  of  Castile,  I.,  7 
Velasco,  Josd  Fernandez  de,  librarian 
Biblioteca  Columbina,  III.,  451,  465 
Velasquez,  Diego,  sketch  of,  I.,  115,  III., 
341,  342;  subjugation  of  Cuba  by, 

I.,  116;  founded  Baracoa,  I.,  559; 

founded  first  European  settlement  on 
Cuba,  11. ,  319;  epitaph  of.  III.,  342 
Veldener,  Jean,  printed  Ex  quo  Vocabu- 
larii,  I.,  309 

Velez,  Alonso  (de  Mendoza),  forbidden  to 
visit  Curiana,  II.,  455 
Velloldos,  Perez,  Spanish  artist.  III.,  8 
Venables,  R.,  General,  III.,  531,  533 
Veneciano,  Estefano,  sailor  on  Nina, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  con¬ 
tinental  land,  II.,  329 
Venetian  State  Archives,  part  of  Svajer 
library  went  into,  II.,  440 
Venetus,  Antonius  Grimanus,  III.,  17 
Venetus,  Bernardinus  and  Matthseus  (Li 
Albanesoli) ,  Venetian  printers,  printed 
first  fiart  Enneades,  II.,  516 
Venice,  visit  of  Martyr  to,  I.,  13 ;  navy  of, 

I.,  14;  commerce  of,  I.,  218;  contro¬ 
versy  with  King  of  France,  I.,  219-229; 
friendly  to  England,  I.,  228;  relative 
location  of,  II.,  591,  592,  686 
Venner,  Thomas,  Captain  of  Elizabeth 
Bonaventure,  III.,  529 
Vera,  Garcia  de,  notary  public,  witnessed 
will  of  Mendez,  II.,  666 
Vera  Paz,  province  of,  description  of.  I., 
139;  the  Indian  traders,  I.,  141;  con¬ 
version  of  the  cacique,  I.,  142;  visit  of 
Las  Casas,  I.,  142;  final  conquest,  I., 
143;  order  of  Charles  V.,  I.,  144 
Veragua,  Dukes  of.  See  Colon  y  Pravia, 
Larreategui,  Portugal,  and  Stuart 


Veragaii  (Beragua),  land  of,  location  of,  in 
relation  to  land  on  Pacific  coast ,  1 1 . ,  5  8  9- 
592;  gold-mines  in,  II.,  606,  689,  695; 
first  continental  settlement  in,  II.,  608, 
689;  products  of,  II.,  608,  609;  de¬ 
parture  of  Columbus  from.  Fourth 
Voyage,  II.,  615;  Don  Luis  took  title 
as  first  Duke  of  Veragua,  II.,  608 

Veragua,  river  of,  discovery  and  identifi¬ 
cation  of,  II.,  587,  645;  exploration  of, 
II  ,  604,  605 

Verardus,  Carolus,  Bethicce  et  Granatce 
Obsidio,  Victoria  et  Triumphus,  biblio¬ 
graphical  description  and  printing  of, 

11. ,  53;  his  work,  Historia  Baetica, 
printing  of,  II.,  54;  in  Laudem  Ferdi- 
nandi  Regis,  Editions  “D”  and  “K” 
Cosco  Latin  Letter,  II.,  49,  66 

Verastegui,  Dr.,  lawyer,  delivered  Ma¬ 
jorat  to  Dr.  Hurtado,  I.,  243 

Vercellese,  Albertino  (da  Lisona),  Vene¬ 
tian  printer,  published  Libretto,  11. , 
440,  441,  454;  error  regarding  name  of 
Cuba,  II.,  454 

Verde,  Simon  del,  used  term  Altro  Mondo, 

1.,  63,  II.,  422;  letter  of;  sketch  of,  II., 
422;  copies  of  letter  in  Paesi,  II.,  527 

Vergara,  Alonzo  de,  notary  of  Seville, 

111.,  516 

Vergara,  Francisco  de,  murdered  at  La 
Navidad,  I.,  472 

Vergara,  Johannes  de,  rapidity  of  Mar¬ 
tyr’s  writing,  I.,  45 

Vergayo,  Rodrigo,  sailor.  Fourth  Voyage, 
n.,'569 

Vergel,  de  Consolacion,  cited,  I.,  37 

Verneuil,  Chalumeau  de,  M.,  kinds  of 
blancas,  I.,  536 

Vernier,  Jean  le,  Frere,  joint  author  of 
journal  of  B6thencourt’s  expedition 
and  conquest,  I.,  510 

Verrazzano,  Giovanni,  his  alleged  voyage 
in  Ramusio’s  works,  L,  267 

Versailles,  Museum  of,  sketch  of.  III.,  45, 
46 

Verzio,  Petrus  de  (de  Fontanabona),  I., 
250 

Vespers,  hour  of,  six  o’clock  evening,  II., 

384 

Vespucci,  Messer  p°,  letter  to  Acaiuolus, 

1.,  227 

Vespucius,  Americus,  chart  made  by,  1., 
40;  on  coast  of  Brazil,  II.,  203;  pre¬ 
ceded  Columbus  in  continental  dis¬ 
covery,  II.,  371 ;  views  of  Las  Casas  re¬ 
garding,  II.,  404;  first  voyage  author¬ 
ized  by  King  Ferdinand,  II.,  523; 
third  voyage  contained  in  Paesi,  II., 
526;  sailed  near  Mexico:  ignorant  of 
city,  II.,  585 ;  said  that  Indians  lived  in 
trees,  II.,  602;  portrait  of,  III.,  39; 
portrait  left  in  New  York,  III.,  75; 
friend  of  Columbus,  III,  395,  398, 
399;  America  named  from,  III  ,  605 

Vespucius,  Juan,  helped  draw  up  docu¬ 
ment  fixing  Line  of  Demarcation,  II., 
200,  207 

Via  de’  Velluti  (Via  della  Celia  di  Pier 
Fantoni),  Toscanelli  house  near,  I., 
355 


Index 


773 


Via  del  Colombo,  No.  8,  Quin  to  house  in 
which  Columbus  is  reputed  to  have 
been  born,  1.,  246 

Via  Guicciardini  (Via  di  Piazza),  Tos- 
canelli  house  near,  I.,  355 
Viaggi  (dei)  e  dclle  Scoperte  Africane  di 
Cada-Mosto,  Zurla,  cited,  II.,  452 
Vico  Dritto  del  Ponticello,  street  in 
Genoa,  Columbus  house  in,  I.,  237,  262 
Vicovaro,  town  of,  birthplace  of  Sabelli- 
cus,  II.,  515 

Victoria,  Juan  de,  De  los  Reyes  Catolicos, 
motto  of  Columbus,  III.,  519 
Victoria,  the,  ve.ssel  of  Magellan’s  expe¬ 
dition,  circumnavigation  of  globe  by, 
II.,  206;  sailors  discovered  loss  of  one 
day  in  sailing  westward,  II  ,  206 
Vidas  de  Espanoles  Celebres,  Quintana, 
cited,  I.,  115,  139 

Vidreras,  town  of,  birthplace  Jaime 
Ferrer,  II-,  365  .  .  . 

Vidua,  Carlo,  search  for  Columbian  docu¬ 
ments,  III.,  30 

Viele,  Hon.  John  L.,  cited.  III.,  73 
Viera,  y  Clavijo,  Jos6  de,  Hisloria  de 
las  Islas  de  Canaria,  land  seen  to  west 
of  Canaries,  I,,  518 

Vigerius,  Johannes  Andreas  d’  Bussi  so 
called  in  Tetralogus,  I.,  365 
Vigevano,  Bussi,  native  of,  I,,  365 
Vigna,  Dominico,  a  tailor  in  Savona,  I., 
252 

Vigna,  Johannes,  a  tailor  in  Savona,  I., 
252 

Vignaud,  Henry,  La  Lettre  et  la  Carte  de 
Toscanelli,  belief  that  Portuguese  were 
not  seeking  India,  I.,  298,  299,  347; 
the  Pilot  story,  I..  338;  .suggests  Bar¬ 
tholomew  Columbus  as  forger  of  Tos¬ 
canelli  letters,  I.,  347;  thinks  Tos¬ 
canelli  depended  upon  Ptolemy  for  geo¬ 
graphical  knowledge,  I.,  353 
Vilhena,  Dona  Maria  de,  ordered  coloni¬ 
sation  of  islands  of  Flores  and  Corvo, 
IF,  106 

Villa,  Domenico  de,  notary  in  Genoa,  I., 
256 

Villa,  Pedro  de,  member  First  Voyage,  I., 
470;  vowed  to  pilgrimage,  I.,  655 
Villacorta,  member  Second  Voyage,  re¬ 
commended  to  Sovereigns,  IF,  308 
Villacorta,  Treasurer,  cited.  III.,  123 
Villa,diego,  Fernando  de,  order  of  the 
Sovereigns  to,  F,  458 
Villafranca  de  Xira,  village  of,  sketch  of, 
F,  667 

Villalano,  Doctor.  See  Villaldn 
Villalar,  Communeros  defeated  at,  F,  28 
Villalobar,  Marquis  of,  nephew  Duchess 
of  Veragua,  painted  coat-of-arms  of 
Columbus  family,  IF,  536 
Villaldn,  Alonso  de,  Doctor,  member 
Royal  Council  of  Spain ;  Columbus’s 
Letters  in  his  hands,  F,  175;  sketch  of, 
F,  410 

Villar,  Juan  de,  murdered  at  La  Navidad, 
L,  472 

Villatoro,  Pedro  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  IF,  571;  rebellion  of,  IF,  633, 
nr.,  37°.  371 


Villaviciosa,  seaport  of  Asturias,  F,  119 
Villejo,  Alonzo  de,  conversation  with  Co¬ 
lumbus,  IF,  420;  desired  to  remove 
chains  from  Columbus,  IF,  421 
Vincentinus,  Flenricus,  paid  for  printing 
oiPaesi,  IF,  525,  526 
Vincentinus,  Johannes  Maria,  printed 
Paest,  IF,  525,  526 

Vinci,  Leonardo  da,  handwriting  of.  III., 
459 

Viola,  Bartholomeo,  L,  253 
Virazon,  the,  west  wind.  III.,  233 
Virgjl  (Vergilius,  Publius  Maro),his  works 
in  library  of  Queen  Isabella,  F,  8;  cited 
by  Peter  Martyr,  F,  82;  no  fifteenth- 
century  editions  given  by  Hain,  F,  349  ; 
his  location  of  Elysium,  F,  494;  called 
canoes  lintres,  IF,  250;  Georgica,  cited, 
IF,  516 

Viscaino,  Domingo,  calker.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  IF,  570;  death,  IF,  612 
Viscaino.  See '‘'Vizcaino" 

Viscayno,  Rodrigo,  III.,  281 
Visconti,  Caterina,  mother  of  Bartholo- 
meu  Perestrello,  F,  398 
Vita  Christi  published  by  Valentin  and 
Nicolas  de  Saxonia,  F,  397 
Vita  Solitaria,  De,  Petrarch,  Genoese  oc¬ 
cupation  of  Canary  Islands,  F,  503,  504 
Vita  di  Christoforo  Colombo,  Sanguinete, 
quoted  notarial  documents  of  Savona, 
F,  238 

Vita  di  Crisioforo  Colombo,  Bo.ssi,  birth¬ 
place  of  Columbus,  F,  246;  date  of  his 
lairth,  F,  264,  274;  map  in  edition  “D” 
Cosco  Latin  Letter,  IF,  50 
VitcB  Ducum  V enetorum  ab  Origine  Urbis, 
MS.  Calendar,  Sanuto,  Marino,  story  of 
sea-fight,  F,  218 

Vitalibus,BernardinusVenetusde,  printed 
Part  IF,  Enneades,  IF,  517 
Vitalibus,  Matthacus  de,  printed  with 
brother  Bernardinus  under  name  Li 
Albanesoli,  IF,  516 

Vite  del,  Piii  Celebri  Pittori,  etc.,  Vasari, 
cited.  III.,  12 

Vitellius,  Vitellocius,  III.,  17 
Vivaldo,  Ugolino,  commanded  Genoese 
expedition,  F,  505 

Vivus,  Cristobal,  on  San  Juan,  Second 
Voyage,  believed  Cttba  continental 
land,  IF,  330 

Vizcaino,  Domingo.  Viscaino, Domingo 
Vizcaino,  Gonzalo,  sailor  on  Nina,  Sec¬ 
ond  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  was  con¬ 
tinental  land,  IF, 329 
Vizcaino,  Juan,  sailor  on  Cardera,  feecond 
Voyage,  believed  Cuba  continental 
land,  IF,  331 

Vizcaino,  Juan,  on  Nina,  Second  Voyage, 
believed  Cuba  continental  land,  IF,  329 
Vizcaino,  Juan  de  Espana,  sailor  on  Nina, 
Second  Voyage,  believed  Cuba  con¬ 
tinental  land,  IF,  329 
Vizcaino,  Juan  Perez,  calker  on  First 
Voyage,  F,  470;  probable  wages,  F,  474 
Vizcaino,  vessel  of  Columbus  on  Fourth 
Voyage,  IF,  569;  crew  of,  IF,  572; 
accidents  to,  IF,  581,  582,  601;  aban¬ 
donment  of,  IF,  614,  616,  646 


774 


Index 


Vossius  (de  Arte  Hist.),  comment  on 
Paulus  Jovius,  III.,  9;  says  fate  of 
Giustiniano  was  unknown,  I.,  206 
I'oyagc  of  ColiDitbiis,  anonymous,  did  not 
mention  Pilot  story,  1.,  328 

W 

Wafer,  Lionel,  .4  Hew  Voyeigc  and  De¬ 
scription  of  the  Isthmus  of  America,  de¬ 
scription  of  Escribanos,  11.,  597 
Walcknaer,  Baron,  De  la  Cosa  map  dis¬ 
covered  in  library  of,  I.,  588 
Waldseemuller,  Martinus,  map  in  1513 
Ptolemy,  I.,  510;  named  New  World 
America,  III.,  13,  605 
Walpole,  Horace,  Anecdotes  of  Painting, 
cited.  III.,  70 

Waltherus,  Bernardus,  Nuremberg  patri¬ 
cian,  partnership  with  Muller  in  print¬ 
ing,  I.,  360 

Wampum  possibly  used  in  Veragua,  II., 
605 

Waring,  H.  S.,  Lieut.,  U.  S.  N.,  aided  in 
examining  ruins  of  Isabella,  II.,  287 
Warum  des  Papstes,  etc.,  Luther,  I.,  106 
Washington,  D.  C.,  Columbus  statue  at, 

III.,  80 

Washington,  George,  capacity  for  detail, 

111.,  138 

Watling,  George,  Captain,  Watling  Island 
named  for,  I.,  598 

Watling  Island,  landfall  of  Columbus  on: 
situation  of,  I.,  531,  537,  588,  590,  591, 
598-603;  origin  of  its  name,  I.,  598; 
sketch  of,  I.,  601 ;  tobacco  used  by  in¬ 
habitants  of,  I.,  561.  See  also  Guana- 
hani  and  San  Salvador 
Wax,  found  by  Columbus  in  New  World, 
came  from  Yucatan,  I.,  576,  577 
Wellington,  Duke  of,  captured  Badajos, 
n.,  548 

Weis  (schaid),  German  name  of  Silurus 
glanis  I.,  499 

West  India  Pilot,  description  of  Boca 
Grande  in,  II.,  401 

West  Indies,  first  use  of  name,  II.,  560, 
561;  products  of,  I.,  56,  58,  67 
Western  Hemisphere,  first  use  of  term, 

1.,  65 

Westfalia,  Johannes  de  (de  Pandebonne), 
printed  Imago  Mundi,  II.,  341,  342, 

111.,  461 

Wieser,  Frank,  Dr.  (associated  with  Dr. 
Fischer  in  discovery  of  Waldseemuller 
map),  Zoana  Mela,  error  regarding 
name  of  Cuba,  II.,  454 
Wiffen,  Benjamin  Barron,  wrote  Life  of 
Juan  de  Valdes,  I.,  96 
Wight,  Isle  of,  ancient  name  of.  III., 
224 

Willard,  Emma  Hart,  teacher,  gives 
various  dates  for  birth  of  Columbus,  I., 
264,  275 

William  III.,  King  of  Holland,  refused  to 
help  Scotch  colony,  II.,  617 
Williams  &  Stevens  repaired  Albany  por¬ 
trait  of  Columbus,  III.,  73 
Wine  (or  liquor)  used  by  Indians,  II.,  392, 
395,  608,  609 


Wineland,  island  of,  described  by  Adam 
of  Bremen,  I.,  393 

Wittenberg,  university  town,  I.,  103; 

burning  of  Papal  Bull  at,  1.,  109 
Wonders  of  India,  the,  Sebosus,  I.,  498 
World’s  (ilolumbian  Exposition,  repro¬ 
duction  of  Columbus's  ships  at,  1.,‘469 
Wjnnar,  Pietro  (di  Erkelens),  Canon  of 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  witnessed  wills  of  De 
Cusa,  I.,  361 

X 

Xainana,  Xamana,  province  of,  Columbus 
at.  Second  Voyage,  II.,  271,  493 
Xalmiento,  Cristobal  Garcia,  pilot  on 
First  Vo3^age,  I.,  470;  probable  salary, 
474 

Xamana,  Xainana,  Indian  name  of  prov¬ 
ince  of  Espanola,  II.,  271,  493 
Xanique,  Yaqui  River  so  called,  II., 
312 

Xaragua,  Xuragua,  province  of,  location 
of,  I.,  125,  II.,  663;  headquarters  Rol¬ 
dan  rebels,  II.,  418 

Xaxaues,  Indian  name  for  small  parrots, 

11.,  389.  See  also  Parrots 
Xenophon,  his  works  in  library  of  Queen 

Isabella,  I.,  8;  (Economics,  translated 
by  Giustiniano,  I.,  204 
Xeres,  Francisco  de,  Conquista  del  Peru, 
cited,  I.,  36 

Ximenes,  Abb6,  Jesuit,  reading  of  Latin 
text  Toscanelli  Letter,  I.,  318 
Xim6nes  (Francisco  Xim6nes  de  Cisne¬ 
ros),  Cardinal,  disparaged  by  Martyr, 

1.,  27  ;  established  University  of  Alcala, 

I.,  27;  Liber  Pastoralis  printed  by 
Posa,  II.,  26,  27;  Primir  Volume  de  la 
Vida  de  Nuestro  Sehor,  printing  of,  II., 
53 ;  Decades  contain  Martyr’s  letter  to, 

1.,  36;  favoured  Las  Casas,  I.,  118;  no 
satisfactory  portrait  of.  III.,  7;  patron¬ 
age  of  Rinpon,  III  ,  31;  death  of,  I., 

Ximon,  Diego,  cabin  boy.  Fourth  Voyage, 
IF,  571 

Ximon,  Rodrigo,  seaman.  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  570 

Xuares,  messenger  of  Medinaceli,  I.,  412 
Y 

Yakouti,  Bakoui,  Arabian  geographer, 
describes  Canary  Islands,  I.,  502 
Yamaye,  Indian  name  of  Jamaica,  I.,  638 
Yanez,  N.,  sold  Columbus  portrait  to 
Spain,  III.,  24 

Yaqueron,  cape,  discovery  of,  I.,  642 
Yaqui  (El  Rio  del  Oro)  River,  discovery 
of:  different  names  given  to,  I.,  638, 
639,  II.,  31 1,  312  ;  crossed  by  (Jorbalan, 

11.,  290,  291,  311 

Yaquimo,  Villanueva  de.  See  Puerto  del 
Brasil 

Yaquino,  port  of.  See  Yaquimo 
Yazuel,  island  of,  probably  seen  by  Co¬ 
lumbus,  I.,  642 

Yebra,  Kiebra,  Indian  name  of  river 
Belem,  II.,  604 

Yoma  (pearl),  used  in  Talmud,  II.,  411 


Index 


775 


Yruenes,  Andres  de  (perhaps  Antonio  de 
Jaen),  member  First  Voyage,  wages  of, 
I-.  479 

Ysabeta,  Ysabela,  Isabela,  island  of,  dis¬ 
covery  of,  II.,  395 

Yuca,  root  of,  native  bread  made  from,  I., 
6o6 

Yucatan,  wax  came  from,  I.,  576,  577 
Yugana,  island  of,  identification  of,  I., 

589 

Yumey,  island  of,  on  De  la  Cosa’s  map,  I., 

589 

Yuyaparf,  river  (Orinoco),  description  of, 
II.,  386,  398 

Z 

Zachoni  de  Romano,  Jacobus,  printed 
Stultifera  Navis,  II.,  74 
Zffihnsdorf  bound  forged  example  of 
Quarto  Letter,  II.,  42 
Zaiton,  port  of,  commerce  at,  I.,  304,  311, 
314;  modern  name  and  location  of,  I., 
348;  briefly  mentioned  by  Di  Conti,  I., 
349;  mission  established  at,  I.,  350; 
Columbus  believed  himself  near,  I., 

556,  581 

Zamora,  Alonso  de,  squire,  Fourth  Voy¬ 
age,  II.,  569;  rebellion  of,  II.,  633,  III., 
370,  371;  courier  for  Columbus,  III., 
3.56 

Zamora,  Jos4  Maria,  printed  Historia  de 
los  Reyes  Catolicos  oi  Bernaldez,  III.,  6 
Zanis,  Bartholomeus  de,  printed  Natural 
History  of  Pliny,  III.,  462 
Zapata,  the  Licentiate,  III.,  295 
Zarate,  Gaspare  de,  agent  Christoval  de 
Cardona,  I.,  244 

Zarco,  Joao  Gonsalv^ez,  Portuguese  navi¬ 
gator,  voyage  to  Porto  Santo,  L,  396 
Zaroes,  Magi  sorcerer,  caused  death  of 
Sts.  Simon  and  Jude,  II  ,  220 
Zea,  Licentiate,  III  ,  403 
Zemes,  name  of  Indian  idols,  I.,  82 
Zcnl  Voyages,  title-page  of,  I.,  383; 

publication  of  and  effect  on  geograph¬ 
ers,  I.,  389,  390;  improbable  fabrica¬ 
tion  of,  I.,  390.  See  each  brother  under 
Zeno 

Zeno,  Antonio,  publication  voyages  of,  I., 
383,  384,  388,  389;  voyage  to  Frislanda 
and  friendship  of  Zichmni,  I.,  385 ;  voy¬ 
age  to  Greenland,  I.,  386,  387;  destruc¬ 
tion  of  his  letters,  I.,  387 
Zeno,  Carlo,  letters  of  Antonio  to,  387,  388 
Zeno,  Caterino,  published  Zeni  voyages, 

I-.  383 


Zeno,  Nicolo,  publication  voyages  of,  I., 
383,  384,  388,  389;  voyage  to  the 
North,  I.,  384,  385;  death  of,  I.,  385 
Zeno,  Nicolo,  Junior,  reconstruction  and 
publication  of  story  of  Zeno  voyages 
by.  L,  387,  388 
Zerabora.  See  Caravaro 
Zichmni,  ruler  of  Porlanda,  protected 
Zeni  brothers,  I.,  384,  385;  identified 
by  Major,  I.,  384;  remarkable  deeds 
performed  by  I.,  385 ;  voyage  to  Green¬ 
land  and  founding  of  colony,  I.,  386, 
387.  See  also  Sinclair,  Henry 
Zoana  Mela  for  Joanna  (Cuba),  Wieser, 
error  regarding  name  of  Cuba,  II., 

454 

Zocco  (Zocho),  Tommaso  del,  notary  of 
Savona,  I.,  252,  255 

Zopoli,  Zoppoli,  name  used  for  canoes, 
cited,  II.,  498,  504,  507,  509 
Zorzi,  Alessandro,  Venetian  map-maker, 
accepted  as  author  of  Paesi  by  Hum¬ 
boldt,  II.,  527,  528 

Zorzi,  Geronimo.  See  Georgius,  Sir 
Jerome 

Zuazo,  Alonzo  de,  Spanish  lawyer,  sent 
with  commission  to  New  World,  I., 
1 1 9 ;  wrote  to  Spain  regarding  expedi¬ 
tion  for  fixing  Line  of  Demarcation,  II., 
200 

Zumados,  Juan  de,  cabin  boy.  Fourth 
Voyage,  ll.,  569 

Zumarrago,  Juan,  first  Bishop  of  Mexico, 
helped  introduce  printing  into  New 
World,  II.,  584,  III.,  442 
Zunega,  Francesillo  de,  Don,  Court  Fool 
of  Charles  V.,  allusion  to  quantity  of 
Columbus’s  writings,  II.,  15,  III.,  87 
Zuniga,  Diego  Ortiz  de,  Anales  Ecclesias- 
ticas,  birth  of  Ferdinand  Columbus,  I., 
425,  III  ,  444;  on  appointment  of  nurse 
of  Prince  Juan,  II.,  423;  burial  of  Co¬ 
lumbus,  lil.,  514,  515;  Pinelli  family, 
III  ,  313 

Zurita,  Gerdnimo,  bestowal  of  title  on 
Spanish  Sovereigns,  II.,  86;  Anales 
says  Don  Carlos  proposed  to  remove 
rich  library  from  Messina  to  Spain,  IF, 
221;  authority  regarding  secret  de¬ 
claration  of  King  Ferdinand,  III.,  312; 
Anales  de  la  Corona  de  Aragon,  cited, 
IIP,  447 

Zurla,  cited,  I.,  36;  Di  Marco  Polo  cited, 
II.,  441;  Dei  Viaggi  e  delle  Scoperte 
Africane  di  Cada-Mosto,  cited,  II.,  452 
Zuruquia,  island  of,  ducks  found  on,  II., 
271 


Date  Due 

feb'.^A  R- 

1 

j 

i 

244976 


